Feb. 4, 2010
Final Stats
Contact: Greg Murphy
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Kailey Klein recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds, helping Cleveland State snap a two-game losing streak with a 62-51 victory over UIC on Thursday night in Horizon League action in the Wolstein Center.
It was also Klein's second double-double against the Flames this season after she went for 26 points and 11 boards in a win in Chicago in early January.
CSU improved to 11-10 overall and to 6-4 in the Horizon League, while UIC slipped to 9-12 overall and 6-4 in the league.
The Vikings and UIC are one-half game behind third place Butler (6-3) which was idle tonight and plays at Valparaiso on Saturday.
"Tonight was a big game for us and I thought we came out with a lot of passion and energy, especially on the defensive end of the court," head coach Kate Peterson Abiad said. "UIC is a very good team with a lot of talent, but I thought we were great on the defensive end, made some excellent adjustments and really executed well.
"After losing two games last weekend, we talked about playing with passion, especially on the defensive end. We had several intense days of practice and I thought that carried over to tonight. Everyone was into the game and we talked about playing for each other and never giving less than our best effort. Now, we have to continue to do that game in and game out."
Klein helped the Vikings take a 22-21 lead into the locker room at halftime by scoring 14 points during the first stanza.
However, it was UIC who was in control in the early going, taking a 12-6 lead eight minutes in on a pair of free throws by Jessie Miller. Over the next five minutes, CSU would use a 10-3 run to take its first lead of the game (16-15) since the opening basket when Klein converted a layup with 6:52 to play in the half.
The Flames responded with a 6-2 run to regain a 21-18 lead, but Klein scored the final four points of the half to send the Vikings into the locker room with the lead.
UIC again controlled the early part of the second half, taking a 30-26 lead five minutes in. However, back-to-back buckets by Klein and Garland tied the game at 30-30 with 13:29 left.
The game was still tied at 35-35 two minutes later and that's when the Vikings took control of the game, scoring 13 of the next 16 points to assume a 48-38 lead with 6:11 left on two free throws by Garland.
Garland keyed the run with six points, while Janelle Adams added four.
The lead was extended to as many as 11 points (52-41; 1:54) and CSU nailed all 10 of its free throws in the final minute to ice the win.
"We have been doing a much better job at the free throw line over the last few weeks and today was no different," Peterson Abaid said. "It was good to see us knock down those free throws down the stretch."
The Vikings held a dominating 45-31 advantage on the boards. UIC entered the game as the top rebounding team in the league (37.4), while CSU was a close second (37.3).
"I thought we were very aggressive on the boards and were able to convert a lot of offensive rebounds into second chance points," Peterson Abiad said.
CSU is back on the court on Saturday (Feb. 6) when the Vikings host Loyola at 3:00 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. It will be National Girls and Women in Sports Day with CSU varsity teams conducting free skills clinics and signing autographs during pregame.
In addition, it is Take a Kid to the Game Day in which kids eighth grade and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. It is also High School Appreciation Day and high school students with a valid I.D. will also receive free admission.
