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GAME 18
Youngstown State (11-5, 1-2 HL) at Cleveland State (10-7, 2-2 HL)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Wolstein Center - Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Youngstown State leads, 32-26
Last Meeting: CSU 59, YSU 56 (@CSU, 3/5/12)
SETTING THE SCENE
The Vikings will close out their four-game homestand this Thursday (Jan. 24), hosting Youngstown State at 7:00 p.m. Thursday's contest will be the lone game of the week for CSU, as the Vikings try to get back on the winning track after dropping two contests last week against Green Bay and Milwaukee. Entering the week, Cleveland State sits at 10-7 overall this season and ranked third in the league with a 2-2 mark. This will be the 59th meeting between the Vikings and the Penguins, with CSU owning an 11-2 record over the past six seasons.
LAST TIME OUT
For the first time since the beginning of November the Vikings dropped back-to-back contests, falling to Milwaukee 63-60 last Saturday (Jan. 19). The loss dropped CSU to an even 2-2 record in league action, as the Vikings also slipped to 7-3 at home this season.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD...
Mark the 12th victory over Youngstown State in the past 14 games, including the third straight...Give Kate Peterson Abiad a 15-5 record against the Penguins during her 10 years at the helm of the Vikings...Improve CSU to 11-7 overall this season.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Thursday's contest standing at 11-5 overall this season and 1-2 in league play...After opening the season with a 7-2 record, the Penguins have gone 4-3 over the last seven games, including a 59-41 loss to Green Bay the last time out...As a team, YSU leads the league with a .737 free throw percentage and ranks third in three-point percentage (.325) and second averaging 8.4 three-pointers per game...Brandi Brown leads YSU averaging 19.3 points per game (4th in HL) and 10.8 rebounds per game (2nd in HL)...Heidai Schlegel leads the league with a .863 free throw percentage, converting 44 of her 51 attempts this season...Shar'Rae Davis ranks second in the league averging 4.6 assists per game and has a team-best 74 on the year.
HOLIFIELD SETS CAREER-HIGHS VS. MILWAUKEE
After having a breakout game against Detroit two weeks ago, freshman Nafeshia Holifield had another stellar performance against Milwaukee (Jan. 19), posting career-highs with 11 points and eight rebounds. Holifield was 4-for-7 from the field against the Panthers (.571), and tallied five of CSU's 13 offensive boards. Through the first four league games, Holifield is averaging 4.8 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game in 13.3 minutes played.
GREEN TURNS UP OFFENSE AGAINST PANTHERS
Kiersten Green tallied her 10th double-digit scoring game of the season against Milwaukee (Jan. 19), posting 12 points - including a pair of three-pointers. Green is one of three Vikings with at least 10 double-digit scoring games this season and now ranks 25th in the league averaging 9.2 points per game. She also ranks 13th with a .425 field goal percentage and second with a .822 free throw percentage.
WINTON ON THE REBOUNDING CHARTS
With 12 rebounds against Green Bay and eight against Milwaukee, Shalonda Winton moved into second place on the all-time career rebound list at CSU, entering the Youngstown State game with 949 career boards. Winton, who leads the league averaging 10.9 rebounds per game, is now 82 rebounds shy of becoming the all-time leader at Cleveland State. With at least 12 games left in the 2012-13 season, Winton needs to average 6.9 rebounds per contest to become the all-time leader at CSU.
...CLOSING IN ON 1,500 POINTS & 1,000 REBOUNDS
Shalonda Winton is also closing in on becoming just the second player in program history to notch 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds on their career, entering Saturday's contest with 1,555 points and 949 rebounds. With 51 more boards, Winton would join Audra Cook (1,805 pts & 1,030 rbs) as the only Vikings to reach the milestone and would join Youngstown State's Brandi Brown (2009-prs.) and Milwaukee's Traci Edwards (2006-09) as the only league players to achieve the mark.
IN LEAGUE GAMES ONLY...
Cleveland State ranks second averaging 64.8 points per game and 14.3 offensive rebounds per game...CSU ranks third with a .725 free throw percentage...Shalonda Winton leads the league averaging 23.0 points per game and ranks second averaging 11.3 rebounds per game...Cori Coleman ranks fifth averaging 2.3 three-pointers per game...Kiersten Green leads the league averaging 39.8 minutes per contest.
WINTON NOTCHES 300th ASSIST AGAINST MILWAUKEE
With four assists against Milwaukee last Saturday, Shalonda Winton became the 11th player all-time to notch 300 assists on their career. Winton, who is the sixth player to reach the milestone under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad, leads the league averaging 4.6 assists per game this season and is the only Viking to notch 1,500 points, 850 rebounds and 300 assists during their time at CSU.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will hit the road for a two-game road swing next week, traveling to Detroit and Valparaiso. CSU will take on the Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 31) and the Crusaders at 2:35 p.m. EST on Saturday (Feb. 2).