Posted: Nov 30, 2017
GAME #7
Cleveland State @ Niagara
Friday, December 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Niagara University, N.Y.
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE @ NIAGARA GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
After a brief one-game homestand, the Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to the road this weekend, traveling to Niagara for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Friday, December 1. The Vikings enter the month of December with a 4-2 record on the season, and have won two straight games, while Niagara currently stands at 1-5 this year.
A WIN FRIDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a three-game winstreak…Give the Vikings a 2-1 record on the road this season…Improve Cleveland State to 5-2 during the 2017-18 campaign…Bring head coach Kate Peterson Abiad within eight wins of her 200th career victory.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/NIAGARA SERIES
This will mark the 26th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 14-11 record in the overall series. Niagara has been victorious in the last three meetings, with Cleveland State's last victory coming as a 65-60 decision during the 2010-11 season.
SCOUTING THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara enters Friday's game with a 1-5 overall record this season, with its lone victory on the year coming in a 73-67 decision over Louisiana Tech last time out…The Purple Eagles also participated in the South Point Shootout over the Thanksgiving weekend, facing Louisiana and Louisiana Tech…During the Louisiana Tech game, senior Kaylee Stroemple recorded her 1,000th career point, joining teammate Victoria Rampado in the 1K club…Cleveland State will be the second Horizon League opponent for Niagara this season, as the Purple Eagles dropped a 67-59 contest at Oakland earlier this year…Rampado (18.0 ppg) and Stroemple (10.7) are both averaging double-digit points on the season, while Rampado is also averaging a team-best 7.8 rebounds per game.
Niagara enters Friday's game with a 1-5 overall record this season, with its lone victory on the year coming in a 73-67 decision over Louisiana Tech last time out…The Purple Eagles also participated in the South Point Shootout over the Thanksgiving weekend, facing Louisiana and Louisiana Tech…During the Louisiana Tech game, senior Kaylee Stroemple recorded her 1,000th career point, joining teammate Victoria Rampado in the 1K club…Cleveland State will be the second Horizon League opponent for Niagara this season, as the Purple Eagles dropped a 67-59 contest at Oakland earlier this year…Rampado (18.0 ppg) and Stroemple (10.7) are both averaging double-digit points on the season, while Rampado is also averaging a team-best 7.8 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT...
The Vikings picked up a 77-69 victory over Eastern Illinois, improving to 3-1 when playing at the Wolstein Center this season. Five Vikings scored in double figures, including Ashanti Abshaw who posted 20 points for her fourth 20-point game of the season. The Vikings shot 49-percent from the floor, and recorded 12 steals and forced 18 EIU turnovers which led to 19 Viking points.
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State returns nine letterwinners from last season's squad, including four starters in Ashanti Abshaw (17.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Khayla Livingston (15.9 ppg, 4.7 apg), Olivia Voskuhl (8.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg), and Shadae Bosley (3.5 ppg, 1.4 bpg). Also returning for the Vikings will be Senior Mercedes Hobbs, juniors Sierra Davidson and Mariana Bautista, and sophomores Jade Ely and Mariah Miller.
Joining the Vikings for the 2017-18 season will be true freshmen Anyia Pride (F, 6-1), Nadia Dumas (F, 6-0) and Mariah White (G, 5-8), along with transfers Marquia Turner (G, 5-6) and Rachel Slaney (F, 5-10).
LIVINGSTON NOTCHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Redshirt senior Khayla Livingston became the 28th Viking all-time to record 1,000 career points earlier this season, as she achieved the feat with an 18-point performance against Saint Louis at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. Livingston, who enters the game with 1,033 career points, is averaging 14.7 points per game this season - a mark that ranks seventh among Horizon League players.
BOSLEY ON CSU CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LIST
Through the first six games, Shadae Bosley has 11 total blocked shots, and enters Friday's contest ranked fifth in the CSU Career Record Book with 98 total blocks. Bosley, who leads the Horizon League averaging 1.8 blocks per game, has now tallied at least one blocked shot in five of the six games this season. Earlier this year, Bosley became one of just six Vikings all-time to eclipse the 90-block mark for their career, and is closing in on becoming just the fifth Viking all-time with 100+ blocked shots.
ABSHAW MOVES UP CSU CAREER RECORD BOOK
Entering Friday's game at Niagara, Ashanti Abshaw is one of 13 Vikings to rank in the top-20 in the CSU Career Record Book in scoring and rebounding, currently sitting 16th with 1,180 total points and 20th with 529 total rebounds. Abshaw, who has tallied four 20-point games this season, ranks second in the Horizon League averaging 21.5 points per game, and is one of just two league players to average 20+ points a game this season.
…LIVINGSTON CLOSING IN ON CAREER ASSISTS TOP-10
After recording four assists against Eastern Illinois last time out, Khayla Livingston eclipsed the 300-assist mark for her career and is closing in on earning a spot in the top-10 in the CSU Career Record Book. Entering Friday's game, Livingston needs just 10 more assists to crack the top-10, and with 25 more helpers she would become just the ninth Viking all-time to record 325 assists.
VIKINGS FROM THE FIELD
After the first three weeks of the 2017-18 season Cleveland State leads the Horizon League with a .436 field goal percentage. So far this season the Vikings have shot at least 50-percent from the floor on two occasions - Eastern Michigan (.529) and Marshall (.500). Individually, six Vikings are shooting at least 40-percent from the floor, including Olivia Voskuhl who has a team-best .477 clip.
ABSHAW NAMED PRESEASON FIRST TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
Last month redshirt junior Ashanti Abshaw was named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team, becoming just the fourth Viking under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad to earn the accolade in back-to-back seasons. As a redshirt sophomore, Abshaw led the Vikings averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking in the top-10 among league players in both categories.
…ABSHAW IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Redshirt junior Ashanti Abshaw continued her streak of consecutive games started last time out, picking up her 65th consecutive start. Abshaw, who played just six games as a freshman before tearing her ACL, returned to start all 29 games as a redshirt freshman and all 30 games as a redshirt sophomore. Abshaw's 65 career starts leads all current Vikings.
LIVINGSTON NAMED PRESEASON SECOND TEAM ALL-LEAGUE
For just the third time over the last 15 seasons the Vikings had two preseason honorees, as redshirt senior Khayla Livingston earned a spot on the Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team. Last season, Livingston ranked in the top-10 among league players in five different categories, including assists (4.8) and minutes played (35.3) - both categories in which she led the Vikings.
DOUBLE THE FUN
During the 2016-17 season the Cleveland State men's and women's basketball teams will play three doubleheaders, with all of them coming during Horizon League play. The women's opponents on doubleheader dates will be; IUPUI (Jan. 4), UIC (Jan. 6) and Youngstown State (Jan. 20).
DAVIDSON APPOINTED TO CSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Junior forward Sierra Davidson is currently serving a two-year term as a student member of the Cleveland State University Board of Trustees after being appointed to the position at the beginning of the 2016-17 academic year. Davidson, who was a three-year class president in high school, carries a 3.96 GPA while pursuing a degree in psychology and is on track to graduate in three years. Davidson is also an active member of the CSU Student-Athlete Advisory Council, serving as the Community Service chair.
HEAD COACH KATE PETERSON ABIAD
Cleveland State head coach Kate Peterson Abiad is in her 15th season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 191-243 career mark at CSU. Peterson Abiad became the winningest coach in program history during the 2011-12 season, and is just shy of reaching the 200-win milestone. During her tenure, Peterson Abiad has led the Vikings to five 19-win seasons, two Horizon League Tournament Championships, and four trips to the postseason (2015-WNIT, 2011-WBI, 2010-NCAA, 2008-NCAA).
2018 HORIZON LEAGUE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
For the second straight season, the Horizon League men's and women's championships will run concurrently, with 'Motor City Madness' running from March 2 through March 6 at the brand new Little Caesers Arena in downtown Detroit, Mich. The five-day tournament will again feature two first round games, four second round games, two semifinals, and a championship contest. All nine games will be carried on the ESPN network.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will return home for their final non-league contest in the Wolstein Center on Wednesday, December 6, hosting Ohio at 11:00 a.m. in their annual Kids Day Game.
