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GAME 10
Ole Miss (6-2) at Cleveland State (5-4)
Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Wolstein Center - Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Ole Miss leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Ole Miss 74, CSU 63 (@Ole Miss, 12/21/11)
SETTING THE SCENE
The Vikings will return to the Wolstein Center to begin a four-game homstand this Tuesday (Dec. 18), hosting Ole Miss at 7:00 p.m. CSU, who will be playing eight of its next nine games at home, enters the contest on a four-game win streak and is currently 5-4 on the season. The Vikings and the Rebels met for the first time last season, with Ole Miss earning a 74-63 victory at the Magnolia Classic.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings extended their win streak to four games last Sunday (Dec. 16), defeating Tennessee State, 66-59. The win kept CSU perfect against the Lady Tigers at 3-0 all-time and improved the Vikings to 5-4 on the season.
FINISHING VIKING STRONG
Although CSU has trailed in the opening minutes of six contests this season, the Vikings have been strong in the second half, outscoring their opponents 211-166 in the five wins so far this year. In three of those five wins, CSU either trailed or was tied at the halftime break and came back to earn the victory by outscoring their opponent in the second frame. In all nine games this year, the Vikings are shooting .442 from the field during the second half compared to their .395 mark during the first half of contests.
SCHMITT SETS CAREER-HIGH AT TSU
Haley Schmitt, who has now posted career-highs in points and rebounds four times this season, set a personal-best with eight boards at TSU last Sunday. Schmitt had a team-best six offensive boards against the Lady Tigers, and enters the week ranking 10th in the league averaging 2.4 offensive rebounds per game.
CSU LOOKS TO KEEP HOME RECORD PERFECT DURING 2012-13
Entering the week Cleveland State is undefeated at home this season, topping South Dakota, VCU and Miami (Ohio) earlier this year. Under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad the Vikings are 74-59 (10 seasons) at home, including a 45-19 mark over the past five seasons. CSU is one of five Horizon League teams to be undefeated at home this year, and will play eight of its next nine games with home court advantage.
COLEMAN FROM BEHIND THE ARC
Cori Coleman, who has a team-high 17 three-pointers so far this season, has recorded at least two three-pointers in four straight games - against VCU, Indiana, Miami (Ohio) and TSU. Coleman ranks ninth in the league with a .386 three-point percentage, and has converted at least one shot from the behind the arc in eight out of nine games this year.
KING RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE DIGIT GAMES
For the first time this season Honesty King recorded double-digits in back-to-back games, after posting 12 points in the victory at Tennessee State. King, who tallied 15 points against Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 8), has now posted double-digits in 26 games during her career including four games this season. So far this year King is averaging 8.1 points per game along with 2.6 rebounds per contest.
WINTON NOTCHES TRIPLE-DOUBLE AGAINST REDHAWKS
With 29 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists against Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 8), Shalonda Winton became the fourth Viking all-time to record a triple-double, and the first since the 2002-03 season. Winton, who is just one of four Division I players to have a triple-double this season, joins Viking alums Ashley Schrock (2), Mahogany Green (1) and Sue Koziol (2) in the CSU record book.
...MARKS CAREER-HIGH WITH 11 ASSISTS
Shalonda Winton's 11 assists against the Redhawks marked a career-high for the senior, while it is also the best mark in the league so far this season. Winton ranks second in the league averaging 4.9 assists per game and is the first Viking to notch double-digit assists since the 2010-11 season when Takima Keane recorded 10 against IPFW (3/16/11).
VIKINGS FROM THREE-POINT
Cleveland State had an impressive performance from three-point against Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 8), shooting 57-percent and knocking down 12 three's. The 12 three's is the most since the 2007-08 season when CSU tallied 13 against Green Bay (3/14/08), and the first time that the Vikings have reached double-digit three-pointers since the 2010-11 season.
WINTON RECORDS ASSIST #250
With the 11 assists against Miami (Ohio), Shalonda Winton became the second Viking all-time to record 1,250 points, 250 assists and 850 rebounds on their career. Winton, who enters the week with 1,391 points, 265 assists and 864 rebounds, joins Audra Cook (1,805 pts, 267 ast, 1,030 rbs) as the only Vikings to accomplish the feat.
VIKING OFFENSE PICKING UP
For the third straight contest CSU shot at least 45-percent from the field, recording a .457 mark (21-for-46) at Tennessee State. The Vikings, who rank second in the league with a .418 field goal percentage on the season, have now shot 40-percent or better in six games this season (South Dakota, Ohio, Santa Clara, Indiana, Miami (Ohio) & TSU).
WINTON REACHES 300 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Shalonda Winton, who is the all-time leader in offensive rebounds at Cleveland State, reached the 300-board milestone at Tennessee State last Sunday, ending right on the number. Winton, who has a team-high 30 offensive rebounds this season, ranks sixth in the Horizon League averaging 3.3 offensive boards per game.
WINTON RANKS IN TOP-FIVE NATIONALLY IN THREE CATEGORIES
Following her seventh double-double of the season against TSU, Shalonda Winton ranks in the top-five nationally in three categories. Winton ranks third averaging 23.3 points per game, fourth with seven double-doubles and she is tied for the lead with one triple-double on the year. Winton is also one of just two players nationally to average at least 20.0 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
For the first time since the 2009-10 season the Vikings committed less than 10 turnovers, recording nine against Indiana (Dec. 2). On the other hand, CSU forced Indiana into 16 turnovers, marking the sixth game this season that Cleveland State's opponent has had 15 or more turnovers. The Vikings have also recorded fewer turnovers than their opponent six times this season.
WINTON MOVES UP ALL-TIME REBOUND LIST
Following a 13-rebound performance against Tennessee State, Shalonda Winton now ranks fifth all-time at CSU with 864 career boards. Winton, who is one of just six Vikings to reach the 850 rebound milestone on their career, is six boards shy of moving into fourth place on the list and 167 boards shy of becoming the all-time leader at Cleveland State.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will continue their homestand this Saturday (Dec. 22), hosting the New Hampshire Wildcats at 1:00 p.m. This will be the third meeting between the two teams, with UNH holding a 2-0 overall series advantage.