Dec. 28, 2006
Final Stats
Contact: Alan Ashby
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Butler's Lade Akande scored 28 points to lead all scorers and Cleveland State managed just 7-of-35 shooting in the second half as the Vikings lost their league opener, 66-57, at the Wolstein Center on Thursday night. Cleveland State moves to 3-11 with the setback. Butler improves to 4-8 and 1-0 in league play.
After trailing by just one at the half, the Vikings made five of their first seven from the floor to open the second half to take a 39-31 lead with 16:05 remaining. The Vikings would shoot 2-of-28 for the rest of the game and finish the contest 18-of-68 (26.5%) from the field.
The Bulldogs answered with an 11-0 run capped by a Susan Lester three-pointer to take a 42-39 lead with 12:13 remaining. Two free throws apiece by freshman Kailey Klein and senior Nicole Thomas brought the Vikings within 44-43 with 11:12 remaining, but CSU would not get any closer.
"I thought we did enough to win tonight in almost every facet of the game, with one glaring exception," CSU head coach Kate Peterson said. "We just couldn't buy a basket after getting off to such a good start in the second half. It is a really disappointing result because it was a game that we could have won and we have to take advantage of those opportunities, especially on our home court."
Klein led CSU with 21 points, including 10-of-12 shooting at the free throw line while junior Brittany Korth added 12 points. Thomas had nine points and nine rebounds.
The game featured 49 personal fouls, with Cleveland State being whistled 25 times. Despite the frequent fouls, neither team shot particularly well from the free throw line, as Butler shot 24-of-38 at the stripe while the Vikings made 17 of their 28 free throws.
CSU collected 21 offensive rebounds, committed just 10 turnovers and enjoyed a 25-4 edge in bench scoring in the loss.
Butler appeared to take control of the game early, staking out to a 13-5 lead at the 8:28 mark in the first half. CSU answered with a 10-4 spurt sparked by two Korth treys to pull within 17-15. After a jumper by senior Chenara Wilson tied the game at 26 with 1:08 left, Klein made two free throws to give the Vikings a 28-26 lead with 9.4 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs went the length of the court and Closser hit a three from the left wing at the halftime buzzer to give Butler a 29-28 advantage at the intermission.
The Vikings host league foe Wright State this Saturday in the first game of a men's/women's doubleheader. The contest with the Raiders will tip off at 3:00 p.m.
