CLEVELAND, Ohio – Behind a strong second half comeback, the Cleveland State women's basketball team helped head coach Kate Peterson Abiad record her 200th career victory Thursday, posting a 71-70 overtime victory against Wright State. With the win, the Vikings are now 13-7 overall this year and 5-4 after the first half of Horizon League play.
Cleveland State vs. Wright State Box Score
Game Stats
· Three Vikings finished in double-figures, led by Khayla Livingston with 25 points.
· Ashanti Abshaw chipped in 22 points and Olivia Voskuhl added 12 points.
· Olivia Voskuhl grabbed a team-best 13 rebounds on the game, while Mariah Miller posted six boards.
· As a team, the Vikings finished with 15 assists, including six from Olivia Voskuhl and four from Khayla Livingston and Ashanti Abshaw.
· Enroute to Cleveland State's second half comeback, the Viking defense was able to hold the league's top offense to just eight points during the third quarter.
· The Vikings finished with seven blocked shots on the game, five from Shadae Bosley and two from Olivia Voskuhl.
· For the game, Cleveland State shot 42-percent from the floor and held Wright State to a .329 clip.
Game Notes
· Head Coach Kate Peterson Abiad picked up her 200th career victory at Cleveland State with Thursday's 71-70 overtime victory over Wright State.
· This marked the first overtime game of the season for the Vikings.
· Cleveland State was able to overcome a 20-point first half deficit to pick up the overtime victory.
· Thursday's win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Vikings against Wright State, and gave the Vikings the slight 36-35 advantage in the overall series.
· Cleveland State finishes the first half of the Horizon League regular season slate with a 5-4 record.
· Khayla Livingston recorded her sixth 20-point game of the season, and the fourth time she has posted 25+ points.
· Olivia Voskuhl notched her third double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and a career-high tying 13 rebounds.
· Ashanti Abshaw finished with 22 points for her 12th 20-point game of the year after sitting out the last game with an injury.
The Game
After going into the halftime break trailing 37-26, the Vikings posted 11 straight points to open the third quarter, tying the contest on an Ashanti Abshaw three-pointer at the 5:58 mark. Although Wright State was able to take a 45-44 lead into the final 10 minutes of action, the Viking defense held the Raiders off the board through the first 6:33 of the third frame, and held a strong Raider offense to just three field goals during the quarter.
Both teams traded leads throughout the entire fourth quarter then, with five lead changes and three ties. With 0:44 left on the clock, Cleveland State held a 62-58 advantage, but a 4-0 Wright State run to end the frame forced the game into overtime – the first of the season for the Vikings.
The Vikings got off to a quick start during the overtime period, posting the first five points to gain a 67-62 lead at the 3:47 mark. The Raiders were able to bring it back within one point at the 67-66 mark, and despite a Livingston layup on the next possession, the Raiders regained their first lead since the 3:31 mark of the fourth quarter at 70-69 with just two seconds left in overtime.
After a Cleveland State timeout to advance the ball, the Vikings gave the ball to Abshaw on the inbounds play, and she converted the game-winning jumper from just inside the three-point line as time expired to give Cleveland State the 71-70 overtime victory.
CSU Career Record Book
· With five blocked shots on the game, Shadae Bosley moved into third place in the CSU Career Record Book with 129 career blocks.
· After posting 11 defensive boards against Wright State, Olivia Voskuhl now ranks fifth in the CSU Career Record Book with 456 defensive boards.
· Khayla Livingston moved into 13th place in the CSU Career Record Book after posting 25 points against the Raiders, finishing the game with 1,254 total points.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will host Northern Kentucky at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 27 to close out its current three-game homestand.
