GAME #15
@ Youngstown State | Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7:00 p.m. | Youngstown, Ohio
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Cleveland State @ Youngstown State
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue Horizon League play on Thursday (Jan. 15), traveling to Youngstown State for a 7:00 p.m. contest. CSU enters the matchup with a 9-5 overall record and a 1-0 mark in league play, while YSU currently stands at 12-3 overall and 1-1 in league action. This will be the 63rd meeting between the two teams, with Youngstown State owning a 35-27 advantage in the overall series.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD…
Give CSU double-digit wins on the season…Mark the second time this year that the Vikings have won three straight contests…Put Cleveland State at 2-0 in Horizon League play for the third straight season.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Thursday's contest with a 12-3 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Horizon League play…The Penguins won 10 straight contests to open the 2014-15 season…Youngstown State owns a perfect 5-0 mark at home this season, with Thursday's game marking the Penguins' first league home game…YSU leads the league with a .786 free throw percentage, while the Penguins rank second in scoring defense (57.3), field goal percentage defense (.359), three-point percentage (.364), three-point percentage defense (.278), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1)…Individually, Heidi Schlegel leads YSU and ranks ninth in the league in scoring (14.5 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (8.8 rpg)…Latisha Walker owns the league's best field goal percentage, shooting .492 from the floor (61-for-124).
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings opened Horizon League play with a 69-62 victory over Valparaiso last Thursday (Jan. 8), improving their record to 7-1 at home this season. Imani Gordon and Cori Coleman led the Vikings with 19 points each, while Kiersten Green added 14 points. CSU outscored Valparaiso 38-26 during the second half to earn the victory.
COLEMAN REACHES 1,300 POINTS
Following her 19-point performance against Valparaiso last time out, senior Cori Coleman became the ninth Viking all-time to record 1,300 career points, entering Thursday's contest with 1,301 points. Coleman, who has tallied double-digit points in all but one game this season, leads the team and ranks fourth in the Horizon League averaging 16.5 points per game. Coleman currently ranks ninth on the CSU career scoring list and needs 65 more points to move into eighth place.
ECKLES ON THE BLOCK
For the third time this season, Alexis Eckles recorded five blocked shots last time out, improving her season total to 27. Eckles, who leads the Horizon League, averaging 1.9 blocked shots per game, is just the third Viking over the last eight seasons to post 25 or more blocks in the same season (Shalonda Winton & Kailey Klein). The five blocked shots ties a career-high for Eckles, while it is the second-best mark among league players so far this season.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
The Vikings were able to take care of the ball against Valparaiso last time out, committing a season-low six turnovers against the Crusaders. This marked the third time that CSU committed single-digit turnovers this season, while it is just the third time that the Vikings have posted six or fewer turnovers in a contest over the past eight seasons (twice during the 2013-14 season).
…CLEVELAND STATE'S ASSIST-TO-TURNOVER RATIO
The season-low six turnovers against Valparaiso helped CSU move into first place among Horizon League teams with a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio, as the Vikings have posted 230 assists compared to 197 turnovers this season. Cleveland State has been ranked in the top-two in the category throughout the season, while the Vikings also own a +1.6 turnover margin on the year.
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Cleveland State has been very good at spreading the offense this season, as the Vikings are the only Horizon League team to have five players with 30 or more assists. The Vikings are averaging 16.4 assists per game, with Imani Gordon (41 assists), Brooke Smith (40), and Cori Coleman (39) all ranked in the top-15 in the individual category. As a team, CSU has tallied 20 or more assists three times this season, with a season-high 26 assists coming against Notre Dame College (Nov. 29).
TRIO OF VIKINGS IN THE 1,000 POINT CLUB
For the first time in program history, three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 1,000 career points, as the senior trio of Cori Coleman, Imani Gordon, and Kiersten Green have all achieved the feat. Coleman, who recorded her 1,000th career point as a junior, ranks ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,301 points, while Green (1,028) and Gordon (1,024) are just shy of the top-20.
GORDON ON THE REBOUNDING CHARTS
Senior Imani Gordon continues to improve her standing on the Cleveland State career rebounding charts - entering Thursday's contest ranked 14th with 628 total rebounds, seventh with 425 defensive rebounds, and tied for ninth with 203 offensive boards. So far this season Gordon is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game, and has recorded double-digit rebounds three times (Ohio, Morehead State & Florida Atlantic).
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON THREE-POINT RECORD
Cori Coleman is closing in on the Cleveland State career three-point record, entering Thursday's contest with 181 career three-pointers, just 10 shy of breaking the current record of 190 which is held by Erika Roudebush (1999-03). Coleman has 29 three-pointers so far this season, and ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 2.1 three-pointers per game. Coleman would become the first current Viking to own a CSU career record.
