Posted: Dec 14, 2019
GAME #10
Cleveland State @ Omaha
Sunday, December 15 | 4:00 p.m. EST | Omaha, Neb.
Live Stats | Live Video
PDF CLEVELAND STATE GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out its current four-game roadswing this weekend, traveling to Omaha for a 4:00 p.m. EST contest on Sunday, December 15. The Vikings enter the game with an 8-1 record on the year - and on an eight-game winstreak - while Omaha stands at 4-7 on the season.
A WIN ON SUNDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a nine-game winstreak…Mark Cleveland State's first win over Omaha…Keep Cleveland State perfect during the month of December…Improve the Vikings to 9-1 on the year.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/OMAHA SERIES
Sunday's contest will be the first meeting between the two teams.
SCOUTING THE MAVS
Omaha enters Sunday's game with a 4-7 record on the year, and is currently on a two-game losing skid after dropping contests against Eastern Illinois (65-52) and Northern Iowa (81-45)…The Vikings will be the second Horizon League opponent for the Mavs this season, as they fell to Northern Kentucky, 57-40 last month…Earlier this year, Omaha was selected to finish eighth in the Summit League Preseason Poll…Four of Omaha's five starters have been the same for all 11 games so far this season, including Claire Killian who is averaging a team-best 9.8 points per game…Mariah Murdie has appeared in the starting lineup six times this season, and is averaging a team-high 5.4 rebounds per contest.
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State picked up its eighth straight win, posting a 62-54 victory at ETSU. Mariah Miller finished the game with 22 points, while Mariah White added 16 points for the Vikings. Savanna Crockett grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, while White posted four steals. As a team, the Vikings only committed eight turnovers, while forcing ETSU into 14 miscues - which turned into 15 points for the Vikings.
...VIKINGS EXTEND WINSTREAK
Sunday's 62-54 win against the Bucs marked Cleveland State's eighth straight win, marking the longest winstreak for the Vikings since the 2010-11 campaign. The Vikings, who are tied for seventh among Division I teams with their eight-game winstreak, haven't lost a game since the season-opener at Bowling Green last month. Cleveland State's current eight-game winstreak is tied for second in the CSU Record Book, with the 1982-83 team owning a program record nine-game winstreak.
...AND OFF TO BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Cleveland State's 8-1 start to the 2019-20 campaign marks the best start in program history, bettering the previous mark of 7-1 that was set during the 1974-75 campaign. Cleveland State's eight wins also mark just the fifth time that the Vikings have recorded eight or more wins during non-league play since joining the Horizon League in the 1994-95 season.
ROAD WARRIORS
Sunday's game at Omaha will mark the final game of an eight-game road schedule for the Vikings during non-league play this season, as Cleveland State will play eight of its first 11 games away from the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center. The Vikings, who are the only Horizon League team to play eight or more true road games during the non-league schedule, will travel to six different states and cover over 5,200 miles during the first two months of the season. Cleveland State's eight road games during the non-league slate marks the highest total for the Vikings since the 2000-01 campaign.
MILLER REACHES 20-POINT MARK…AGAIN
Last time out, senior Mariah Miller recorded her sixth 20-point game of the season, finishing with 22 points at East Tennessee State. For the season, Miller is averaging 22.3 points per game, and enters Sunday's contest at Omaha having scored 20+ points in four of the last five games. Miller is the only #HLWBB player with six 20-point games this year, while she ranks seventh nationally with her 22.3 points per game.
CROCKETT RETURNS TO THE LINEUP
After missing three games due to injury, sophomore Savanna Crockett returned to the lineup last week, averaging 5.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots in limited playing time against Western Carolina and East Tennessee State. Crockett recorded her third double-digit rebounding game of the year with 11 boards at ETSU, while her five total blocks on the week gave her 57 for her career - just seven blocks shy of earning a spot in the CSU Career Record Book.
WHITE WITH THE TAKEAWAY
Entering Sunday's contest at Omaha, junior Mariah White continues to be one of the top defensive players in the country, ranking third nationally with 35 total steals this season. White, who is averaging 3.8 takeaways per game, recorded a career-high nine steals against Davis & Elkins earlier this season. As a team, White and the Vikings are averaging 11.2 steals per game, and have forced their opponents into 163 turnovers through the first nine games.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings are under the direction of second-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2019-20 campaign, who owns an 18-21 record at Cleveland State and a 434-137 overall record in 20 seasons as a head coach. Kielsmeier, who joined the Vikings as the seventh head coach in program history prior to last season, also had stops at Wayne Sate (NE) and Howard Payne, becoming the all-time winningest coach at both schools. During his time at Howard Payne, Kielsmeier led the program to a Division III National Title.
VIKINGS ECLIPSE CENTURY MARK
Cleveland State recorded the 12th 100-point game in program history earlier this season, finishing with 110 points against Davis & Elkins in the 2019-20 home opener. The 110 points marked the fourth highest single-game total, while it was also the second straight season that the Vikings have scored 100 or more points in their home opener (113 vs. Salem last year). Cleveland State is now 10-2 all-time when scoring 100+ points.
…AND SET PROGRAM RECORD
The Vikings posted a program record 31 assists against Davis & Elkins in the home opener last month, breaking the 30-assist plateau for the sixth time in program history. Cleveland State's 31 assists came on 39 made field goals, and included eight from freshman Julia Hintz and seven from sophomore Savanna Crockett. Hintz and Crockett were two of eight Vikings to record at least one assist on the game.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will return to the Wolstein Center on Friday, December 20, hosting Lake Erie at 7:00 p.m. in the final non-league game of the season.
