GAME #3
@ Florida Atlantic | Friday, November 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Boca Raton, Fla.
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Cleveland State @ Florida Atlantic
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its first roadswing of the 2014-15 season this Friday (Nov. 21), traveling to Florida Atlantic for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Friday's game will be just the second meeting between the two teams, as they met for the first time in program history last season. Both teams enter the contest with a 1-1 record on the young season.
A WIN FRIDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings back on the winning track…Bring Kate Peterson Abiad within three wins of the 150th of her career…Give Cleveland State its first victory against Florida Atlantic in program history.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a strong first half, including a 44-41 halftime lead, the Vikings fell at Big Ten opponent Minnesota, 93-76. Cleveland State gave the Gophers all they could handle, with the senior trio of Cori Coleman, Imani Gordon, and Kiersten Green combining for 45 of CSU's 76 points. The loss was the first of the season for the Vikings.
BUSY WEEK AHEAD
Friday's game at Florida Atlantic will mark CSU's second of three games over a five-day span, as Cleveland State played at Minnesota on Wednesday (Nov. 19) and will play at Florida International on Sunday (Nov. 23). Not only will this be the busiest stretch of the season for the Vikings, it will also be the longest roadtrip, with CSU covering 3,784 miles roundtrip.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
Florida Atlantic enters Friday's contest with a 1-1 record on the season, picking up a win against Bethune Cookman (88-68), and falling to Central Florida (94-74)…Friday marks FAU's 2014-15 home-opener…After the first two games, the Owls have three players averaging double-digit points; Ali Gorrell (21.5), Shaneese Bailey (13.0), and Morgan Robinson (12.0)…Robinson leads FAU on the glass, averaging 7.0 boards per game…FAU owns a 1-0 advantage in the overall series against CSU, picking up an 81-78 victory in the Wolstein Center last season…For the 2014-15 season, Florida Atlantic returns five letterwinners and two starters, and will be under the direction of third-year head coach Kellie Lewis-Jay.
coleman MOVES UP SCORING LIST
With her 18-point performance against Minnesota (Nov. 19), Cori Coleman moved up the CSU career scoring list, entering Friday's game ranked 18th with 1,108 career points. Coleman, who ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 19.0 points per game, is the 18th Viking all-time to record 1,100 career points. She is now just 26 points shy of moving into 17th place on the list.
VIKINGS FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
For the second straight game the Vikings converted at least 10 shots from behind-the-arc, notching 13 three-pointers at Minnesota (Nov. 19). Cleveland State leads the Horizon League averaging 12.0 three-pointers per game this season, while the Vikings own a .407 three-point field goal percentage after the first two games.
…COLEMAN FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Cori Coleman tied her career-high with five three-pointers against Minnesota, going 5-for-7 from behind-the-arc. Coleman leads the Horizon League averaging 4.5 three-pointers per game, and enters Friday's contest with 161 career three-pointers. She ranks fifth on the CSU record list, and needs just two more shots from behind-the-arc to move into third place all-time.
GORDON ON REBOUNDING LIST
Imani Gordon became the 16th Viking to record 550 career rebounds last time out, grabbing six boards at Minnesota (Nov. 19). Gordon enters Friday's contest with 554 career rebounds, including 374 defensive boards - a mark that ranks her 10th on the CSU career list. Among Horizon League players, Gordon ranks seventh, averaging 7.5 rebounds per game.
SPREADING THE OFFENSE
Once again the Vikings did a good job of spreading the offense last time out, recording 25 assists on 28 made field goals at Minnesota (Nov. 19). The 25 assists is tied for a single-game best among Horizon League teams so far this season, while it is the best single-game total for CSU since the 2008-09 season. After the first two games of the season, Cleveland State leads the league averaging 20.0 assists per game.
GREEN FROM THREE-POINT
Kiersten Green was one of three Vikings to record double-digit points at Minnesota (Nov. 19), notching all 12 of her points from behind-the-arc. Green was 4-for-7 from three-point, and enters Friday's contest just shy of 100 career three-pointers with 95.
ABSHAW STELLAR IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Freshman Ashanti Abshaw has had an excellent performance throughout her first two collegiate games, combining for 19 points and seven rebounds against Toledo (Nov. 14) and Minnesota (Nov. 19). Abshaw posted 12 of her points against Toledo in the season-opener, becoming the first freshman to notch double-digit points in a season-opener since the 2009-10 season. After the first two games, Abshaw ranks fourth on the team averaging 9.5 points per game.
TRACKING 1,000 POINTS
Imani Gordon and Kiersten Green are both closing in on 1,000 career points entering their senior seasons - as Green currently has 874 points and Gordon has 839 career points. The duo would become the 25th and 26th Vikings to record 1,000 career points, and the ninth and 10th to do so under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad. They would also be the second and third Vikings on the 2014-15 roster to achieve the feat, as Cori Coleman notched her 1,000th career point last season.
VIKINGS TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Before the season started, Cleveland State was selected to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll - behind league-leader Green Bay and 2014 Tournament Champion Wright State. The Vikings earned 182 points and two first-place votes in the poll, which is voted on by the league's nine head coaches, sports information directors and select media members. This marks the third time out of the last six seasons that the Vikings have been tabbed to finish in the top three in the preseason poll.
GORDON & COLEMAN NAMED PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE
Along with the preseason poll, the Horizon League also released its Preseason All-League Teams, with Imani Gordon earning a spot on the Preseason All-League First Team and Cori Coleman earning a spot on the Preseason All-League Second Team. Gordon's honor marks the seventh time out of the last eight years that a Viking has been named to the first team, while Coleman picks up second team honors for the second time in her career.
