GAME #28
Youngstown State | Wed., March 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
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Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return home to close out the regular season this week, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest against Youngstown State on Wednesday, March 4. Entering the week, CSU stands at 16-11 overall this season and 8-6 in Horizon League play, while YSU is 19-8 overall and a matching 8-6 in league action. This will be the 64th meeting between the two teams, with the Penguins owning a 36-27 advantage in the overall series.
A WIN WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State four wins out of its last six games…Mark a season split between the Vikings and Penguins…Give the Vikings a 1-0 start to the month for the fourth time this season…Mark the first time out of the last four seasons that CSU has recorded 17 wins.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Wednesday's contest with a 19-8 overall record and an 8-6 mark in Horizon League action - tied for third in the league standings with Cleveland State…The Penguins have won four of their last five games, most recently falling to league-leading Green Bay…YSU leads the league in free throw percentage (.762), three-point field goal percentage (.348), and three-pointers made (7.8)…The Penguins also rank second among league teams averaging 15.4 assists per game…Individually, Latisha Walker leads the league with a .838 free throw percentage (83-99)…Heidi Schlegel has been YSU's top all-around player this season, ranking third in the league averaging 17.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings dropped a 76-69 contest at Milwaukee last time out, splitting the season series with the Panthers. Despite holding a six-point advantage at the halftime break, a second half rally from the Panthers was too much for the Vikings to handle. Once again CSU had four starters finish with double-digits, including Brooke Smith who tied her career-high with 17 points. The Vikings recorded 37 rebounds against Milwaukee, with nearly half of them coming on the offensive end (17) which they turned into 15 second chance points.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Saturday's contest against Youngstown State will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with YSU capturing a 79-65 victory in Youngstown earlier this season. In the first meeting, the Vikings were led by Imani Gordon who tallied 19 points and nine rebounds, while Kiersten Green added 17 points and Cori Coleman notched 14 - combining for 50 of CSU's 65 points. CSU shot just 33-percent from the field, while YSU posted a .500 clip from the floor.
VIKINGS WITH THE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
So far this season Cleveland State has been able to take advantage of its home court, owning an 11-2 record while playing at home this season. The Vikings' 11 wins at home is tied for second most in program history, and makes the 2014-15 team just the seventh squad in program history to post double-digit wins at home. If CSU is able to win the remaining two home games (Youngstown State & UIC), the Vikings would tie the record for most home wins in a season (13).
GREEN SETS SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINT RECORD
Following her 4-for-6 performance from three-point range against Milwaukee last time out, senior Kiersten Green broke the CSU single-season record for three-point baskets. Green, who set the mark at the 2:24 mark of the second half against the Panthers, enters Wednesday's contest with 69 three-pointers this season, breaking the previous record of 67 which was set by Erika Roudebush (2001-02) and Cori Coleman (2013-14). Green has been Cleveland State's top three-point shooter this season, leading the league and ranking 48th nationally, averaging 2.6 three-pointers per game.
…ASSIST FROM COLEMAN
The assist on Kiersten Green's record-setting basket came in fitting fashion, as classmate Cori Coleman - the Clevelanad State career record holder in three-point field goals - made the pass to set Green up with the open shot. Coleman, who set the CSU career record at Wright State earlier this season (Jan. 24), enters the week with 207 career three-pointers including 55 this season. Coleman and Green have combined for 124 of Cleveland State's 196 three-pointers this season and are shooting a combined 38-percent (124-for-325) from behind-the-arc.
SMITH PICKS UP PERFORMANCE
Sophomore Brooke Smith has picked up her play over the last three games, averaging 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game during this stretch. Smith recorded a career-high 17 points twice over the last three games (at Detroit & Milwaukee), while she also committed just three turnovers through all three games while serving as one of CSU's primary ball handlers. Smith ranks ninth among Horizon League players with a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio this season, and has notched a team-high 81 helpers.
COLEMAN CRACKS TOP-20 REBOUNDING LIST
With a career-best 174 rebounds so far this season, senior Cori Coleman cracked the top-20 list on the CSU career rebounding chart, entering the week ranked 20th with 522 boards. With at least three games left this season, Coleman has the opportunity to finish as high as 17th on the list. Coleman ranks 12th among Horizon League players averaging 6.4 boards per game, but is the lone player under 5' 10" to rank in the top-15. Coleman has a team-high 75 offensive boards on the season, and has turned those rebounds into 59 second chance points for herself and 26 second chance points for her teammates.
GORDON IN THE CSU RECORD BOOK
With just one week left of the regular season, senior Imani Gordon has etched her name in the Cleveland State career record book multiple times - including becoming the seventh Viking all-time with 1,200 career points and 700 career rebounds. Gordon ranks 11th on the CSU career scoring list with 1,233 points, 10th with 730 career rebounds, fourth with 493 defensive boards, fifth with 237 offensive rebounds, and fifth with 381 made free throws.
ECKLES ON THE BLOCK
After posting three blocked shots at Milwaukee last time out, Alexis Eckles now ranks ninth on the CSU single-season record list with 41 total blocks this season. Eckles, who ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 1.5 blocked shots per game, needs just two more blocks to move into eighth on the single-season 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 (445 pts), Imani Gordon (425), and Kiersten Green (337) has combined for 1,207 of CSU's 1,904 points so far this season - accounting for 63-percent of CSU's offense. All three seniors are ranked in the top-15 on the CSU career scoring list, Coleman ranking sixth with 1,515 points, Gordon ranking 11th (1,233), and Green ranking 14th (1,193). 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 27 games so far this season for the Vikings, 18 have been decided by eight points or less, including eight in Horizon League play. Cleveland State owns a 13-5 record when games are decided by eight points or less this season, including a 7-2 mark in league play. In the 13 wins, CSU has outscored its opponents 163-131 over the last five minutes of the contest, including a 83-for-110 performance from the free throw line.
COLEMAN RECORDS 1,500TH CAREER POINT
Following her 17-point performance at Valparaiso last week, Cori Coleman became just the sixth Viking all-time with 1,500 career points, entering Wednesday's contest with 1,515 total points. Coleman, who leads the team averaging 16.5 points per game this season, is one of just four current Horizon League players with at least 1,500 points on their career (Kim Demmings-WSU, Heidi Schlegel-YSU, Ashley Green-UWM), and ranks 25th on the Horizon League all-time scoring list.
