GAME #9
Belmont | Tuesday, Dec. 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Woodling Gymnasium
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Cleveland State vs. Belmont
SETTING THE SCENE
After a break from competition, the Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 16, hosting Belmont at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday's contest will be played across campus in Woodling Gymnasium. Entering the contest, CSU stands at 5-3 on the season, while Belmont is currently 2-7. This will be just the third meeting between the two teams, and the first since the 2000-01 season.
A WIN TUESDAY WOULD…
Extend Cleveland State's current win streak to three games…Keep the Vikings perfect at home this season…Give CSU six wins through its first nine games for the second time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad (2010-11).
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings were able to stay perfect at home last Sunday (Dec. 7), earning a 69-67 victory over Kent State. December 7 was the first of two doubleheaders for the CSU basketball teams, as the men's team defeated Western Illinois, 76-54 - marking the 17th twinbill sweep over the last seven seasons for the Vikings.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
Belmont enters Tuesday's contest with a 2-7 overall record with its two wins coming against Denver (72-43) and Lipscomb (80-60)…The Bruins have faced two top-15 opponents so far this season - No. 12 Louisville and No. 8 Kentucky…Frankie Joubran leads the Bruins averaging 11.6 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game…Joubran is one of two Ohio Valley Conference players to average a double-double this year…Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield, the OVC Preseaon Player of the Year, is averaging 11.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game…Belmont is averaing 41.2 rebounds per game as a team, and leads the OVC with a +3.1 rebounding margin…The Bruins were picked to win the OVC in the conference's preseason poll.
HOME-SWEET-HOME
The Vikings will be trying to keep their record perfect at home on Tuesday, as the Vikings enter the contest with a 4-0 record at home this season. Cleveland State has a total of 15 regular season home games during the 2014-15 season, and will be trying for its fourth perfect season at home in program history, and the first under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
VIKING BASKETBALL RETURNS TO WOODLING
Tuesday's game against Belmont will mark the first time that the Vikings are playing in Woodling Gymnasium since the 2012-13 season when CSU faced Walsh University in an exhibition contest. Woodling Gymnasium - which is the current home of the Viking volleyball, wrestling, and fencing teams - served as the home court for the women's basketball team for the first 18 years (1973-74 through 1990-91), until the team moved its home contests to the Wolstein Center during the 1991-92 season.
PETERSON ABIAD NOTCHES 150th CAREER VICTORY
Last Sunday's 69-67 victory over Kent State marked a milestone for head coach Kate Peterson Abiad, as she now has 150 wins on her career. Peterson Abiad, the all-time winningest coach in program history, is the fifth current Horizon League coach to reach 150 wins on their career.
COLEMAN NOTCHES BACK-TO-BACK 20-POINT GAMES
Cori Coleman posted her second 20-point game in as many contests last time out, finishing with 21 points against Kent State. Coleman, who leads the team and ranks fourth in the Horizon League averaging 16.4 points per game, has notched three 20-point games this season and 12 on her career. With the 21-point performance against Kent State, Coleman became the 12th Viking all-time to record 1,200 points on their career, and now ranks 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,201.
…COLEMAN FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Senior Cori Coleman has been Cleveland State's top free throw shooter through the first part of the season, converting 20 of her 22 attempts. Coleman leads the league with a .909 free throw percentage this year, and has been perfect from the charity stripe during 20 games throughout her career (including 5 this season).
GREEN NOTCHES FIRST 20-POINT GAME OF THE SEASON
For the second time this season Kiersten Green led the Viking offense, notching her first 20-point game of the season with a 22-point effort against Kent State. Green's 22 points marks a single-game high for the Vikings this season, while it also marks the sixth 20-point game of her career. Green enters Tuesday's contest with 942 career points, just 58 points shy of becoming the 25th Viking all-time to record 1,000 career points.
ECKLES EFFICIENT FROM THE FLOOR
Alexis Eckles has been efficient from the field this season, owning a league-best .541 field goal percentage (33-for-61) after the first eight games. Eckles has shot over 70-percent from the floor three times this season, including a season-best clip of .818 (9-for-11) against Notre Dame (OH). She is just shy of averaging double-digit points this season - entering Tuesday's contest averaging 9.1 points per game.
GORDON CLOSING IN ON 600 BOARDS
Senior Imani Gordon is quickly closing in on 600 rebounds for her career, entering Tuesday's contest with 590 boards. Gordon, who is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game this season, would become just the 15th Viking all-time to reach 600 career rebounds. After the first five weeks of the 2014-15 season, Gordon ranks 15th all-time at Cleveland State with her 590 boards.
…GORDON ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Imani Gordon is also closing in on the top-20 career scoring list at CSU, entering Tuesday's game with 913 career points. For the second straight season Gordon is averaging double-digit points, posting 13.1 points per game through the first eight contests this year. With 87 more points and 10 more rebounds, Gordon would become the 13th Viking all-time to notch 1,000 points and 600 rebounds on their career.
VIKINGS WITH THE HELPING HAND
Entering Tuesday's contest against Belmont, Cleveland State ranks second in the Horizon League averaging 16.4 assists per game. Through the first eight games, the Vikings have notched 131 total assists, including a season-high 26 against Notre Dame (OH) (Nov. 29). CSU has a league-high four players with at least 20 assists on the season, led by Cori Coleman with 22.
TRACKING 1,000 POINTS
Imani Gordon and Kiersten Green are both closing in on 1,000 career points as they continue their senior seasons - as Green currently has 942 points and Gordon has 913 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.
