Cleveland State took on the Youngstown State Penguins over the weekend at the Beeghly Center, defeating the hosts 76-73 on Feb. 19, but dropped the Saturday game 64-61.

Game 1 - Friday Feb. 19

Youngstown State finished the half with a 41-29 lead. Despite extending that lead to 18 points early in the third quarter, the Vikings were able to stay within reach. The visitors closed the gap to just 11 points late in the third quarter following a run that ended with back-to-back 3-pointers from Taylah Levy and Mariah White.

Entering the final quarter, the Penguins held a 62-49 advantage, with both teams trading baskets over the first few minutes. The Vikings then surged on back-to-back baskets from Aminata Ly and Barbara Zieniewska whose 3-pointer reduced the margin to single digits at 68-61.

With 3:27 left on the clock, another 3-pointer from Zieniewska cut Youngstown's lead to 70-64. The Vikings followed this up with a layup from White and another 3-pointer from Levy to cut the deficit to four points at 73-69, forcing a YSU timeout.

Cleveland State played solid defense after the timeout, converting a stop into yet another 3-pointer from Zieniewska to draw within one point at 73-72 with just under one minute left to play. Zieniewska then forced a YSU turnover, giving the ball back to the Vikings with just 31 seconds left on the clock. 

Levy gave CSU their first lead of the game, knocking down another 3-pointer to put the Vikings up 75-73 with just 15 seconds to go. Ly drew a foul on a defensive rebound as time was expiring and converted one of her two free throw attempts to clinch the 76-73 victory for the Vikings.

CSU Head Coach Chris Keilsmeier praised the team's grit.

”College athletics teaches you so many life lessons,” Keilsmeier said. “You just gotta show a lot of toughness, perseverance, and togetherness through good times, but most importantly, the hard and difficult times.”

Game 2 - Saturday, Feb. 20

Down early, the Vikings had a 10-2 run over the final 2:46 of the first half, after trailing by as many as 9 points during the second quarter. After forcing YSU into a shot clock violation with just 28 seconds left in the half, the Vikings' Ly scored off an offensive rebound to pull the Vikings within 1 point at halftime, 31-30.

During the third quarter the Penguins outscored Cleveland State 21-11, taking a 52-41 advantage into the final 10 minutes of the game.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Levy and Isabelle Gradwell trimmed a double-digit deficit to just 4 points for the Vikings at the 59-55 mark. After Gradwell made her free throw, the Vikings closed the gap to 3 points at 59-56 with just over two minutes left to play.

YSU retaliated with 5 straight points to stretch the lead to 64-56, but a 5-point run from the Vikings over the next minute again reduced the margin to 64-61 with 42 seconds left on the clock.

The Vikings took a time out, then attempted a 3-pointer for the tie but were unable to convert. The final score was 64-61 in favor of the host Penguins.

The sixth-seeded Vikings next travel to No. 3 Green Bay for a Quarterfinal contest in the #HLWBB Tournament on Tuesday, March 2.