GAME #22
Cleveland State @ Detroit Mercy
Thursday, February 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Detroit, Mich.
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE @ DETROIT MERCY GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to the road to begin a four-game roadswing on Thursday evening (February 1), traveling to Detroit Mercy for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Entering the game, the Vikings stand at 14-7 overall this year, and own a 6-4 mark against league opponents. Detroit Mercy enters Thursday's contest with a 1-19 overall mark this year and a 1-8 record in league play.
A WIN THURSDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a three-game winstreak…Give Cleveland State a win to start the month of February…Mark the Vikings' fourth win out of their last five games…Give Cleveland State 15 wins for just the second time over the last seven seasons…Mark a season sweep for the Vikings against the Titans.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/DETROIT MERCY SERIES
This will mark the 60th meeting between the two teams, with Detroit Mercy owning a 40-19 advantage in the overall series. The Vikings have won two of the last three meetings though, including a 75-50 victory earlier this year.
…THE FIRST TIME AROUND
In this season's first matchup between Cleveland State and Detroit Mercy, Olivia Voskuhl and Khayla Livingston both recorded 20-point games, with 26 points from Livingston and a career-high 21 points from Voskuhl. The Vikings posted a .483 clip from the floor on the contest, and recorded 15 steals and 12 assists. The CSU defense forced UDM into 21 turnovers, and turned those miscues into 19 points.
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Detroit Mercy enters Thursday's contest with a 1-19 overall record this season and a 1-8 mark against Horizon League opponents…The Titans' lone win in league play came against UIC in a 61-58 decision during the middle of January…Thursday will mark the third home game for the Titans out of their last four contests, and will be the first of a weekend homestand…The trio of Brianne Cohen, Anja Marinkovic and Nicole Urbanick have started all 20 games for UDM…Cohen (14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) leads Detroit Mercy in scoring and rebounding, while Marinkovic is also averaging double-digit points (10.0 ppg).
LAST TIME OUT...
Cleveland State posted a dominate performance in a 72-49 victory over Northern Kentucky, improving to 9-3 when playing in the Wolstein Center this season. The Vikings had four players finish in double-figures, led by Ashanti Abshaw with 17 points. Olivia Voskuhl was just shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Khayla Livingston posted a team-best four assists and four steals along with 16 points. As a team, the Vikings recorded 11 assists, and shot 42-percent from the floor.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Cleveland State will spend the majority of its time on the road during the second half of Horizon League play this season, beginning with this weekend's roadtrip to Detroit Mercy and Oakland. The Vikings, who will play six of their last eight games on the road, own a 4-3 record on the road this season and will begin a four-game roadswing Thursday evening.
ABSHAW CHASING DOWN THE 1,500-POINT MARK
Entering the second half of Horizon League play, Ashanti Abshaw is chasing down the 1,500-point mark, entering Thursday's contest at Detroit Mercy ranked ninth on the CSU Scoring Chart with 1,441 career points. Abshaw, who ranks second among league players averaging 19.5 points per game this season, would become the second current Horizon League player to reach the milestone, and just the second Viking all-time to eclipse the 1,500-point mark as a junior (Kailey Klein 2006-10).
VOSKUHL NOTCHES 600 CAREER REBOUNDS
Olivia Voskuhl became the 16th Viking all-time to eclipse the 600 rebound mark against Northern Kentucky last time out, posting nine boards on the game to finish right on the number. Voskuhl, who is averaging a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game this season, ranks seventh among Horizon League players and has recorded three double-digit rebound performances on the year. Entering Thursday's game at Detroit Mercy, Voskuhl ranks 16th in the CSU Career Record Book, and needs 15 more boards to move into 15th place on the rebounding chart.
…AND CLOSING IN ON 1,000 CAREER POINTS
After averaging a career-best 12.4 points per game so far this season, redshirt senior Olivia Voskuhl is closing in on joining the 1,000-point club, entering Thursday's contest with 950 career points. Voskuhl, who has tallied double-digit points in all but four 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 12.4 ppg, and set a career-high with 21 points against Detroit Mercy in the first matchup this year.
LIVINGSTON CLOSING IN ON CSU THREE-POINT RECORD
As one of the best three-point shooters in the Horizon League this season, redshirt senior Khayla Livingston is closing in on the CSU three-point record, entering Thursday's game at Detroit Mercy with 199 career three-pointers. Livingston, who is 19 three-pointers shy of setting the Cleveland State record, is averaging a league-best 2.7 three-pointers per game and has 56 total conversions from behind-the-arc on the year. Livingston also ranks second in the CSU Career Record Book with a .375 three-point field goal percentage on her career.
BOSLEY WITH THE BLOCK
After combining for six blocked shots against Wright State and Northern Kentucky last week, senior Shadae Bosley became just the third Viking all-time to record 130 career blocks, and enters Thursday's contest ranked third in the CSU Career Record Book with 130 blocked shots. Bosley, who ranks second among league players averaging 2.0 blocks per game, now has 43 total blocked shots on the year, a mark that ranks ninth in the CSU Single Season Record Book.
HEAD COACH KATE PETERSON ABIAD
Last Thursday's 70-71 overtime victory against Wright State marked win number 200 for head coach Kate Peterson Abiad, as she eclipsed the coaching milestone on her birthday. Peterson Abiad, who is in her 15th season at the helm of the Vikings, became 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).
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 travel to Oakland for a 3:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, February 3.
