2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
First Round
No. 8 Cleveland State vs. No. 5 Northern Kentucky
Thursday, March 10 | 3:30 p.m. EST | Green Bay, Wis.
CLEVELAND STATE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT GAME NOTES
2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT BRACKET | 2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will begin play at the 2016 Horizon League Tournament this week, entering the championship as the No. 8 seed. The Vikings enter tournament action with a 9-19 overall record, and finished the regular season with a 6-12 mark against Horizon League opponents.
ENTERING THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Cleveland State really picked up its play over the second half of the Horizon League regular season slate, as the Vikings enter the Horizon League Tournament having won four out of their last five games. After picking up just four wins during the first 11 weeks of the 2015-16 season, the Vikings racked up five wins over the final five weeks, entering the tournament with a 9-19 overall record. Cleveland State went 1-8 during the first half of Horizon League play, but rebounded to go 5-4 the second time through its league opponents.
CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad the Vikings own an 11-10 record in the Horizon League Tournament, advancing to the semifinals five times and earning an appearance in the championship game twice. Cleveland State won the Horizon League Tournament title in both of their championship apperances, capturing the crown during the 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons. Last year, the Vikings advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament, marking the first time they advanced that far in five seasons.
2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT DESIGN
New for the 2015-16 season, all four rounds of the Horizon League Tournament will take place at the Kress Events Center in Green Bay, Wis., marking the first time since 2001 that the entire field will compete at one site. Action will begin with four first round games on Thursday, March 10 with the winners advancing to play in two second round games on Friday, March 11. Those two winners will then advance to play the top-two seeds in a pair of semifinal contests on Saturday, March 12, with the championship game taking place on Sunday, March 13.
TWO VIKINGS EARN POSTSEASON HONORS
The Vikings had a pair of representatives in this year's postseason honors from the Horizon League, as Ashanti Abshaw was named the Freshman of the Year along with being named to the All-League Second Team and All-Freshman Team, while Brooke Smith earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team. This marks the eighth time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad that two or more Vikings have been honored with postseason accolades, while it is the first time since the 2012-13 season that Cleveland State has picked up one of the major awards.
…ASHANTI ABSHAW | REDSHIRT-FRESHMAN
After leading the Vikings and nearly averaging a double-double through the regular season - 16.7 points & 9.5 rebounds per game - Ashanti Abshaw was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year. Abshaw, who is just the second Viking all-time to earn Freshman of the Year honors (Kailey Klein, 2006-07), also earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team and the All-League Second Team - becoming the ninth Viking to earn a spot on the All-Freshman Team and the sixth to be named to the All-League Second Team.
…BROOKE SMITH | JUNIOR
After leading the Horizon League in steals throughout the majority of the 2015-16 regular season, Brooke Smith became the seventh Viking all-time to earn a spot on the Horizon League All-Defensive Team and the first since the 2012-13 season. Smith, who is averaging a league-best 3.1 steals per game, is the only league player to average more than 3.0 steals per contest entering the championship. She has notched at least two steals in all but five games this season, including a career-high of eight against UNCG and Oakland. Nationally, Smith ranks ninth with her 3.1 steals per game, while she also ranks 12th with her 86 total steals this season.
IN THE CSU SINGLE-SEASON RECORD BOOK
REBOUNDS | Entering the Horizon League Tournament Ashanti Abshaw is tied for ninth in the Cleveland State single-season record book with 265 total rebounds. Abshaw is just two rebounds shy of moving into eighth place on the list, and is 35 rebounds shy of becoming the fourth Viking all-time to notch 300 rebounds in a single season.
DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS | Ashanti Abshaw also ranks in the top-10 in defensive rebounds entering the week, sitting eighth with 191 defensive boards. Abshaw is just eight defensive boards shy of moving all the way up to fourth on the single-season list, while she is also just nine defensive rebounds shy of becoming the third Viking to notch 200 in the same season.
STEALS | Brooke Smith enters the Horizon League Tournament just shy of the CSU single-season top-10 list in steals, entering the week with 86 takeaways this year. Smith needs just five more steals to crack the top-10 and 14 more steals to become the fourth Viking all-time to post 100 steals in a single season.
BLOCKED SHOTS | Shadae Bosley is also just shy of earning a spot in the top-10 in the CSU single-season record book, entering the week with a team-high 36 blocked shots on the season. With five more blocks, Bosley would be tied for 10th on the single-season list, while it would also make her the sixth Viking to record 50 career blocks over the past 13 seasons.
ABSHAW ENTERS TOURNAMENT HOLDING FRESHMAN CLASS RECORDS
Entering the Horizon League Tournament, redshirt freshman Ashanti Abshaw owns five freshman class records at Cleveland State, including scoring and rebounding. Abshaw, who has notched 26 double-digit scoring games this season - including nine 20-point performances - has 468 total points on the year surpassing the old record of 387 that was set by Debra Taylor during the 1987-88 season. Abshaw has also tallied 12 double-digit rebounding games this year - including a career-high 17 rebounds twice - entering the league championship with 265 total boards this season, a mark that eclipsed the previous record of 250 (Dianne Foster, 1979-80).
LIVINGSTON FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Redshirt sophomore Khayla Livingston currently sits atop the Cleveland State career record book with a .395 three-point field goal percentage (79-for-200), and has been Cleveland State's top three-point shooter this season. For the year, Livingston is 55-for-136 (.404) from behind-the-arc, converting at least one three-pointer in all but four contests this year, including a career-high six at Detroit earlier this season. Among Horizon League players, Livingston ranks second with her .404 clip from behind-the-arc and ranks eighth averaging 2.0 three-pointers per game.
2015-16 HORIZON LEAGUE WEEKLY HONORS
Redshirt freshman Ashanti Abshaw picked up weekly honors from the Horizon League six times this season, with all of them coming as Freshman of the Week accolades. Abshaw, who was one of two league players to pick up Freshman of the Week honors six times this season, is the first Viking under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad to earn six weekly accolades from the league in the same season.
HEAD COACH KATE PETERSON ABIAD
Cleveland State head coach Kate Peterson Abiad is in her 13th season at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 173-224 career mark at CSU. Peterson Abiad became the winningest coach in program history during the 2011-12 season, and is closing in on 175 career wins with the Vikings. With just two more wins, Peterson Abiad would become the second active Horizon League coach to reach 175 victories (Kevin Borseth, Green Bay). During her tenure, Peterson Abiad has led the Vikings to five 19-win seasons, two Horizon League Tournament Championships (2008 & 2010), and four trips to the postseason (2015-WNIT, 2011-WBI, 2010-NCAA, 2008-NCAA).
…SIDELINE FULL OF EXPERIENCE
Head coach Kate Peterson Abiad isn't the only one to have experience in the Horizon League Championship on the Cleveland State sideline, as associate head coach Beth Couture and assistant coach Jessica Roque have also led their respective teams to the title game. Couture, who was the Butler head coach from 2002-14, led the Bulldogs to three Horizon League championship apperances during her tenure, while Roque helped the Vikings to both of their tournament titles - as a sophomore during 2008 and as a senior during 2010.
CONGRATULATIONS COACH P!
Last month, head coach Kate Peterson Abiad and her husband Phil (Cleveland State assistant volleyball coach) welcomed their second daughter to the world - Remi Hope Abiad. Since Remi was born (Feb. 18), the Vikings have posted a 4-1 record. The entire Cleveland State women's basketball family would like to extend congratulations to Kate, Phil, Mea, and Remi!
