GAME #16
vs. Milwaukee
7:30 p.m. | Thurs., Jan. 16
Wolstein Center | Cleveland, Ohio
GAME LINKS
Live Stats | Live Video
SETTING THE SCENE
For the first time in over three weeks the Cleveland State women's basketball team will return home to the Wolstein Center, as they continue Horizon League play against the Milwaukee Panthers on Thursday, January 16. Thursday's contest is set for a 7:30 p.m. tip, and will be the second game of a Viking Basketball Doubleheader (CSU Men host Oakland @ 5:30 p.m.). Both teams enter the contest with unblemished records in the Horizon League - Cleveland State standing at 7-8 overall and 2-0 in league play and Milwaukee owning a 5-9 overall record and a 1-0 mark in league action.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings remained perfect in Horizon League play, upsetting 13-5 Wright State, 98-82. Cleveland State handed the Raiders just their second loss in the past eight contests, and bumped them from first place in the league standings. The Vikings had an excellent second half against Wright State, notching 60 points on a .690 clip from the floor (20-for-29) - finishing the game with a 57-percent mark from the field (34-for-59). Four Vikings finished with double-figures, led by Imani Gordon and Cori Coleman who combined for 55 points.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD…
Keep the Vikings perfect in Horizon League play…Mark three-straight wins for the Vikings for the first time this season…Put CSU at .500 for the year (8-8)…Match CSU's best start in Horizon League play (2003-04)…Give Milwaukee its first league loss of the season.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Milwaukee enters Thursday's contest with a 5-9 overall record and a 1-0 mark in Horizon League play after picking up a 75-64 victory at Green Bay last time out…Entering the week, Avyanna Young leads the Panthers, averaging a double-double with 12.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game…The Panthers have two other players averaging double-digit points; Angela Rodriguez (17.7) and Ashley Green (14.0)…Rodriguez leads the league averaging 6.0 assists per game, while she ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (1.7)…Young is one of just two league players to average double-digit rebounds, ranking second in the category, while she leads the league with 6.9 defensive boards per contest…As a team, Milwaukee ranks second in 3-pt field goal percentage (.332), averaging 8.2 three-pointers per game.
VIKINGS STAY PERFECT IN LEAGUE PLAY
For the fifth time in the past 13 years the Vikings opened up Horizon League play with back-to-back victories - defeating Detroit and Wright State in the opening week of league action. This season is the first time that the two victories came on the road though, as the Vikings are one of three teams to start league play with perfect marks on the road this year (YSU 2-0, UWM 1-0).
BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR GORDON
For the first time in her career, junior Imani Gordon tallied back-to-back double-doubles, posting a career-high 30 points and 14 rebounds at Wright State. Gordon, who tallied 25 points and 12 boards against Detroit earlier in the week, is the first Viking to record a 30-point game this season and just the fifth Horizon League player to do so. For the season, Gordon is averaging 16.7 points per game (8th) and 9.2 rebounds per game (3rd) - one of just three league players to rank in the top-10 in both categories.
…GORDON EARNS HORIZON LEAGUE HONORS
Following her performances in the first two league contests, Imani Gordon earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors - the first weekly award of her career. In league games only, Gordon leads all players averaging 27.5 points per contest, and ranks second with 13.0 rebounds per game. Gordon's 30-point effort against Wright State marked a league-high, while her 14 rebounds are second best in league games only.
VIKINGS CLOSE IN ON CENTURY MARK @ WRIGHT STATE
The Viking offense was running on all cylinders last time out, almost reaching the century mark against Wright State, finishing the game with a season-high 98 points. This marked the highest point total for the Vikings since the 2001-02 season when they recorded 99 points against IPFW, and just the second 90-point performance under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
…AND NOTCH 60 SECOND HALF POINTS
The Vikings notched a league-high 60 points during the second half of action at Wright State - tying the program record for most second half points. CSU shot 69-percent during the final 20 minutes, going 20-for-29 from the floor.
VIKINGS EFFICIENT FROM THE FIELD AT WRIGHT STATE
Not only did CSU score a season-high 98 points against the Raiders, but the Vikings also tallied a season-best .576 clip from the floor (34-for-59). Last Sunday marked the third time this season that the Vikings have shot at least 50-percent from the field, while it also marks the second best performance among league teams this year and the fifth best single-game field goal percentage in program history.
REBOUNDING EFFORTS HEAT UP
The Vikings did an excellent job of crashing the boards at Wright State last time out, posting at least 40 rebounds for the second straight game. CSU outrebounded the Raiders 42-28 - just the third time this season that the Vikings have outrebounded their opponent. For the season, CSU is averaging 32.2 rebounds per game, led by Imani Gordon who has a team-high 138 boards.
GREEN TURNS IT UP DURING THE SECOND HALF
For the second straight game Kiersten Green had to sit the majority of the first half due to foul trouble, recording all of her statistics during the second half of play at Wright State - 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. This also happened at Detroit (Jan. 9), when Green played just four minutes in the first half, recording 18 points, one steal, and one assist during the second stanza against the Titans.
…GREEN EFFICIENT ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Kiersten Green has been one of CSU's most efficient offensive players this season, leading the team in three-point percentage and ranking second in field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Green leads the league with a .457 clip from three-point (32-for-70), ranks seventh with a .774 clip from the free throw line (41-for-53), and ranks eighth with a .472 field goal percentage (76-for-161).
COLEMAN EDGES CLOSER TO 3-POINT TOP-10 LIST
With 29 three-point field goals through the first 15 games of the season, Cori Coleman is closing in on the career top-10 list at CSU, entering Thursday's contest with 114 career three-pointers. Coleman, who has notched a three-pointer in all but two games this season, is just eight three-pointers shy of cracking the top-10 list. For the year, Coleman is shooting 37-percent from three-point (29-for-78), ranking eighth among league players.