GAME #29
Cleveland State vs. Oakland
Saturday, February 25 | 1:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
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Cleveland State vs. Oakland
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out the regular season on Saturday (February 25), hosting the Oakland Golden Grizzlies on Senior Day at 1:00 p.m. Entering Saturday's contest, the Vikings stand at 14-14 overall this season and 9-8 in Horizon League play, while Oakland owns a 17-11 overall mark and an 11-6 record in league action.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings three straight wins for the second time this season…Put the Vikings at 5-3 for the month of February…Give Cleveland State a split in the season series against Oakland…Secure Cleveland State's sixth 10-win Horizon League regular season under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/OAKLAND SERIES
This will be just the ninth meeting between the two teams, with the overall series knotted up at 4-4. After splitting the season series last year, Cleveland State was able to pick up a 74-62 victory during the first meeting this season. Entering Saturday's contest, the Vikings have won two straight matchups against the Grizzlies.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland enters Saturday's game with a 17-11 overall record, including an 11-6 mark in Horizon League play…The Grizzlies' 11-6 league record puts them in a tie for third place in the league standings with Milwaukee and Detroit…Oakland has won four straight games entering Saturday's contest, and eight of its last 10…Oakland leads the league in scoring (76.6), rebounding (40.8), and steals (11.6)…Individually, Hannah Little sits at the top of the league standings in rebounding (11.7) and steals (3.3) and is the only league player to be averaging double-digit boards this season.
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings picked up their second straight Horizon League victory, picking up a decisive 75-50 victory over Detroit for the season split in the series. As a team, the Vikings shot 40-percent from the floor, while also posting a .407 clip from behind-the-arc. Khayla Livingston posted a team-high 27 points, while Ashanti Abshaw recorded her sixth double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
VIKINGS RETURN TO THE WOLSTEIN CENTER
After playing the first half of the month away from home, Cleveland State will finally return to the Wolstein Center for a four-game homestand to close out the regular season. The Vikings have been on the road for seven of their last nine contests, and haven't had more than a two-game homestand since non-league play back in November.
#THINK PINK
For the remainder of the 2016-17 regular season, the Vikings will be trading in their normal green & white jerseys and wearing special pink uniforms in honor of the team's annual #ThinkPink initiative. Throughout all of the games fans will be able to purchase raffle tickets to win one of the pink jerseys, with all funds going to Play4Kay and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
DOUBLE THE FUN
Saturday will be the final doubleheader for the Cleveland State men's and women's basketball teams this season, as the men will take on Youngstown State following the women's game versus Oakland. So far this season, the women own a 4-1 record when playing on doubleheader dates. All six of the doubleheaders will come during Horizon League play, with the women's team facing Youngstown State (W, 58-54), Valparaiso (W, 71-60), UIC (W, 77-59), Wright State (L, 65-60), Northern Kentucky (W, 77-58), and Oakland (Feb. 25) during the twinbills.
SENIOR DAY RECOGNITION
Prior to the start of Saturday's game against Oakland the Vikings will be honoring the Senior duo of Chrishna Butler and Lex Eckles, so make sure to find your seat early! Butler and Eckles have combined to play 128 games in a Cleveland State uniform, with both serving as significant role players for the Vikings.
LIVINGSTON NOTCHES ANOTHER 20-POINT PERFORMANCE
Khayla Livingston recorded her eighth 20-point performance last time out, finishing with 27 points against Detroit. Livingston, who ranks sixth among league players averaging 15.8 points per game this season, has notched four 20-point performances during the last seven games. For the season, Livingston has 427 total points, and has teamed with Ashanti Abshaw (502 points) to account for 50-percent of the Cleveland State offense this year.
…LIVINGSTON ON CAREER 3-POINT LIST
A majority of Khayla Livingston's points against Detroit came from behind-the-arc, as the junior went 5-for-8 from three-point against the Titans. With the five three-pointers, Livingston moved into eighth place in the CSU Career Record book, finishing the game with 143 career three-pointers. Livingston, who has a team-high 59 three-pointers this season, also ranks in the top-10 in three-point effeciency, ranking third with a .373 clip from behind-the-arc for her career.
ABSHAW NOTCHES DOUBLE-DOUBLE PERFORMANCE
Last time out, Ashanti Abshaw recorded her sixth double-double of the season, posting 14 points and 15 rebounds against Detroit. Abshaw, who recently eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, has now finished with double-digit points in all but two games this season, while the 15 rebounds marked a season-high for the redshirt sophomore.
…CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS & 500 REBOUNDS
Entering Saturday's regular season finale, Ashanti Abshaw is closing in on becoming the first Viking since the 2014-15 season to eclipse 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds. Entering the Oakland contest, Abshaw has 1,021 points and 498 rebounds on her career, leading all current Vikings in both categories. With just two more boards, Abshaw would become the 18th Viking all-time to reach both the 1,000-point and 500-rebound milestones.
BOSLEY ON CSU CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LIST
After recording a blocked shot against Detroit last time out, junior Shadae Bosley moved into sole possession of sixth place in the CSU Career Record book, finishing the game with 84 career blocks. Bosley, who is one of just eight Vikings to record 80 career blocked shots, has tallied 38 blocks this season and ranks second in the Horizon League averaging 1.5 blocks per game. Bosley enters Saturday's game six blocks shy of recording her 90th career blocked shot and moving into fifth place on the list.
…VOSKUHL CLOSING IN ON 50 CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS
Entering Saturday's contest against Oakland, Olivia Voskuhl is closing in on becoming the seventh player under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad to record 50 blocked shots, entering the game with 49 career blocks after posting two against NKU last time out. Voskuhl, who has 18 total blocks this season, ranks 12th among Horizon League players averaging 0.6 blocks per contest.
ABSHAW IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Redshirt sophomore Ashanti Abshaw is the only Viking to be a part of the starting five during every game this season, and marked her 57th consecutive start for the Vikings against Detroit last time out. Abshaw, who played just six games as a freshman before tearing her ACL, returned to start all 29 games as a redshirt freshman and has started all 28 games this year. Abshaw's 57 career starts leads all current Vikings.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will wait for the final seedings in the 2017 Horizon League Tournament field, with First and Second Round action taking place Friday, March 3 - Sunday, March 5. The Horizon League Semifinals will be held on Monday, March 6, with the Championship game being played on Tuesday, March 7. All games in the 2017 Horizon League Tournament will be played at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.
