GAME #1
Cleveland State at IUPUI
Saturday, December 19 | 1:00 pm | Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Stats | Live Video
GAME #2
Cleveland State at IUPUI
Sunday, December 20 | 1:00 pm | Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Stats | Live Video
PDF CLEVELAND STATE GAME NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will officially kick off the 2020-21 season this weekend, traveling to IUPUI for a two-game series on Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, December 20. When the Vikings hit the floor this weekend, they will be opening their 48th season of basketball, and their third under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
ENTERING THE WEEKEND…
The Vikings will be trying to improve to 2-1 under head coach Chris Kielsmeier in season openers…Cleveland State will be looking to win its fifth straight #HLWBB opener…Head coach Chris Kielsmeier owns 447 career wins, needing just three more victories to reach the 450-win milestone.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/IUPUI SERIES
This weekend's games against IUPUI will be the 15th and 16th meetings between the two teams in program history, with the Jaguars owning a slight 8-6 advantage in the overall series. Cleveland State's last victory over IUPUI came during the 2013-14 season, when the Vikings picked up 63-56 win to cap off five straight wins in the Cleveland State/IUPUI series.
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
IUPUI enters the weekend series with a 4-1 overall record and a perfect 2-0 mark in Horizon League play…The Jaguars opened #HLWBB play against Purdue Fort Wayne last weekend, picking up 75-36 and 80-59 wins…IUPUI's lone loss on the year came at Notre Dame, as the Jaguars enter the weekend receiving votes in the USA Today Top-25 Coaches Poll…IUPUI was selected as the favorite in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, while Macee Williams was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year…Entering the weekend, IUPUI leads the league in scoring (74.2), scoring margin (20.2) and field goal percentage (.486).
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 season with 447 career victories, needing just three more wins to reach the 450-win milestone. Kielsmeier, who has recorded 31 of his wins with the Vikings - including a 21-win campaign last year - would become the second active #HLWBB coach with 450 career victories.
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 scheduled to host four #HLWBB series against Wright State, Green Bay, Oakland, and Purdue Fort Wayne, while the Vikings will travel to IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Milwaukee, Detroit Mercy, and Youngstown State.
VIKINGS SET FOR THEIR RETURN TO THE COURT
Saturday's game at IUPUI will mark the first contest for the Vikings in 285 days, as they last appeared in the 2019-20 #HLWBB Semifinals on March 9, 2020 - a game in which they also faced the Jaguars. This will mark the sixth time that Cleveland State is opening a season during the month of December, and the first since the 1992-93 campaign.
WHITE NAMED #HLWBB PRESEASON FIRST TEAM
Following an excellent junior season, Mariah White was named to the #HLWBB Preseason First Team earlier this year, becoming the third Viking to earn a spot on a preseason team under head coach Chris Kielsmeier. Last year, White was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 3.0 steals per game and ranking 10th nationally with 96 total steals. White was also one of Cleveland State's top offensive players, averaging 15.7 points per game along with 3.2 assists per game to earn a spot on the #HLWBB Second Team.
…WHITE CLOSING IN ON CAREER STEALS TOP-10 LIST
Entering the 2020-21 campaign, Mariah White is just shy of a spot in the CSU Career Record Book with 171 career steals. White, who ranked fifth in the CSU Single-Season Record Book with 96 steals last year, needs 33 more takeaways to move into a tie for 10th place on the list. White would be the first Viking to earn a spot on the top-10 steals list since Cori Coleman during the 2014-15 season.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will have a week off from competition, returning to the floor on Friday, January 1 and Saturday, January 2 with a weekend series at Northern Kentucky.
