Posted: Dec 05, 2019
GAME #8
Cleveland State @ Western Carolina
Friday, December 6 | 7:00 p.m. | Cullowhee, N.C.
Live Stats | Live Video
PDF CLEVELAND STATE GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its current four-game roadswing this weekend, traveling to Western Carolina for a 7:00 p.m. contest on Friday, December 6. The Vikings enter the weekend with a 6-1 record on the year - and on a six-game winstreak - while Western Carolina stands at 2-8 so far this season.
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings on a seven-game winstreak…Make the Vikings 2-0 all-time against Western Carolina…Keep Cleveland State perfect during the month of December…Improve the Vikings to 7-1 on the year.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/WESTERN CAROLINA SERIES
Friday's contest will mark just the second meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State picking up a 71-58 victory in the first-ever meeting during the 1996-97 campaign.
SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS
Western Carolina enters Friday's game with a 2-8 record on the season, snapping an eight-game losing skid with a 69-64 win against Charleston Southern last time out...Friday's game will be the second of a four-game homestand for WCU...The Catamounts are under the direction of first year head coach Kiley Hill, who is now just four wins shy of reaching 300 career victories...Jewel Smalls, who was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year last season, is leading the team averaging 15.8 points per game, while she is also leading the team averaging 12.5 points per game and leads the NCAA with 125 total boards.
Cleveland State picked up its sixth straight win, earning a 57-49 victory at Delaware State to begin the month of December. The Viking offense was once again led by Mariah Miller who finished with 24 points, while Miller (11 rebounds) and Isabelle Gradwell (13) led the Vikings on the glass. As a team, the Vikings recorded seven steals, led by Dana DeGraffenreid who finished with two.
...VIKINGS EXTEND WINSTREAK
Last Monday's 57-49 victory against the Hornets marked Cleveland State's sixth straight win, marking the longest winstreak for the Vikings since the 2010-11 campaign. The Vikings, who own the longest active winstreak among Horizon League teams, haven't lost a game since the season-opener at Bowling Green last month. Cleveland State's current six-game winstreak is tied for sixth in the CSU Record Book, with the 1982-83 team owning a program record nine-game winstreak.
ROAD WARRIORS
During the 2019-20 season the Vikings will play eight of their first 11 games away from the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center - the only Horizon League team to play eight or more true road games during the non-league portion of their schedule. During this stretch the Vikings will travel to six different states and will cover over 5,200 miles throughout 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 LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
So far this season, senior Mariah Miller has been Cleveland State's top offensive threat, entering Friday's game at Western Carolina averaging 23.0 points per game. Miller, who has posted 20+ points five times already this season, ranks fifth nationally in scoring, and is the only #HLWBB player with five or more 20-point games through the first five weeks. Miller is also one of the most efficient shooters for the Vikings, owning a .527 clip after the first seven games of the season.
…AND LEADING ON THE BOARDS
Mariah Miller is also leading Cleveland State on the glass this season, entering the weekend averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. Miller has recorded double-doubles in the last two contests, finishing with 28 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Akron, and 24 points and 11 boards in the victory at Delaware State. Miller, who is averaging 33.6 minutes per game, has a team-best 13 offensive boards along with 42 defensive rebounds.
GRADWELL RECORDS CAREER-HIGH AT DELAWARE STATE
Last time out, sophomore Isabelle Gradwell recorded a career-high 13 rebounds, grabbing 11 defensive boards and two offensive rebounds. Gradwell's 13 rebounds tied the season-best mark for the Vikings, as she is now averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. Gradwell's 13 rebounds helped Cleveland State post 49 boards as a team, tying the Vikings' best mark of the year (also grabbed 49 rebounds in the win over Davis & Elkins).
VIKINGS WITH THE TAKEAWAY
After five weeks of the 2019-20 campaign, Cleveland State is averaging 11.3 steals per game, a mark that ranks the Vikings 30th nationally. Earlier this season, the Vikings grabbed 21 steals against Davis & Elkins, and followed that up with 18 steals at LIU, with both marks ranking at the top of the #HLWBB standings. Among Horizon League teams, Cleveland State is the only team to have 70+ steals already this season, entering Friday's game at Western Carolina with 79 total takeaways.
…WHITE RECORDS 100th CAREER STEAL
Last time out, junior Mariah White recorded the 100th steal of her career, entering the weekend with 100 total takeaways. This season, White is averaging 3.57 steals per game - ranking 14th nationally - while she has 25 total steals on the year. White is the only active Viking to reach 100 steals on their career, including a career-high 65 takeaways as a sophomore last year.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings are under the direction of second-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2019-20 campaign, who owns a 16-21 record at Cleveland State and a 432-137 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 month, 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 earlier this 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 action on Sunday, December 8, traveling to East Tennessee State for a 2:00 p.m. contest.
