GAME #14
@ Detroit
7 p.m. | Thurs., Jan. 9
Calihan Hall | Detroit, Mich.
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SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will begin its 13th season of Horizon League play this Thursday (Jan. 9), traveling to Detroit for a 7:00 p.m. contest. The Vikings finished out the non-league portion of their schedule with a 5-8 record, while Detroit enters Wednesday's contest with a 3-11 overall record. This will mark the 50th meeting between the two teams, as the Titans own a 35-14 advantage in the overall series.
LAST TIME OUT
In their final non-league contest of the season, the Vikings came up just short at South Dakota, falling to the Coyotes, 74-70. After arriving in Vermillion, SD just eight hours prior to tip because of inclement weather conditions, the Vikings got out to a slow start, but were able to pick up play throughout the second half before falling just short in the closing minutes. Kiersten Green and Cori Coleman led the Viking offense combining for 43 points, while Imani Gordon notched 12 rebounds - her third double-digit rebound game of the season.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD…
Snap a three-game losing skid for the Vikings…Mark Cleveland State's sixth victory in Horizon League openers…Be CSU's second victory over the Titans in the last three meetings.
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit enters Thursday's contest with a 3-11 overall record and a 0-1 mark in league play…The Titans opened up their league slate against Wright State last Sunday, falling to the Raiders 82-57…Detroit's three wins so far this season have come against Lawrence Tech, Georgia Southern, and Chicago State…As a team, Detroit leads the league averaging 27.9 defensive rebounds per game, while Ellisha Crosby (9th-4.7 rpg) and Megan Hatter (10th-4.6) rank in the top-10 in the individual category…Despite their record, the Titans have been averaging 72.4 points per game - ranking third in the league…Detroit has three players averaring double-digit points this season, led by Senee Shearer who ranks second in the league averaging 20.1 points per game…Shearer also leads the league averaging 3.6 three-point field goals per game, converting a league-high 51 shots from behind-the-arc.
CSU IN HORIZON LEAGUE PLAY
Thursday's contest at Detroit will mark the fourth straight season that the Vikings will open league play on the road, and just the second time that they will open the league slate against Detroit (earning a 76-67 victory over the Titans during the 2005-06 season). Four out of the past six years CSU has posted at least 10 wins in league play, including a program-best 12 victories during 2010-11 and 2008-09.
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON 800 CAREER POINTS
Following her 17-point performance at South Dakota last Saturday - her fifth straight double-digit scoring game - Cori Coleman is now just two points shy of reaching 800 points for her career, entering Thursday's contest with 798 career points. Over the past five games, Coleman has been averaging a team-high 19.8 points per game, while she is averaging 13.8 ppg on the season - ranking 12th among Horizon League players.
GREEN LEADS THE OFFENSIVE CHARGE AGAINST SOUTH DAKOTA
For the fourth time this season Kiersten Green led the Viking offense, posting 26 points against South Dakota - her third 20-point game of the season. Green, who was 11-for-15 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point, was just two points shy of tying her career-high of 28 which she recorded at Butler earlier this season. Green is now just one of 10 Horizon League players with at least three 20-point games this season, and ranks 10th in the league averaging 15.0 points per game.
GORDON CRASHES THE BOARDS AGAINST THE COYOTES
Last time out, Imani Gordon tallied her third double-digit rebounding performance of the year, notching 12 boards at South Dakota (Jan. 4). Gordon has a team-high 112 rebounds on the season - one of just seven Horizon League players with at least 100 rebounds on the year. Gordon, who is averaging 8.6 rebounds per game, is now 32 boards shy of reaching 400 for her career, entering Thursday's contest with 368.
…GORDON AMONG HORIZON LEAGUE PLAYERS
Imani Gordon's 8.6 rebounds per contest ranks her third among league players, while she also ranks third in defensive rebounds (6.1 rpg) and ninth in offensive boards (2.5 rpg). Gordon, who ranks ninth in scoring in this week's league stats (15.1 ppg), is one of just two players to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and rebounding.
AIDEYMAN TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Through the first 13 games of the season, sophomore Adesuwa Aideyman has notched a team-best 1.66 assist-to-turnover ratio, posting 35 assists and just 21 turnovers. The 21 turnovers marks a team-low out of the five Viking starters, while her 35 assists ranks second on the team. Aideyman is averaging 2.7 assists per game - just shy of making the 3.0 assist per game minimum for league stats - or else she would rank fourth among league players. So far this season, Aideyman has recorded more assists than turnovers in all but two games, including a season-best 5-to-1 mark at Miami University (Dec. 29).
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON 3-POINT TOP-10 LIST
With 24 three-point field goals through the first 13 games of the season, Cori Coleman is closing in on the career top-10 list at CSU, entering Thursday's contest with 109 career three-pointers. Coleman, who has notched a three-pointer in all but two games this season, is just 13 three-pointers shy of cracking the top-10 list. For the year, Coleman is shooting 36-percent from three-point (24-for-66), ranking 10th among league players.
CLEVELAND STATE FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
The Vikings have been excellent from three-point range this season, as they lead the Horizon League with a .361 clip from behind-the-arc. So far this season, CSU has knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in seven contests, including a season-high of 13 against Miami (Dec. 29) and VCU (Dec. 15). The 13 three-point field goals is tied for fifth all-time in the single game program record book.