GAME #7
Cleveland State vs. RMU
Wednesday, November 29 | 7:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its 2023-24 slate with a pair of Horizon League contests this week, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. matchup against Robert Morris on Wednesday, November 29. Entering #HLWBB play, the Vikings stand at 5-1 on the season, while Robert Morris owns a 2-4 record after the first three weeks of play.
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Extend Cleveland State's current win streak to six straight games…Put the Vikings at 1-0 to start #HLWBB play for the fifth time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier…Mark the 11th straight win for the Vikings at home dating back to the 2022-23 season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/RMU SERIES
Wednesday's game will be the 11th meeting between the two teams in program history, with the overall series tied 5-5. As Horizon League opponents, Cleveland State owns a 3-2 edge in the series, including a season sweep over the Colonials last year.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
RMU enters Wednesday's game with a 2-4 record on the young season, picking up wins against Saint Francis (PA) and Penn State-Beaver…Wednesday's game will be the fifth road contest out of the first seven games for RMU…Earlier this year, the Colonials were selected to finish 11th in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll…Last year, RMU posted a 5-15 regular season league record, falling in the first round of the #HLWBB Tournament…RMU has held its opponents to a league-best .364 field goal percentage so far this season, while the Colonials also lead the league averaging 5.50 blocked shots per game.
CLEVELAND STATE SET TO BEGIN #HLWBB PLAY
Wednesday's game against Robert Morris will mark the #HLWBB opener for both teams, with Cleveland State owning a 9-2 record in league openers over the last 11 seasons. Under head coach Chris Kielsmeier, the Vikings own a 53-37 record in #HLWBB regular season play, including a program-best 17-3 mark last season, which also marked back-to-back double-digit league win campaigns for the Vikings.
…CSU TABBED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
Last month, Cleveland State was selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, picking up 107 points. This marks the third time in program history that the Vikings were selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with the Vikings also tabbed in the top-two prior to the 2011-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
…LEO REPEATS AS #HLWBB PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cleveland State senior Destiny Leo was honored by the Horizon League last month, earning her second straight nod as the #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year. Leo, who is the reigning Horizon League Player of the Year, is the only Viking in program history to earn the recognition more than once. Leo returns as Cleveland State's leading scorer from a season ago, as she averaged 17.9 points per game to lead all league players, while also leading the league and ranking seventh nationally with a .911 free throw percentage (164-180).
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State went 3-0 at the Holiday Inn Express Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational, picking up wins against Austin Peay, Chicago State and UMKC in the second annual tournament. All three games during the Viking Invitational were played in Woodling Gymnasium - the former home of Cleveland State basketball from 1973-1991.
…HOME-SWEET-HOME
Cleveland State's three wins last week kept the Vikings perfect at home so far this season, improving to 4-0 when playing in Cleveland during 2023-24. Under Chris Kielsmeier the Vikings have combined for a 54-18 record when playing at home, and have won 10 straight home contests dating back to February 2 of last season.
VIKING DUO NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Following a pair of standout performances at the Holiday Inn Express Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational, Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue both earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Maples led the Vikings averaging 14.0 points per game on the week, while shooting 54-percent from the floor. Perdue added 9.7 points per game along with five steals and five assists throughout the three games.
…MAPLES HELPING THE VIKING OFFENSE
In her first six games as a Viking, Colbi Maples has tallied double-digit scoring performances five times, including a pair of 20-point games against Bowling Green (27 points) and Austin Peay (21 points). Through the first six games, Maples is averaging 15.5 points per game, while shooting 52-percent from the floor. Among Horizon League players, Maples ranks sixth with her 15.5 points per game after the three weeks of play.
BURCH & REISMA NOTCH DOUBLE-DOUBLES
During last week's Holiday Inn Express Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational Faith Burch and Jordana Reisma both notched the first double-doubles of their careers; Burch against Chicago State and Reisma against UMKC. Burch finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Cougars - marking career-highs in both categories - while Reisma posted 14 points and a career-best 10 boards against the Roos.
…REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Six games into the 2023-24 campaign, sophomore Jordana Reisma has eclipsed double-digit blocked shots on the year, entering Wednesday's game with 10 blocks. Reisma, who is one of three #HLWBB players with 10+ blocks on the year, has posted at least two blocks in three games this season, including a trio of blocked shots against Austin Peay last week.
CSU ON THE BOARDS
After the first six games of the 2023-24 season, the Vikings are outrebounding their opponents 246-191. Among Horizon League teams, Cleveland State is averaging a league-best 41.0 boards per game, and has outrebounded its opponents in five of the first six games. So far this season, the Vikings have recorded a pair of 50-rebound performances, finishing with 52 boards against Central Michigan and Chicago State.
LEO FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Through the first six games of the year, Destiny Leo has been a perfect 40-for-40 from the free throw line, including an 18-for-18 performance at Loyola earlier this year which set the CSU Single Game Record for made free throws. Among Division I players, Leo is one of six players to be perfect on the year, leading all six with her 40 made free throws. For her career, Leo is at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .912 free throw percentage (367-402), while she ranks sixth with her 367 career free throws.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who owns a career head coaching record of 517-171. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 101-55 overall record, including a trio of 20-win seasons. Last year, Kielsmeier guided the Vikings to their third #HLWBB Tournament Championship, while he led the Vikings to their first-ever postseason title in 2021 when Cleveland State captured the WBI championship.
…KIELSMEIER NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Chris Kielsmeier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List last week - one of 20 coaches named to the inaugural watch list. Under Kielsmeier, the Vikings have advanced to the postseason in three straight years, and have tallied 20-win campaigns three times over the last four seasons.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will continue #HLWBB play on the road this weekend, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a 2:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, December 2.
