GAME #20
@ Valparaiso
8:05 p.m. EST | Mon., Jan. 27
The ARC | Valparaiso, Ind.
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SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out a brief two-game roadswing Monday evening (Jan. 27), traveling to Valparaiso for an 8:05 p.m. EST contest. Monday's game will mark the third of three games that the Vikings will play in a five-day span - their busiest stretch of the season. CSU enters the contest standing at 8-11 overall and 3-3 on the season, while Valparaiso is currently 3-15 overall and 1-4 in league play.
LAST TIME OUT
For the first time this season the Vikings dropped a league contest on the road, falling at UIC, 83-78. The Vikings fell behind early, and although they were able to chip away at the lead throughout the contest, they were never able to regain control. CSU had four players finish with double-figures, including Kiersten Green who had a team-high 19 points and Imani Gordon who tallied 17 points.
A WIN MONDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings back on the winning track and snap a three-game losing skid…Mark back-to-back wins against the Crusaders…Give head coach Kate Peterson Abiad her 140th career victory…Keep the Vikings above .500 in league play (4-3).
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Valparaiso enters Monday's contest with a 3-15 overall record and a 1-4 mark in Horizon League play…The Crusaders picked up their first league win of the season last time out, defeating Detroit, 85-44…Valparaiso's other two wins came against Chicago State and Toledo earlier this year…Two Crusaders are averaging double-digit points throughout the first 18 games; Charae Richardson (11.4 ppg) and Sharon Karungi (10.1 ppg)…Karungi also leads the team with 135 total rebounds, averaging 7.5 boards per game…As a team, the Crusaders lead the league with a .788 free throw percentage (238-for-302), while Abby Dean (.867 - 2nd) and Charae Richardson (.813 - 4th) rank in the top-five individually…Liz Horton ranks second in the league with a .429 clip from behind-the-arc, averaging 1.3 three-pointers per game.
VOSKUHL HAS STELLAR PERFORMANCE AT UIC
Freshman Olivia Voskuhl had the best performance of her young career last time out, posting 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal against UIC. This was just the second time that Voskuhl has tallied double-digit points (12 vs. Lake Erie), while the five boards and two assists tied her career-highs. Voskuhl played 31 minutes against the Flames, also marking a career-best.
GORDON IN LEAGUE GAMES ONLY
Imani Gordon has picked up her play on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor over the past six games, averaging a double-double in league games only with 23.0 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game. Gordon leads the league in scoring and ranks second in rebounding – one of just two players to average a double-double in league games only. Gordon, who has been CSU's leading scorer in four of the six league contests, is shooting 48-percent from the floor during this stretch (43-for-89) ranking eighth among league players.
COLEMAN CRACKS 3-POINT TOP-10 LIST
Following a 3-for-5 performance from behind-the-arc at UIC, Cori Coleman cracked the three-point field goal top-10 list, entering Monday's game ranked 10th in program history with 123 career three-pointers. Coleman, who has notched a three-pointer in all but two games this season, is now just six three-pointers shy of moving into ninth place on the list. For the year, Coleman is shooting 38-percent from three-point (38-for-99), ranking seventh 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 .347 clip from behind-the-arc. So far this season, CSU has knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in eight contests, including a season-high of 13 against Miami (Dec. 29) and VCU (Dec. 15). The Vikings also rank third in the league averaging 8.1 three-pointers per game, and are on track to finish the season with a top-five mark in program history.
GORDON NOTCHES 20-REBOUND PERFORMANCE
Imani Gordon had an excellent rebounding performance against Oakland last Thursday (Jan. 23), grabbing a career-high 20 rebounds. Gordon, who notched 14 defensive boards and six offensive boards, is the first Viking to record 20 rebounds in a single game since the 1998-99 season. Gordon is also just the second league player to achieve the feat this season, joining UIC's Ruvanna Campbell who grabbed 21 boards against the Grizzlies earlier this season.
…AND POSTS SIXTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Along with her 20 rebounds, Imani Gordon also tallied 27 points against Oakland - becoming just the fifth Viking in program history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound game. After the first 12 weeks of the season, Gordon is now averaging 17.6 points per game (5th in HL) and 9.4 rebounds per game (2nd in HL), the only league player to rank in the top-five in both categories. Gordon has been CSU's top scorer in nine contests this year, and CSU's top rebounder in all but two games.