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GAME #13
Butler (7-6) at Cleveland State (8-4)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Site: Wolstein Center - Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Butler leads, 26-13
Last Meeting: Butler 68, CSU 62 (@CSU, 2/2/12)
SETTING THE SCENE
The Vikings will close out their four-game homestand this Thursday (Jan. 3), hosting Butler at 6:00 p.m. Thursday's contest will be the 40th meeting between the two teams, but the first as a non-league matchup. Cleveland State enters the contest on a seven-game win streak, currently standing at 8-4 on the year. Thursday's game against Butler will be the final non-league contest for the Vikings, as they are set to open their 16-game Horizon League schedule on Jan. 9.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings extended their win streak to seven games last Sunday (Dec. 30), defeating Lake Erie, 70-51. The win improved CSU to 8-4 on the season, while also giving the Vikings a perfect 6-0 record during the month of December.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Butler enters Thursday's contest standing at 7-6 on the season, and has won four of its last five games...The Bulldogs had a four-game win streak snapped by Illinois State last time out, falling to the Redbirds 65-57...The Bulldog offense has been led by the trio of Taylor Schippers (16.3 ppg), Daress McClung (15.2 ppg) and Liz Stratman (12.5 ppg) so far this season, while McClung averages a team-high 9.5 rebounds per contest...As a team, Butler leads the A-10 in blocked shots with 6.2 per contest, while McClung leads the individual category averaging 2.7 blocks per game.
CSU LOOKS TO KEEP HOME RECORD PERFECT DURING 2012-13
Entering Thursday's contest Cleveland State is undefeated at home this season, topping South Dakota, VCU, Miami (Ohio), Ole Miss, New Hampshire and Lake Erie earlier this year. Under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad the Vikings are 77-59 (10 seasons) at home, including a 48-19 mark over the past five seasons. CSU is one of four Horizon League teams to be undefeated at home this year, and will play five of its next six games with home court advantage.
VIKINGS GO 6-0 DURING DECEMBER
For the first time since the 1980-81 season CSU posted a perfect record during the month of December - going 6-0 over the final 31 days of 2012. The Vikings, who are the only team in the league to post an undefeated month, also went 3-0 in December during the 1980-81 season and 1-0 during 1977-78.
GORDON ADDING TO CSU OFFENSE
For the first time in her career, Imani Gordon has recorded double-digit points in back-to-back games, posting 12 points against Ole Miss, New Hampshire and Lake Erie. Gordon, who is closing in on becoming the fourth Viking with 100 points this season, is one of five Vikings to average at least 7.5 points per game this year.
MONTGOMERY HAS EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE VS. LAKE ERIE
After being held scoreless through the last six contests, Kaila Montgomery had an excellent performance against Lake Erie, posting six points, seven rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Montgomery was 2-for-3 from the field and converted her lone three-point attempt, while her seven rebounds was just one shy of tying her career-high.
VIKING STARTING FIVE
One of the factors that has led CSU to an 8-4 record so far this season is consistency in the starting lineup. The Vikings have had the same starting five (Gordon, Winton, Coleman, Green, King) through all 12 games this season - compared to last year when CSU had seven different starting lineups throughout the first 12 contests. CSU joins league-leader Green Bay as the only teams to use the same starting lineup throughout the first part of the season.
WINTON ON THE REBOUNDING CHARTS
With 12 rebounds against Lake Erie last Sunday (Dec. 30), Shalonda Winton moved into third place on the all-time career rebound list, entering the Butler contest with 894. Winton, who ranks second in the league averaging 10.9 rebounds per game, is now 48 boards shy of moving into second place on the list and 137 rebounds shy of becoming the all-time leader at Cleveland State. With at least 17 games left in the 2012-13 season, Winton needs to average 8.1 rebounds per contest to become the all-time leader at CSU.
CSU FROM THE FIELD
For the first time this season CSU shot at least 50-percent from the field, marking a .528 clip (28-for-53) against Lake Erie. The Vikings also shot 57-percent (15-for-26) during the first half - the seventh time this year that CSU has reached the 50-percent mark during either the first or second half. On the season, Cleveland State has a .429 field goal percentage, which ranks second in the Horizon League.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
For the sixth time this season CSU outrebounded its opponent, recording 40 rebounds against Lake Erie's 29. The 40 boards against the Storm also marks the fifth time this year that the Vikings have recorded 40 or more rebounds and the third time out of the last four games.
VIKINGS NOTCH SEASON-HIGH 22 ASSISTS AGAINST LAKE ERIE
Cleveland State recorded 22 assists against Lake Erie last Sunday, with seven different players recording at least one helper - led by Shalonda Winton who notched 11. The 22 assists marks the first time that the Vikings have recorded at least 20 assists in a game since the 2010-11 season when CSU posted 21 at IPFW (3/16/11).
WINTON RECORDS SECOND TRIPLE-DOUBLE OF THE SEASON
With 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against Lake Erie, Shalonda Winton recorded her second triple-double of the year, becoming the third Viking in program history to record two triple-doubles on their career. Winton's first career triple-double came earlier this season against Miami (Ohio) (Dec. 8), and is the only Division I player in the nation to have two triple-doubles this season.
...FLASH BACK: 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 six 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.
WINTON MOVES INTO TOP-10 IN FIELD GOALS MADE
After converting seven of her 12 field goals against Lake Erie, Shalonda Winton moved into the top-10 in career field goals made, ranking 10th with 485. Winton, who ranks 13th in the league with a .430 field goal percentage, needs to convert 15 more field goals to become the 10th Viking all-time to reach 500 made field goals.
UP NEXT
For the first time in over three weeks the Vikings will hit the road, opening Horizon League play at UIC on Wednesday, Jan. 9. The UIC contest is set for a 5:30 p.m. EST start, with live stats and live video links available on CSUVikings.com.