GAME #29
vs. UIC | Saturday, March 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
PDF GAME NOTES
Cleveland State vs. UIC
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out the 2014-15 regular season this Saturday (March 7), hosting UIC at 2:00 p.m. Entering the weekend, CSU stands at 17-11 overall this season and 9-6 in Horizon League play, while UIC is 16-12 overall and 6-9 in league action. This will be the 67th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a slight 34-32 advantage in the overall series.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State two straight wins to close the regular season…Mark a season sweep for the Vikings over UIC…Put the Vikings at 2-0 to start the month of March…Give CSU double-digit wins in league play for the first time since the 2010-11 season…Mark the first time out of the last four seasons that CSU has recorded 18 wins.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC enters Saturday's contest with a 16-12 overall record and a 6-9 mark in Horizon League play…The Flames have won just two games out of their last six contests, with the wins coming against Milwaukee and Oakland…UIC leads the league in rebounding margin (+9.3), steals (10.3), and offensive rebounds (17.9), while ranking second in rebounds (44.0) and scoring defense (58.9)…The Flames have been led by Ruvanna Campbell this season, who leads the league averaging 14.4 rebounds per game and ranks second averaging 17.6 points per game…Terri Bender ranks second among league players averaging 2.8 steals per game, while Campbell also ranks second with 1.5 blocked shots per game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings picked up a 73-62 victory against Youngstown State - their first double-digit win in Horizon League play this season. CSU was able to overcome a six-point halftime deficit, and outscore Youngstown State 39-22 during the second half, to earn the 11-point win. Imani Gordon tallied a team-high 25 points, while Cori Coleman notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. CSU outrebounded the Penguins, 43-27, including 16 offensive boards that they turned into 17 second chance points.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Saturday's contest against UIC will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Cleveland State picking up a 75-73 overtime victory in Chicago last month. The contest was the first of two overtime games of the season for the Vikings, with four of CSU's starters finishing in double-figure points. Imani Gordon tallied a team-high 23 points, while Alexis Eckles recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
2015 SENIOR DAY
Saturday's contest will serve as Senior Day, as the Vikings will be celebrating the careers of Cori Coleman, Imani Gordon, and Kiersten Green. This senior trio has been a prominent part of Cleveland State basketball since joining the program, playing in a combined 350 games and picking up starts in 298 of them. All three rank in the top-15 on the CSU Career Scoring List - and will finish their careers as the highest scoring senior class during head coach Kate Peterson Abiad's tenure.
VIKINGS WITH THE HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
So far this season Cleveland State has been able to take advantage of its home court, owning a 12-2 record while playing at home this season. The Vikings' 12 wins at home is 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 Saturday's contest against UIC, the Vikings would tie the record for most home wins in a season (13).
GORDON NOTCHES EIGHTH 20-POINT GAME
Imani Gordon recorded her eighth 20-point game of the season, and the sixth during Horizon League play last time out, posting a team-high 25 points against Youngstown State. Gordon has been averaging 16.1 points per game this season, and has been CSU's top scorer during 11 games. Gordon was 11-for-18 from the field (.611) and 3-for-5 from the free throw line against the Penguins, while she also notched six rebounds, two steals, and two assists.
…GORDON IN THE CSU RECORD BOOK
With just one game left in 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 10th on the CSU career scoring list with 1,258 points, 9th with 736 career rebounds, third with 497 defensive boards, fifth with 239 offensive rebounds, and fifth with 384 made free throws.
GREEN SETS SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINT RECORD
Following her 4-for-6 performance from three-point range against Milwaukee last week (Feb. 28), 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 Saturday's contest with 71 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 50th nationally, averaging 2.5 three-pointers per game.
…COLEMAN SETS CAREER THREE-POINT RECORD
Following her five three-pointers at Wright State earlier this season (Jan. 24), Cori Coleman became the all-time leading three-point shooter in Cleveland State history, entering Saturday's contest with 207 career three-pointers. Coleman broke the previous record of 190 which was set by Erika Roudebush (1999-03). Coleman is one of just two current Horizon League players with 200 three-pointers on their career, and is the first current Viking to own a CSU career record.
SMITH PICKS UP PERFORMANCE
Sophomore Brooke Smith has picked up her play over the last four games, averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during this stretch. Smith recorded a career-high 17 points twice over the last four games (at Detroit & Milwaukee), while she also committed just four turnovers through all four 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 82 helpers.
ECKLES ON THE BLOCK
After posting two blocked shots against Youngstown State last time out, Alexis Eckles now ranks eighth on the CSU single-season record list with 43 total blocks this season. Eckles, who ranks second among Horizon League players averaging 1.5 blocked shots per game, needs just four more blocks to move into seventh 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 (455 pts), Imani Gordon (450), and Kiersten Green (348) has combined for 1,253 of CSU's 1,977 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 1,525 points, Gordon ranking 10th (1,258), and Green ranking 14th (1,204). This trio also represents the first time in program history that three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 1,000 career points.
COLEMAN CRACKS TOP-20 REBOUNDING LIST
With a career-best 184 rebounds so far this season, senior Cori Coleman has cracked the top-20 list on the CSU career rebounding chart, entering Saturday's contest ranked 19th with 533 boards. Coleman has notched double-digit rebounds four times this season, with a career-high 15 boards coming at Valparaiso (Feb. 25). She ranks 12th among Horizon League players averaging 6.6 boards per game, but is the lone player under 5' 10" to rank in the top-15. Coleman has a team-high 80 offensive boards on the season, and has turned those rebounds into 61 second chance points for herself and 30 second chance points for her teammates.
…AND 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 Saturday's contest with 1,525 total points. Coleman, who leads the team averaging 16.3 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 24th on the Horizon League all-time scoring list.
VIKINGS IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Following Wednesday's 73-62 victory over Youngstown State, the Vikings clinched a home game for the quarterfinals of the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. CSU will host its quarterfinal matchup at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. The opponent is yet to be determined. Check CSUVikings.com for updates on the quarterfinal contest and the most up-to-date 2015 Horizon League Tournament bracket.
