GAME #26
@ Valparaiso | Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 8:05 p.m. EST | Valparaiso, Ind.
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Cleveland State @ Valparaiso
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its three-game roadswing on Wednesday (Feb. 25), traveling to Valparaiso for an 8:05 p.m. EST contest against the Crusaders. Entering the game, CSU stands at 15-10 overall this season and 7-5 in Horizon League play, while Valparaiso is 6-19 overall and 2-10 in league action. This will be the 28th meeting between the two teams, with Valparaiso owning a slight 14-13 advantage in the overall series. The Vikings have been the dominate team over the last few years though, as CSU has won four straight and nine of the last 11 meetings.
A WIN WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Put Cleveland State back on the winning track…Give the Vikings the season sweep of the Crusaders…Mark CSU's fourth win out of its last six contests… Give the Vikings 16 wins for the first time over the past four seasons.
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Valparaiso enters Wednesday's contest with a 6-19 overall record and a 2-10 mark in Horizon League play…Valparaiso's two league wins have come in the last five contests, as the Crusaders are 2-3 over that span…The two wins came against Detroit (74-68) and Milwaukee (69-56)…As a team, Valparaiso ranks second in the Horizon League with a .705 free throw percentage (277-for-393)…The Crusaders also rank second in three-point field goal percentage (.340) and defensive rebounds (28.9)…Individually, Dani Franklin has a league-best .453 three-point field goal percentage, while Jasmyn Walker ranks sixth averaging 7.7 rebounds per game and Jessica Carr ranks fifth with 4.3 assists per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings dropped a 78-65 contest at Detroit on Saturday, splitting the season series with the Titans after picking up a 71-65 victory against UDM earlier this season. The Vikings had three players finish in double-figures against the Titans, led by Imani Gordon who tallied her sixth 20-point game of the season with 23. Cleveland State forced Detroit into 21 turnovers and grabbed 35 rebounds - including 13 offensive boards.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Wednesday's contest at Valparaiso will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Cleveland State earning a 69-62 victory in the first matchup last month. The Vikings were led by the senior trio of Imani Gordon, Cori Coleman and Kiersten Green who tallied 52 of CSU's 69 points against the Crusaders, while Alexis Eckles chipped in eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
GREEN FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Senior Kiersten Green has been Cleveland State's top three-point shooter this season, converting a team-high 62 shots from behind-the-arc. Green, who needs just six more three-pointers to set a CSU single-season record, ranks sixth on the CSU career three-point list with 153. 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.
GORDON & ECKLES POST DOUBLE-DOUBLES AGAINST TITANS
For the second time out of the last three games the Vikings had two players notch double-doubles in the same contest, as Imani Gordon tallied 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Titans and Alexis Eckles posted 10 points and 12 boards. Gordon now has four double-doubles on the season, while Eckles has seven - one of just six league players with at least seven double-doubles this season.
SMITH RECORDS CAREER-HIGH AT DETROIT
Sophomore Brooke Smith recorded a career-high 17 points against Detroit last time out, notching double-digit points for just the sixth time this season. Smith was 6-for-13 from the field, and 5-for-6 from the free throw line in 36 minutes of action. Smith, who has been part of the starting lineup since the December 4 game against East Carolina, is averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game this season.
GORDON NOTCHES 1,200 POINTS & 700 REBOUNDS
Following her fourth double-double of the season against Detroit last time out, Imani Gordon became just the seventh Viking all-time to record 1,200 points and 700 rebounds on their career. Entering Wednesday's contest at Valparaiso, Gordon has 1,209 career points and 713 career rebounds. With her 23 points against the Titans, Gordon now has 401 on the season, marking her second straight 400-point season.
…GORDON IN THE CSU RECORD BOOK
Imani Gordon is one of just 10 Vikings to rank in the top-15 in the CSU career record book in scoring and rebounding - ranking 13th with her 1,209 points and 10th with her 713 boards. Gordon also ranks fourth with 482 defensive rebounds, is tied for sixth with 231 offensive boards, and ranks fifth with 372 made free throws.
ECKLES ON THE BLOCK
Entering Wednesday's contest, Alexis Eckles ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 1.5 blocked shots per game. Eckles, who has notched a team-high 38 blocks this season, ranks 10th on the single-season record list and needs three 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 (416 pts), Imani Gordon (401), and Kiersten Green (308) has combined for 1,125 of CSU's 1,758 points so far this season - accounting for 64-percent of CSU's offense. All three seniors are ranked in the top-15 on the CSU career scoring list, Coleman ranking sixth with 1,486 points, Gordon ranking 13th (1,209), and Green ranking 15th (1,164). This trio also represents the first time in program history that three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 1,000 career points.
COLEMAN CLOSING IN ON 1,500 POINTS, 200 ASSISTS, 200 STEALS
Entering Wednesday's contest at Valparaiso, Cori Coleman is just 14 points shy of becoming the second Viking all-time with 1,500 points, 200 assists, and 200 steals on their career. Coleman, who enters Wednesday's contest with 1,486 points, 215 assists, and 210 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.