ROCHESTER, Mich. – Despite six players finishing with double-digit points, the Cleveland State women's basketball team came up short at Oakland Thursday evening, falling to the Grizzlies, 81-71. With the loss, the Vikings now stand at 13-14 overall this season and 8-6 in Horizon League play.
CSU's five double-digit scorers were led by freshman Khayla Livingston who tallied 16 points on a 5-for-10 performance from the floor and a 4-for-6 effort from behind-the-arc. Kiersten Green finished with 12 points for the Vikings, while Imani Gordon, Adesuwa Aideyman, and Cori Coleman each finished with 11 and Haley Schmitt added 10. Gordon was just shy of yet another double-double, as she had a team-high nine rebounds.
The Vikings held the advantage throughout the entire first half, as they headed into the halftime break with an eight-point lead at the 37-29 mark.
Cleveland State was able to extend its lead to double-digits in the opening seconds of the second half, as Coleman knocked down a three-pointer and Schmitt converted a layup to put the score at 42-29 with 19:15 remaining. The Vikings then held a double-digit lead for the next six minutes, until Oakland went on an 8-2 run to close the gap to six points at the 51-45 mark.
After Livingston was able to halt the Grizzlies run with a three-pointer at the 11:54 mark, Oakland responded with another 11-2 run to even the game at 56-56 with 7:31 left to play.
Coleman stopped the Oakland run yet again with her second three-pointer of the game with just over seven minutes left, and then knocked down another three-pointer at the 5:28 mark to put the Vikings up by four at the 62-58 mark with 5:32 remaining.
The Vikings were then able to hold at least a three-point lead over the next 1:46, until Oakland closed out the game on a 21-5 run, earning the 10-point victory. During the final 3:46, CSU's five points came from Imani Gordon, as she converted a pair of jumpers and a free throw.
For the contest, CSU shot just 37-percent from the field (25-for-67), but had a .429 clip from behind-the-arc (12-for-28). Oakland shot 41-percent from the field (28-for-68).
The Vikings will return home for their final regular season home game on Saturday (March 1), hosting the UIC Flames at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's contest will be Senior Day, as the Vikings will honor Haley Schmitt – this season's lone senior – prior to the contest.
