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GAME #28
Valparaiso (9-16, 4-8 HL) at Cleveland State (12-15, 4-10 HL)
Date: Saturday, March 2, 2013
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Site: Wolstein Center - Cleveland, Ohio
Promotion: Senior Day
SETTING THE SCENE
The Vikings will have their final regular season home contest this Saturday (March 2), hosting Valparaiso at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's contest will serve as Senior Day, as the Vikings will be honoring the 2013 senior class -Honesty King, Kaila Montgomery & Shalonda Winton - prior to the game. Entering the weekend CSU stands at 12-15 overall and 4-10 in Horizon League play, and will be looking to snap a four-game losing skid that dates back to the middle of February.
SENIOR DAY TO BE HELD SATURDAY
Saturday's contest against Valparaiso will be Senior Day for Cleveland State, as the Vikings will honor the 2013 graduating class of Honesty King, Kaila Montgomery & Shalonda Winton. This senior class has led the Vikings to 64 wins - including 21 during the 2010-11 season - two postseason appearances (NCAA/2009-10 & WBI/2010-11) and a Horizon League Tournament Championship (2010).
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Valparaiso enters the week standing at 9-16 overall and 4-8 in league play...The Crusaders have lost four of their last five contests and will face Wright State prior to Saturday's contest...Earlier this season Valpo picked up a 92-84 overtime victory against Cleveland State, marking just their second victory over CSU in the past seven contests...As a team, the Crusaders lead the league with a .729 free throw percentage, and rank third averaging 39.9 rebounds per contest...Tabitha Gerardot ranks seventh in the league in scoring (14.5 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (8.7 rpg)...Gina Lange ranks third with a .530 field goal percentage (89-168)...Charae Richardson leads the league with a .859 free throw percentage, while Gerardot ranks third in the category (.810).
WINTON BECOMES ALL-TIME LEADING REBOUNDER
With nine rebounds at Youngstown State last Thursday (Feb. 21), Shalonda Winton became the all-time leading rebounder at Cleveland State, ending the contest with 1,033 career boards. Winton, who enters Saturday's contest with 1,043 boards, passed Audra Cook (1996-00), who previously held the record with 1,030 career rebounds.
...AND MOVES UP SCORING LIST
Shalonda Winton also moved up on the all-time scoring list at CSU, entering Saturday's contest ranked fourth with 1,785 career points. Winton, who has 604 points on the season, became the third Viking all-time to reach 600 points in a single season - and the first since 2009-10 (Kailey Klein, 626). Winton now needs 51 more points throughout at least three more games to own the single season points record which is currently held by Klein (654 pts/2007-08).
KING CLOSING IN ON CAREER THREE-POINT LIST
Honesty King is closing in on the top-10 career three-point field goals list, entering Saturday's contest with 118 made three-pointers. King has made at least 30 shots from behind the arc in each of her last three seasons, including a career-high 42 as a sophomore. The senior needs just three more three-pointers to be tied for 10th all-time and would need 11 more to be tied for ninth all-time.
COLEMAN SECOND HALF TURNAROUND
Cori Coleman had a strong second half against Loyola Monday (Feb. 25), notching 15 of her 17 points during the second frame. Coleman, who has 342 points this season - just the fourth sophomore to reach the 300-point mark under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad - has recorded 196 of her points during the second half throughout the 27 games this season.
...COLEMAN FROM BEHIND THE ARC
With 51 three-pointers so far this season, Cori Coleman is closing in on CSU's single season top-10 list - needing just four more made three-pointers to rank ninth all-time in single season three-pointers. Coleman is averaging 1.9 three-pointers per contest, and has converted at least two shots from behind the arc in 16 games this year, including a career-high five at UIC (Jan. 9).
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
Entering the week Cleveland State is the only Horizon League team to have five players with at least 100 rebounds this season, including Shalonda Winton who is one of just two league players to reach the 250-board mark. Joining Winton with at least 100 rebounds this season is Imani Gordon (131), Kiersten Green (118), Cori Coleman (114) and Honesty King (101).
WINTON REACHES MILESTONE
Shalonda Winton is the first Viking to record 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 assists on their career, entering Saturday's contest with 1,758 points, 1,043 rebounds and 333 assists. Winton is one of just two Vikings to reach 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds (Audra Cook - 1,805 pts & 1,030 rbs), and one of three league players to do so; Youngstown State's Brandi Brown (2009-prs.) and Milwaukee's Traci Edwards (2006-09).
UP NEXT
The Vikings will close out the regular season next week, traveling to Wright State for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Thursday, March 7. CSU will then begin Horizon League Tournament play the following week, with first round action on Monday (March 11) and Quarterfinal play on Wednesday (March 13).