GAME #21
@ UIC | Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 6:00 p.m. EST | Chicago, Ill.
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Cleveland State @ UIC
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its three-game roadswing on Wednesday (Feb. 4), traveling to UIC for a 6:00 p.m. EST contest. Entering the week, CSU stands at 12-8 overall and 4-3 in Horizon League action, while the Flames are 13-7 overall and 3-4 in league play. This will be the 66th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a slight 33-32 advantage in the overall series.
A WIN WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Put Cleveland State on a three-game winstreak for the second time this season…Give the Vikings a 7-3 record against UIC over the last 10 meetings…Mark the sixth time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad that the Vikings have started the month of February with a win.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC enters Wednesday's contest with a 13-7 overall record and a 3-4 mark in Horizon League play…The Flames have gone 2-2 over their last four contests, picking up wins against Oakland (75-60) and Valparaiso (60-42)…So far this season, UIC owns a 9-2 record at home…UIC is one of the better defensive teams in the league, leading the league in scoring defense (54.7 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.361), blocked shots (3.7), steals (11.7), and rebounding margin (+10.6)…Ruvanna Campbell leads the Flames and ranks third in the league averaging 17.6 points per game, while she leads the league averaing 14.0 rebounds per game…Terri Bender ranks second among league players averaging 3.1 steals per game, while Campbell also leads the league with 1.8 blocked shots per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings continued their winning ways, pulling out a 72-64 victory at Oakland. For the third straight game CSU outrebounded its opponent, posting 41 rebounds against Oakland's 37. Kiersten Green tallied a team-high 21 points, while Alexis Eckles posted her fifth double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
GREEN CRACKS TOP-20 SCORING LIST
Following her 21-point performance at Oakland last time out, senior Kiersten Green is now in the top-20 on the CSU career scoring list. Green, who is averaging 12.6 points per game this season, enters Wednesday's contest ranked 20th on the list with 1,107 career points. Green joins classmates Cori Coleman (8th - 1,401) and Imani Gordon (19th - 1,122) on the list, as this trio marks the first time in program history that three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 1,000 career points.
…AND MOVES UP THREE-POINT LIST
Kiersten Green recorded 15 of her 21 points against Oakland from behind-the-arc, marking her seventh game with at least four three-pointers this season. Green now ranks seventh on the CSU career three-point field goal list with 141 three-pointers, while her 50 conversions from behind-the-arc this season leads the Horizon League. Green has been averaging 2.5 three-pointers per game so far this season, and is 18 field goals shy of setting a CSU single-season record.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE BOARDS
For the fourth time out of the last five games Cleveland State outrebounded its opponent last time out, notching 41 boards at Oakland. This was the seventh 40+ rebound game of the season for the Vikings, and the fourth during Horizon League play. Over the last five games, CSU has been averaging 40.6 boards per game, an improvement from its average of 35.8 rebounds over the first 15 contests. On the season, Alexis Eckles has a team-high 145 rebounds, while Imani Gordon has grabbed 136 boards and Cori Coleman has notched 114.
COPLEY ENJOYS HOMECOMING
Freshman Allyssa Copley had a homecoming of sorts at Oakland last Saturday, as her hometown of Holly, Michigan is about 25 miles from the Oakland campus. Copley had one of her best performances against the Grizzlies, recording four points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block in 13 minutes of action. Copley converted her lone field goal attempt and went 2-for-2 from the free throw line, while not committing a single turnover.
ECKLES NOTCHES DOUBLE-DOUBLE AGAINST OAKLAND
Alexis Eckles recorded her third double-double over the last five games last time out, posting 15 points and 11 rebounds at Oakland. Eckles now has five double-doubles on the season, and is one of seven Horizon League players with at least five double-doubles this year. Eckles, who has often times found herself in foul trouble this season, has done her best work when staying on the court for at least 20 minutes - averaging 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds during those games.
…AND ADDS ANOTHER BLOCK
Along with her double-double, Alexis Eckles also tallied another blocked shot against the Grizzlies, improving her season total to 32. Eckles, who ranks second in the Horizon League averaging 1.6 blocked shots per game, is just four blocked shots shy of cracking the CSU single-season record list. In addition, Eckles also has the highest amount of career blocks out of all the current Vikings - achieving the mark in just one season of play.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Cleveland State senior trio of Cori Coleman (331 pts), Imani Gordon (314), and Kiersten Green (251) has combined for 896 of CSU's 1,421 points so far this season - accounting for 63-percent of CSU's offense. All three seniors are averaging double-digit points so far this season, while they have also combined for a .423 clip from the floor (298-for-704).
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON 1,400 POINTS, 200 ASSISTS, 200 STEALS
With just four more steals, Cori Coleman would become the third Viking all-time with 1,400 points, 200 assists, and 200 steals on their career. Coleman, who enters Wednesday's contest with 1,401 points, 204 assists, and 196 steals, would join Viking greats Audra Cook (1996-00) and Shawnita Garland (2007-11) in the exclusive club. Coleman would also become the first current Horizon League player to achieve the feat.
GORDON ON THE REBOUNDING CHARTS
Senior Imani Gordon continues to improve her standing on the Cleveland State career rebounding charts - entering Wednesday's contest ranked 10th with 675 total rebounds, fourth with 458 defensive rebounds, and eighth with 217 offensive boards. So far this season Gordon is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, and is just 25 rebounds shy of becoming the 10th Viking all-time to record 700 rebounds on their career.
VIKINGS IN CLOSE GAMES
Through 20 games so far this season for the Vikings, 13 have been decided by eight points or less, including Saturday's contest at Oakland (72-64). Cleveland State owns a 9-4 record when games are decided by eight points or less this season, including a 3-1 mark in Horizon League play. In the nine wins, CSU has outscored its opponents 117-101 over the last five minutes of the contest, including a 62-for-82 performance from the free throw line.
COLEMAN BREAKS CSU THREE-POINT RECORD
Following her five three-pointers at Wright State earlier this season, Cori Coleman became the all-time leading three-point shooter in Cleveland State history, entering Wednesday's contest with 191 career three-pointers. Coleman broke the previous record of 190 which was set by Erika Roudebush (1999-03). Coleman now has 39 three-pointers on the season, and is the first current Viking to own a CSU career record.
