Posted: Dec 18, 2017
GAME #11
Cleveland State @ Bradley
Tuesday, December 19 | 12:00 p.m. EST | Peoria, Ill.
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE @ BRADLEY GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out its non-league slate Tuesday afternoon (December 19), traveling to Bradley in the third game of a three-game roadswing. Entering the final non-league game of the season, the Vikings stand at 7-3, while Bradley enters the contest with a 5-4 record.
A WIN TUESDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings back-to-back wins…Mark the sixth win out of the last seven games for Cleveland State…Put the Vikings at 8-3 to finish non-league play during the 2017-18 season…Keep the Vikings undefeated against Bradley in program history…Bring head coach Kate Peterson Abiad within five wins of her 200th career victory.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/BRADLEY SERIES
This will mark just the second meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State picking up an 82-61 victory in the first matchup at an early season tournament during the 2007-08 season.
SCOUTING THE BRAVES
Bradley enters Tuesday's game with a 5-4 overall record, most recently dropping a 72-40 contest at No. 21 Green Bay…So far this season the Braves own a perfect 3-0 record when playing at home, picking up wins against Omaha, Lincoln (Mo.) and UIC…The Vikings will be the third Horizon League opponent for Bradley this season, with the Braves splitting their games against Green Bay and UIC (W, 58-48)…After the first nine games, the Bradley offense has been led by Shunseere Kent who is averaging 8.4 points per game, while Chelsea Brackmann has led the rebounding efforts averaging 7.7 boards per game…As a team, Bradley has 45 total blocked shots this season, including Brackmann and Vanessa Markert who have each tallied 11 blocks so far this year.
Bradley enters Tuesday's game with a 5-4 overall record, most recently dropping a 72-40 contest at No. 21 Green Bay…So far this season the Braves own a perfect 3-0 record when playing at home, picking up wins against Omaha, Lincoln (Mo.) and UIC…The Vikings will be the third Horizon League opponent for Bradley this season, with the Braves splitting their games against Green Bay and UIC (W, 58-48)…After the first nine games, the Bradley offense has been led by Shunseere Kent who is averaging 8.4 points per game, while Chelsea Brackmann has led the rebounding efforts averaging 7.7 boards per game…As a team, Bradley has 45 total blocked shots this season, including Brackmann and Vanessa Markert who have each tallied 11 blocks so far this year.
LAST TIME OUT...
Cleveland State got back in the win column with a 56-47 victory at Illinois State Sunday, picking up the fifth win out of their last six games. The Vikings were paced by Olivia Voskuhl who notched her second double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Khayla Livingston added 11 points and six assists. As a team, the Vikings outrebounded ISU 34-27 and posted a perfect 15-for-15 performance from the free throw line.
CLEVELAND STATE & KIDS DAY GAMES
Tuesday's game will be the second of three Kids Day Games for the Vikings this season, with Cleveland State owning a 1-0 record so far when playing with the early tipoff. Earlier this season, the Vikings picked up a 71-64 victory against Ohio in their own Kids Day Game, while they will also participate in Milwaukee's School Day Game in mid-January.
VIKINGS IN NON-LEAGUE PLAY
Entering the final stretch of the non-league slate, Cleveland State is off to one of its best starts in recent history, owning a 7-3 record. This marks just the fourth time under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad that the Vikings have notched seven+ wins in non-league play, and with one more win Cleveland State would tie the record for most non-league wins under Peterson Abiad (8 non-league wins during the 2014-15 & 2012-13 seasons).
VOSKUHL NOTCHES DOUBLE-DOUBLE AGAINST ILLINOIS STATE
Redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl recorded her second double-double of the season against Illinois State last time out, posting 14 points and 11 rebounds, both of which were team-highs for the game. Voskuhl, who leads the Vikings and ranks fourth in the Horizon League averaging 7.9 rebounds per game, now has 524 career boards and is just shy of earning a spot in the top-10 in the CSU Career Record Book.
…AND INCREASES SCORING PRESENCE
As one of the most consistent offensive threats for the Vikings this season, redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl has steadily increased her scoring presence and is now averaging 13.3 points per game this season. Voskuhl, who ranks 11th in the Horizon League in scoring, has tallied double-digit points in all but one game this season, and is shooting at a .486 clip from the field (53-for-109).
BOSLEY WITH THE BLOCK
Through the first 10 games, Shadae Bosley has 24 total blocked shots, and enters Tuesday's contest at the top of the Horizon League standings averaging 2.4 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 111 total blocks. Earlier this season, Bosley became just the fifth Viking all-time to eclipse 100 blocks on their career.
VIKINGS FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Last time out the Vikings posted a perfect 15-for-15 performance from the free throw line, with four players combining for the 15 converted free throws. This marked the first time since the 2010-11 season that the Vikings have been perfect from the free throw line, while they are also the second Horizon League team to achieve the feat this season. As a team, the Vikings rank second in the Horizon League with a .736 free throw percentage, while redshirt senior Khayla Livingston leads the league with a .919 clip on the season (34-for-37).
ABSHAW IN THE STARTING LINEUP
Redshirt junior Ashanti Abshaw continued her streak of consecutive games started last time out, picking up her 69th 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 69 career starts leads all current Vikings.
…AND IN THE CSU CAREER RECORD BOOK
Entering the final non-league game of the season, redshirt junior Ashanti Abshaw ranks 13th in the CSU Career Record Book with 1,248 total points. Abshaw, who leads the Vikings and ranks second in the Horizon League averaging 19.7 points per game this season, has 197 total points on the year. Abshaw enters Tuesday's game at Bradley just two 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.
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).
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 194-244 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 open its 18-game Horizon League slate on Thursday, December 28, hosting Oakland to begin a four-game homestand which also includes contests against Detroit Mercy, IUPUI and UIC.