GAME #19
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State
Saturday, January 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center this weekend, hosting Youngstown State on Saturday, January 20 in its lone contest of the weekend. Entering Saturday's game, the Vikings stand at 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Horizon League action, while Youngstown State is currently 6-12 overall and 2-5 against league opponents.
A WIN SATURDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings back-to-back wins for the fourth time this season…Improve Cleveland State to 5-3 in league action…Give the Vikings an 8-2 record at the Wolstein Center this season…Mark head coach Kate Peterson Abiad's 200th career victory.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/YOUNGSTOWN STATE SERIES
This will mark the 69th meeting between the two teams, with Youngstown State owning a 37-31 advantage in the overall series. Although YSU picked up a victory in the last meeting, Cleveland State has won four out of the last five matchups. Over the last nine seasons, the Vikings own a 9-1 record when playing in the Wolstein Center.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Saturday's contest with a 6-12 overall record and a 2-5 mark against Horizon League opponents…The Penguins are currently on a four-game losing skid, last picking up a victory against UIC to start the New Year…Saturday's game will be the final game of a four-game roadswing for Youngstown State, as the Penguins stand at just 1-8 in road games this season…Earlier this year, the Penguins were selected to finish eighth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll…YSU leads the Horizon League averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game, and ranks second with a .331 three-point field goal percentage.
LAST TIME OUT...
The Vikings got back on the winning track at Northern Kentucky, picking up a 70-65 win in the final game of a three-game roadswing. Khayla Livingston (25 points) and Ashanti Abshaw (23) combined for 48 points, while Olivia Voskuhl added 10 points to lead the Viking offense. As a team, the Vikings recorded 17 assists and shot 47-percent from the floor. On the defensive end, the Vikings posted 10 steals and forced NKU into 19 turnovers.
VIKINGS RETURN TO WOLSTEIN CENTER
Following their first roadswing of #HLWBB play, the Vikings will return to the Wolstein Center to begin a three-game homestand this weekend. So far this season, Cleveland State stands at 7-2 when playing in the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center, including a 3-1 mark against league opponents.
DOUBLE THE FUN
Saturday will mark the third and final home doubleheader for the Cleveland State men's and women's basketball teams this season, as the men will take on UIC following the women's game against Youngstown State. So far this year, the Vikings stand at 1-1 in home doubleheaders, picking up a 70-67 victory against UIC and falling to IUPUI, 77-64 on doubleheader dates earlier this month.
ABSHAW SURPASSES 1,400-POINT MARK
Following her 11th 20-point game of the season at Northern Kentucky last time out, Ashanti Abshaw eclipsed the 1,400-point mark for her career, entering Saturday's contest with 1,402 career points. Abshaw, who ranks second among league players averaging 19.5 points per game this season, is just the second Viking all-time to reach 1,400 points during their junior season (Kailey Klein 2006-10). Abshaw enters Saturday's game ranked ninth on the CSU Scoring Chart with her 1,402 points, and needs 56 more points to move into eighth place.
LIVINGSTON NOTCHES 350TH CAREER ASSIST
After averaging 4.0 assists per game on last week's three-game roadswing, Khayla Livingston eclipsed the 350-assist mark for her career, entering Saturday's game ranked fifth in the CSU Career Record Book with 353 career helpers. Livingston, who is just the second Viking all-time with 1,200+ points and 350+ assists on their career, ranks fourth among league players averaging 4.4 assists per game this year.
…LIVINGSTON FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
Khayla Livingston is also climbing up the CSU Career Record Book in multiple three-point categories, entering the weekend ranked second in three-point field goals made (193) and three-point field goal percentage (.377). With at least 12 games left this season, Livingston is just 25 three-pointers shy of setting a new program record (currently held by Cori Coleman with 217), and has been averaging 2.8 three-pointers per game this year - a mark that currently leads all Horizon League players.
HEAD COACH KATE PETERSON ABIAD
Entering Saturday's contest against Youngstown State, Cleveland State head coach Kate Peterson Abiad is closing in on her 200th career victory, needing just one more win to reach the milestone. Peterson Abiad, who is in her 15th season at the helm of the Vikings, would become the fourth active Horizon League coach to record 200 career wins, and just the second to eclipse the milestone at their current school (Kevin Borseth, Green Bay).
VOSKUHL CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER POINTS
After averaging a career-best 12.6 points per game so far this season, redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl is closing in on joining the 1,000-point club, entering Saturday's contest with 915 career points. Voskuhl, who has tallied double-digit points in all but three games this season, would become the 29th Viking all-time and the third current Viking to join the exclusive club (Ashanti Abshaw & Khayla Livingston). In league games only, Voskuhl is averaging 12.7 ppg, and set a career-high with 21 points against Detroit Mercy earlier this year.
BOSLEY WITH THE BLOCK
Entering Saturday's game against the Penguins, senior Shadae Bosley ranks second in the league in blocked shots, currently averaging 2.0 blocked shots per game. Bosley has recorded 36 total blocks so far this season, and is just five blocked shots shy of cracking the top-10 single-season list with at least 12 games left to play during 2017-18. Bosley also ranks fourth in the CSU Career Record Book with 123 career blocked shots.
VIKING STARTING FIVE
So far this season, Cleveland State has used the same starting lineup throughout the entire non-league slate and first seven #HLWBB contests, with Ashanti Abshaw, Khayla Livingston, Olivia Voskuhl, Jade Ely, and Shadae Bosley all earning a spot in the starting five. Abshaw leads this group with 77 career starts, while Livingston (74) and Voskuhl (71) are right behind her.
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 3.93 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.
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 close out the first half of Horizon League play at home next weekend, hosting Wright State (Thursday, January 25) and Northern Kentucky (Saturday, January 27).
