GAME #9
Cleveland State @ Toledo
Saturday, December 9 | 2:00 p.m. | Toledo, Ohio
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE @ TOLEDO GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will begin its final non-league roadswing of the season this weekend, traveling to Toledo for a 2:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, December 9. Saturday's game will mark the first of a three-game roadswing for the Vikings as they close out their 11-game non-league slate. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State stands at 6-2 on the season, while Toledo also owns a matching 6-2 record.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a five-game winstreak…Improve Cleveland State to 7-2 during the 2017-18 campaign…Keep the Vikings undefeated during the month of December…Extend Cleveland State's winstreak to five games…Bring head coach Kate Peterson Abiad within six wins of her 200th career victory.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/TOLEDO SERIES
This will mark the 26th meeting between the two teams, with Toledo owning a 16-9 advantage in the overall series. The Rockets have been victorious in the last two matchups, with Cleveland State's last win coming during the 2010-11 season when the Vikings notched a 58-50 victory.
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS
Toledo enters Saturday's game with a 6-2 record on the season, most recently dropping a 73-54 contest at Duquesne…The loss at Duquesne snapped a five-game winstreak for the Rockets, as their only other loss on the season came in a 90-55 decision at No. 5 Louisville…So far this season, Toledo has notched a perfect 4-0 record at home, with Saturday's matchup against the Vikings serving as their final non-league home game of the campaign…Through the first eight games, two Rockets are averaging double-digit points; Kaayla McIntyre (13.0 ppg) and Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott (11.9 ppg), while McIntyre (9.0 rpg) and Mikaela Boyd (6.4 rpg) have led Toledo's rebounding efforts…McIntyre is also shooting an outstanding .625 clip from the field so far this season.
LAST TIME OUT...
The Vikings picked up their fourth straight win with a 71-64 victory over Ohio in their annual Kids Day Game. In front of over 2,000 Cleveland area grade school kids, the Vikings shot 50-percent from the field and held Ohio to a .284 clip from the floor. Three Vikings finished in double-figures led by Ashanti Abshaw with 21 points, while Olivia Voskuhl notched her first double-digit rebound effort of the season with 10 boards.
VIKINGS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2010-11
Cleveland State is off to one of its best starts in recent history, owning a 6-2 record after the first eight games of the season. This marks the best start for the Vikings since the 2010-11 season, and just the second time that Cleveland State has picked up six wins over the first eight games under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
…AND EXTEND WINSTREAK
With Wednesday's 71-64 victory over Ohio, Cleveland State extended its winstreak to four straight games - the second longest active winstreak among Horizon League teams this season. Cleveland State's four straight wins also marks the longest winstreak since the 2013-14 season for the Vikings.
VOSKUHL NOTCHES FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF 2017-18 CAMPAIGN
Playing in her 100th career game as a Viking, redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl notched her first double-double of the season, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio last time out. Voskuhl, who leads all current Vikings with 100 games played, tallied just the fourth double-double of her career, marking season-highs with both the 19 points and the 10 rebounds.
…VOSKUHL SURPASSES 500 CAREER REBOUNDS
After recording her first double-digit rebound game of the season against the Bobcats last time out, Olivia Voskuhl surpassed the 500-rebound mark for her career, entering Saturday's game with 506 total boards. Voskuhl, who leads the Vikings averaging 7.6 rebounds per game this season, is just the second current Viking to eclipse 500 rebounds. Voskuhl enters the final stretch of the non-league slate just 33 rebounds shy of earning a spot in the top-20 in the CSU Career Record Book.
VIKINGS FROM THE FIELD
After the first five weeks of the 2017-18 season Cleveland State ranks second among Horizon League teams with a .445 field goal percentage. So far this season, the Vikings have shot at least 50-percent from the floor on three occasions - Eastern Michigan (.529), Marshall (.500) and Ohio (.500). Individually, six Vikings are shooting at least 40-percent from the floor, including Olivia Voskuhl who has a team-best .477 clip.
BOSLEY WITH THE BLOCK
Through the first eight games, Shadae Bosley has 18 total blocked shots, and enters Saturday's contest at the top of the Horizon League standings averaging 2.3 blocks per game. Bosley, who has tallied at least one blocked shot in all but one game this season, ranks fifth in the CSU Career Record Book with 105 total blocks. Earlier this season, Bosley became just the fifth Viking all-time to eclipse 100 blocks on their career.
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 joined teammate Ashanti Abshaw in the 1,000-point club, marking the sixth time in program history that a Cleveland State team has had a pair of 1,000 point scorers on the same roster (Kailey Klein & Dominique Butler/2008-09, Ashley Schrock & Shannon Sword/2003-04, Audra Cook & LeAnna Hicks/1998-99, Terri Miller & Lisa Kipp/1987-88).
ABSHAW IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Redshirt junior Ashanti Abshaw continued her streak of consecutive games started last time out, picking up her 67th 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 67 career starts leads all current Vikings.
…AND IN THE CSU CAREER RECORD BOOK
After recording her sixth 20-point game of the season with a 21-point effort against Ohio last time out, Ashanti Abshaw moved into 13th place in the CSU Career Record Book with 1,231 career points. Abshaw, who leads the Vikings and the Horizon League averaging 22.5 points per game this season, has 180 total points on the year. Abshaw enters Saturday's game just 19 points shy of moving into 12th place in the CSU Career Record Book and becoming the 13th Viking all-time with 1,250 career points.
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 193-243 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
Cleveland State will continue its final non-league roadswing next Sunday (December 17), traveling to Illinois State for a 3:00 p.m. EST contest.
