GAME #25
@ Detroit | Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015 | 2:00 p.m. | Detroit, Mich.
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Cleveland State @ Detroit
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will begin a three-game roadswing this Saturday (Feb. 21), traveling to Detroit for a 2:00 p.m. contest. Entering the weekend, CSU stands at 15-9 overall this season and 7-4 in Horizon League play, while the Titans are 9-15 overall and 4-7 in league action. This will be the 53rd meeting between the two teams, with Detroit owning a 35-17 advantage in the overall series. Despite the overall record, Cleveland State has been the stronger team over the last few years, as the Vikings have won four out of the last five matchups.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State three straight wins for the third time this season…Mark CSU's sixth win out of its last seven games…Give the Vikings the season sweep of Detroit…Improve CSU's record to 4-1 during the month of February…Give the Vikings 16 wins for the first time over the past four seasons.
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit enters Saturday's contest with a 9-15 overall record and a 4-7 mark in Horizon League play…The Titans have won just two out of their last six contests, picking up wins against Youngstown State (59-58) and UIC (76-68)…Detroit is tied for sixth in the league standings…Rosanna Reynolds leads Detroit and ranks sixth in the league averaging 16.0 points per game…Reynolds (3.2 apg) and Haleigh Ristovski (3.4) both rank in the top-10 in assists per game…Ristovski leads the league with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio, notching 81 assists to just 33 turnovers…Ristovski is also Detroit's top rebounder, ranking seventh among league players averaging 7.3 boards per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings improved to 11-2 at home this season with a 67-63 victory over Wright State last time out. With the win, CSU split the season series with the Raiders, and improved to 7-4 in Horizon League play. Kiersten Green led the Vikings with 23 points, including a perfect 7-for-7 performance from the free throw line, while Cori Coleman added 16 points and eight rebounds.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Saturday's contest against Detroit will be the second matchup of the season, as the Vikings captured a 71-65 victory in the first meeting last month. Four of Cleveland State's five starters recorded double-digit points against the Titans last time out, led by Cori Coleman who notched 19 points on a perfect 7-for-7 effort from the floor. As a team, CSU shot 42-percent from the field, and grabbed 44 rebounds.
VIKINGS ON THE GLASS
Cleveland State has picked up its rebounding performance over the last few weeks, grabbing a season-high 50 rebounds against Oakland (Feb. 14) and following that up with 49 boards against Wright State (Feb. 18) last time out. For the year, CSU is averaging 37.8 rebounds per game, but over the last seven games the Vikings have been averaging 42.6 boards.
…INDIVIDUAL REBOUNDING PERFORMANCES
Three Vikings are averaging at least 6.0 rebounds per game so far this season, with Alexis Eckles averaging 7.3 boards, Imani Gordon notching 6.8 rebounds, and Cori Coleman posting 6.2 rebounds. This trio has accounted for 485 rebounds this season, including 168 offensive boards. Eckles ranks ninth among Horizon League players with her 7.3 rebounds per game, while Gordon ranks 11th and Coleman ranks 12th.
GREEN FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Senior Kiersten Green has been Cleveland State's top three-point shooter this season, converting a team-high 59 shots from behind-the-arc. Green, who needs just nine more three-pointers to set a CSU single-season record, ranks seventh on the CSU career three-point list with 150. Green leads the league averaging 2.5 three-pointers per game this season, and has knocked down four or more shots from behind-the-arc during nine games.
ECKLES ON THE BLOCK
Entering Saturday's contest, Alexis Eckles ranks second among Horizon League players averaging 1.5 blocked shots per game. Eckles, who has notched a team-high 37 blocks this season, ranks 10th on the single-season record list and needs four more to move into ninth place on the list. In addition, Eckles also has the highest amount of career blocks out of all current Vikings - achieving the mark in just one season of play.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Cleveland State senior trio of Cori Coleman (410 pts), Imani Gordon (378), and Kiersten Green (299) has combined for 1,087 of CSU's 1,693 points so far this season - accounting for 64-percent of CSU's offense. All three seniors are ranked in the top-20 on the CSU career scoring list, Coleman ranking sixth with 1,480 points, Gordon ranking 14th (1,186), and Green ranking 16th (1,155). This trio also represents the first time in program history that three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 1,000 career points.
VIKINGS IN CLOSE GAMES
Through 24 games so far this season for the Vikings, 16 have been decided by eight points or less, including Wednesday's 67-63 victory against Wright State. Cleveland State owns a 12-4 record when games are decided by eight points or less this season, including a 6-1 mark in Horizon League play. In the 12 wins, CSU has outscored its opponents 155-123 over the last five minutes of the contest, including a 79-for-105 performance from the free throw line.
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON 1,500 POINTS, 200 ASSISTS, 200 STEALS
Entering Saturday's contest at Detroit, Cori Coleman is just 20 points shy of becoming the second Viking all-time with 1,500 points, 200 assists, and 200 steals on their career. Coleman, who enters Saturday's contest with 1,480 points, 213 assists, and 209 steals, would join Viking great Audra Cook (1996-00) in the exclusive club. Coleman would also become the first current Horizon League player to achieve the feat.
GORDON NOTCHES 700TH REBOUND
Senior Imani Gordon recorded the 700th rebound of her career last time out, notching a team-high nine boards against Wright State. Gordon, who is the 10th Viking all-time to notch 700 career rebounds, ranks 11th in the league averaging 6.8 rebounds per game this season. On the Cleveland State career rebounding charts, Gordon ranks 10th with 702 total rebounds, fourth with 475 defensive rebounds, and seventh with 227 offensive boards.
