Posted: Jan 21, 2021
GAME #9
Cleveland State vs. Green Bay
Friday, January 22 | 1:00 pm | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
GAME #10
Cleveland State vs. Green Bay
Saturday, January 23 | 11:00 am | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return home to continue the 2020-21 campaign this weekend, hosting Green Bay on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23. Entering the weekend, the Vikings stand at 2-6 on the year, while Green Bay is 7-4 overall and 6-2 in Horizon League play.
ENTERING THE WEEKEND…
The Vikings will be trying to even their #HLWBB record at home to 4-4 on the season…Cleveland State will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak…Head coach Chris Kielsmeier owns 449 career wins, needing just one more victory to reach the 450-win milestone.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/GREEN BAY SERIES
This weekend's games will be the 74th and 75th meetings between the two teams in program history, with Green Bay owning a 67-6 advantage in the all-time series. Cleveland State's last victory against the Phoenix came during the 2017-18 season, when the Vikings were able to pick up a 71-60 upset victory over nationally ranked Green Bay.
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay enters the weekend with a 7-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in #HLWBB play…After opening league play with a pair of losses against Milwaukee, the Phoenix have won six straight and currently sit fifth in the league standings…Green Bay will be closing out a four-game roadswing this weekend, after traveling to Purdue Fort wayne for a pair of games last weekend…As a team, the Phoenix rank second with a .432 field goal percentage on the season…Individually, Caitlyn Hibner ranks third with a .491 clip from the floor, while she ranks seventh averaging 13.6 points per game…Meghan Pingel ranks second among league players averaging 4.1 assists per game and leads #HLWBB players with a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio.
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State returns eight letterwinners from last season's squad, including the duo of Mariah White and Nadia Dumas who appeared in the starting lineup in all but one game for the Vikings last year. This duo is joined by Isabelle Gradwell and Taylah Levy who played significant time for the Vikings last year, along with Isabella Geraci, Aminata Ly and Julia Hintz. This experienced group will be joined by five true freshmen and two junior transfers to give head coach Chris Kielsmeier a well-rounded roster for the season.
…HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of third-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2020-21 campaign. Kielsmeier enters the weekend with 449 career victories, needing just one more win to reach the 450-win milestone. Kielsmeier, who has recorded 33 of his wins with the Vikings - including a 21-win campaign last year - would become the second active #HLWBB coach with 450 career victories.
WHITE NOTCHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Midway through the second quarter of last Friday's game at Milwaukee, senior Mariah White recorded the 1,000th point of her career, finishing the weekend against the Panthers with 1,032 total points. White, who posted 29 points against Milwaukee on Friday en route to reaching the 1,000-point plateau, is the 31st Viking to eclipse the milestone and the second to do so under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
…WHITE IN THE #HLWBB STANDINGS
Entering the weekend, Mariah White leads the Horizon League in scoring and steals, averaging 20.4 points and 2.4 steals per game. White is the only #HLWBB player to average 20+ points this year, while she ranks 26th nationally in the category. Through her first seven games of the 2020-21 season, White has posted double-digit points in all but one game and two or more steals in six of the seven contests.
DUMAS ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Offensively, Nadia Dumas has been Cleveland State's second leading scorer so far this season, averaging 10.8 points per game. Dumas, who averaged just 3.8 points per game last year, opened her 2020-21 campaign with back-to-back 15-point games at Purdue Fort Wayne, marking a career-high. So far this season, Dumas has notched double-digit points during three games, and is shooting 59-percent from the floor (25-for-42) on the year.
VIKINGS WITH THE TAKEAWAY
After the first eight games of the season the Vikings continue to lead the Horizon League in takeaways, averaging 10.88 steals per game as a team. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State is the only #HLWBB team to be averaging double-digit takeaways on the year. Through the first eight games, the Vikings have recorded double-digit steals in five games, including 13 against Milwaukee on Friday and 12 against the Panthers in the weekend finale last time out.
ZIENIEWSKA HAS BREAKOUT GAME AT MILWAUKEE
Last time out, junior transfer Barbara Zieniewska had a breakout game against Milwaukee, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Zieniewska's 11 points included a trio of three-pointers, while it marked her first double-digit scoring game of the season. Zieniewska also recorded a season-high with her four steals, leading all Vikings in both categories in Saturday's game against the Panthers.
STARTING LINEUP
Through the first eight games of the 2020-21 campaign the Vikings have used five different starting lineups with nine different players appearing in the starting five at least once. So far this season, Levy is the only Viking to appear in all eight starting lineups, while Mariah White (7) and Nadia Dumas (6) have started every game they have played in so far this season.
2020-21 #HLWBB PLAY
This year's Horizon League schedule will have a different look to it, as the Vikings will face the same opponent in back-to-back games each weekend. Cleveland State is still scheduled to host three #HLWBB series against Green Bay, Oakland, and Purdue Fort Wayne, while the Vikings will travel to Detroit Mercy and Youngstown State throughout the rest of the 2020-21 campaign.
VIKINGS ON THE DEAN'S LIST
With the 2020 Fall Semester in the books, the Vikings posted one of their best semesters in program history, finishing with a 3.50 Team GPA for the term. In addition, 10 Vikings earned a spot on the Cleveland State University Dean's List (Dana DeGraffenreid, Nadia Dumas, Isabella Geraci, Isabelle Gradwell, Meghan Kenefick, Destiny Leo, Elie Smith, Julia Hintz, Mariah White, Barbara Zieniewska), while Taylah Levy was named to the Cleveland State University President's List.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will close out its four-game homestand next weekend, hosting Oakland on Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30.