Women's Basketball Continues First Roadswing At Ball State Sunday

The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue the first week of the 2018-19 season on Sunday, November 11, traveling to Ball State for a 2:00 p.m. contest. The Vikings enter the game with an even 1-1 record on the year, while the Cardinals stand at 0-1 on the young season.

 

Put the Vikings back on the winning track…Mark the first road victory during the Chris Kielsmeier era…Give Cleveland State a win over Ball State for the first time since the 1999-00 season.

 

Sunday's game will be just the fifth meeting between the two teams, with Ball State owning a 3-1 advantage in the overall series. Cleveland State's lone win against the Cardinals came in a 92-77 decision back during the 1999-00 season, while Ball State has won three straight entering Sunday's contest. A win on Sunday would mark the first for the Vikings when playing at Ball State.

 

Cleveland State returns six letterwinners from last season's squad, including the senior duo of Rachel Slaney and Mariana Bautista. This duo is joined by all-league honoree Jade Ely, Mariah Miller, Mariah White, and Anyia Pride to form a veteran core for the upcoming season.

 

This experienced group will be joined by five true freshmen - Shyla Latone, Savanna Crockett, Isabella Geraci, JaMiya Braxton, and Isabelle Gradwell - along with redshirt freshman Nadia Dumas and sophomore transfer Dana DeGraffenreid.

 

The Vikings will be under the direction of first-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2018-19 campaign, as he was named the seventh head coach in program history on April 17, 2018. Kielsmeier joined the Vikings following stints at Wayne State (NE) and Howard Payne, where he became the all-time winningest coach with both programs. Kielsmeier owns a career coaching record of 417-117, which includes a Division III National Title during the 2007-08 season at Howard Payne.

 

Cleveland State opened up the 2018-19 season on Tuesday, November 6, cruising to a 113-81 victory over Salem. The win marked the first of the Chris Kielsmeier era, and marked the seventh time over the last 10 years that the Vikings were victorious in their season opener. Kielsmeier is the third Cleveland State head coach to win their first game on the Viking sideline, and the first since Louise Furjanic during the 1977-78 campaign.

 

Last time out, Mariah White led the Viking offense with a career-high 23 points at Eastern Michigan. The 23 points marked the first 20-point game of White's collegiate career, while it marked the second 20-point game for a Viking this season. White, who tallied 14 of her 23 points during the first half, went 7-for-11 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the free throw line. For the season, White is averaging a team-best 18.0 points per game.

 

Rachel Slaney was Cleveland State's top rebounder against Eastern Michigan last time out, grabbing a career-high tying 10 boards. Slaney, who marked just the second double-digit rebounding game of her career, tallied eight defensive rebounds and two offensive boards. Slaney's 10 boards tied the game-high, and gave her 18 total rebounds for the young season. 

 

Through the first two games of the season, freshman Savanna Crockett has earned a spot in the starting lineup during both contests, and is averaging 28.0 minutes per game. In her collegiate debut against Salem, Crockett recorded 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 performance along with eight rebounds. Last time out, the Milwaukee, Wis. native tallied eight points, six rebounds and two blocked shots at Eastern Michigan.

 

Cleveland State recorded just the 11th 100-point game in program history in the 2018-19 season opener, recording 113 total points against Salem. The 113 points marked the second highest single-game total, while it was also the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Vikings have scored 100 or more points. After Tuesday's win against Salem, Cleveland State is now 9-2 all-time when scoring 100+ points.

 

Junior Mariah Miller posted a career-high night against Salem in the season opener, finishing with 22 points and 17 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double. Miller tallied career-highs in points and rebounds against the Tigers, with the 22 points marking the first 20-point game of her career. Miller went 9-for-12 from the floor in 27 minutes of action.

 

As a team, Cleveland State posted a .597 clip from the floor against Salem earlier this week, marking the second highest single-game field goal percentage in program history. Six Vikings - including all five in the starting lineup - finished with double-digit points, led by Mariah Miller with 22. Cleveland State went 46-for-77 from the field on the game, including a 12-for-19 mark during the first quarter.

 

Last month the Vikings were tabbed to finish eighth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll - picking up 99 points. Last season, the Vikings finished sixth in the league standings. Defending champion Green Bay was selected as the preseason favorite by the league's 10 head coaches, sports information directors and media members, while IUPUI, Wright State, Youngstown State, and Milwaukee rounded out the top-five. Northern Kentucky and Oakland were selected sixth and seventh, respectively, while Detroit Mercy and UIC rounded out the poll.

 

New for the 2018-19 season, the Horizon League Tournament will feature only the top eight teams, with all eight teams beginning play with a quarterfinal matchup on March 5 or March 6. The quarterfinal winners will advance to the Motor City Madness semifinals, which will be held at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. on Monday, March 11. The championship game will also be held in Detroit, Mich., and will take place on Tuesday, March 12. Both the men's and women's semifinals and championship games will be held at Little Caesars Arena, and will run concurrently. All games will be carried on the ESPN network.

 

The Vikings will return home for a two-game homestand next weekend, hosting Lake Erie on Thursday, November 15 and Illinois State on Monday, November 19.