GAME #26
Cleveland State vs. Valparaiso
Monday, February 29 | 5:30 p.m. | Wolstein Center
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Cleveland State vs. Valparaiso
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will play its final home game of the 2015-16 season on Monday (February 29), hosting the Valparaiso Crusaders at 5:30 p.m. in the Wolstein Center. The Vikings enter Monday's contest on a two-game winstreak, standing at 7-18 overall this season, and 4-11 in Horizon League action. Valparaiso enters Monday's matchup on an eight-game losing skid, currently standing at 8-19 overall and 4-12 in league play.
A WIN MONDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a three-game winstreak for the first time this season…Give the two teams a season split in the series…Give the Vikings a 4-3 record for the month of February…Bring Kate Peterson Abiad within three wins of the 175th of her head coaching career.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/VALPARAISO SERIES
This will be the 30th meeting between the two teams, with Valparaiso holding a slight 15-14 advantage in the overall series. Entering Monday's contest, the Vikings have won five out of the last six matchups, and have posted a 10-3 record against the Crusaders over the last six seasons.
SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
Valparaiso enters Monday's contest with an 8-19 overall record and a 4-12 record in Horizon League contests…The Crusaders currently sit in ninth place in the league standings, with just two games left to play this season…As a team, Valparaiso ranks ninth averaging 62.1 points per game this season, while the Crusaders also rank sixth with a .403 field goal percentage…Individually, Jasmyn Walker is Valparaiso's leading scorer, ranking 18th among league players averaging 12.0 points per game…Walker is also Valparaiso's leading rebounder, ranking seventh among league players averaging 8.4 boards per game…Amber Lindfors is one of two league players with 50 or more blocked shots on the season, ranking second with 2.2 blocks per game.
ABSHAW SETS FRESHMAN CLASS SCORING RECORD
Following her 23-point performance against UIC last time out - her seventh 20-point game of the season - redshirt freshman Ashanti Abshaw set a program record for points by a freshman, entering Monday's contest against Valparaiso with 396 points on the season. Abshaw eclipsed the previous record of 387 points, which was set by Debra Taylor during the 1987-88 season. With just four more points, Abshaw would become the sixth Horizon League player to reach the 400-point milestone this season.
…AND CLOSING IN ON FRESHMAN CLASS REBOUNDING RECORD
Ashanti Abshaw is also closing in on the freshman class rebounding record, entering Monday's contest with 232 boards on the season. Abshaw, who posted her 10th double-digit rebounding effort with 10 boards last time out, is just 19 rebounds shy of setting a program record. With at least four games left in the season, Abshaw needs to average 4.7 rebounds per game to eclipse the previous record of 250 rebounds (Dianne Foster, 1979-80).
AIDEYMAN NOTCHES 100th CAREER THREE-POINTER
With a three-pointer in the first quarter against UIC last time out, Adesuwa Aideyman recorded the 100th three-pointer of her career - the first active Viking to achieve the feat. Aideyman, who has 39 three-pointers on the season, is now 30 three-pointers shy of cracking the top-10 on the Cleveland State Career Record Book.
MITCHELL SHINES ON SENIOR NIGHT
Allison Mitchell had her best game of the season against UIC last time out, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, two steals, and one assist on Senior Night. Mitchell, who is the lone senior on the 2015-16 team, tied her career-high with the five boards and was just shy of her career-high with the nine points. Seven of Mitchell's nine points came from the free throw line, as she went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe - marking a career-high effort from the free throw line.
LIVINGSTON ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Over the last five games, redshirt sophomore Khayla Livingston has been a major part of the Viking offense, averaging 14.2 points per game during this stretch. Livingston, who ranks second on the team averaging 11.8 points per game this year, notched a career-high 24 points against Oakland (Feb. 6) to jumpstart her offensive streak. Not only is Livingston scoring the ball herself, but she also has a team-high 74 assists, including 17 helpers over the last five games.
BOSLEY BLOCK PARTY
Shadae Bosley has put on a blocking clinic during the month of February, averaging 2.6 blocked shots per game during this six-game stretch. Bosley, who has 35 total blocks this season, notched a career-high seven blocked shots against Oakland (Feb. 6), marking the highest single-game block total among league players this season. Bosley currently ranks fifth among league players averaging 1.5 blocks per game on the year, and is six blocked shots shy of cracking the top-10 on the CSU single-season record list.
SMITH ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Entering Monday's game against Valparaiso, Brooke Smith continues to lead the Horizon League averaging 3.1 steals per game. Smith, who is the only league player to average more than 3.0 steals per game, has notched at least two steals in all but five games this season, and notched a career-high of eight against UNCG and Oakland earlier this year. Nationally, Smith ranks 12th with her 3.1 steals per game, while she also ranks 19th with her 77 total steals this season.
ABSHAW AMONG LEAGUE PLAYERS
Entering Monday's contest against Valparaiso, Ashanti Abshaw is one of two Horizon League players to rank in the top-five in scoring and rebounding, and the only freshman/redshirt freshman to do so. Abshaw ranks fifth in scoring with 15.8 points per game, while she ranks second in rebounding, averaging 9.3 boards per game. Throughout the season, Abshaw has posted double-digit points 23 times and dougle-digit rebounds 10 times, ranking second in the league with eight double-doubles on the year.
LIVINGSTON FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Redshirt sophomore Khayla Livingston currently sits atop the Cleveland State career record book with a .400 three-point field goal percentage (76-for-190), and has been Cleveland State's top three-point shooter this season. For the year, Livingston is 52-for-126 (.412) from behind-the-arc, converting at least one three-pointer in all but two contests this year, including a career-high six at Detroit earlier this season. Among Horizon League players, Livingston ranks second with her .412 clip from behind-the-arc and ranks seventh averaging 2.1 three-pointers per game.
CONGRATULATIONS COACH P!
Last week head coach Kate Peterson Abiad and her husband Phil (Cleveland State assistant volleyball coach) welcomed their second daughter to the world - Remi Hope Abiad. Peterson Abiad and her husband also have a six-year old daughter, Mea. The entire Cleveland State women's basketball family would like to extend congratulations to Kate, Phil, Mea, and Remi!
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will close out the regular season next weekend, traveling to Wright State (Thursday, March 3) and Northern Kentucky (Saturday, March 5) for the final two games of the Vikings' 18-game Horizon League slate.
