GAME #2
Cleveland State vs. St. Bonaventure
Saturday, November 13 | 3:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
GAME #3
Cleveland State vs. Quincy
Sunday, November 14 | 2:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE ROSTER | ST. BONAVENTURE ROSTER | QUINCY ROSTER
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue the 2021-22 season this weekend, hosting a pair of games at the Wolstein Center. The Vikings will face St. Bonaventure at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, before taking on Quincy at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 14. Entering this weekend, the Vikings stand at 1-0 on the young season after picking up an 81-54 victory over ETSU in the season opener.
A PAIR OF WINS THIS WEEKEND WOULD…
Put Cleveland State at 3-0 to start the season for the fourth time in program history…Keep the Vikings undefeated at home this season…Mark the ninth and 10th straight wins for the Vikings inside the Wolstein Center dating back to January 23 of last season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/ST. BONAVENTURE SERIES
Saturday's game will mark the fifth meeting between the two teams, with St. Bonaventure owning a 3-1 edge in the all-time series. The two teams last met during the 2019-20 season, when the Vikings earned a 65-62 victory as part of their record-setting 11-game win streak.
SCOUTING THE BONNIES
St. Bonaventure enters Saturday's game with a 2-0 record on the young season, picking up wins against RMU (61-53) and Siena (50-42)…Through two games, Asianae Johnson leads the Bonnies averaging 14.5 ppg, while I'yanna Lops is averaging a team-best 8.0 rpg…Earlier this season, St. Bonaventure was selected to finish 13th in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll, while Asianae Johnson was named to the Preseason Third Team.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/QUINCY SERIES
Sunday's game will mark the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Quincy enters the 2021-22 season under the direction of first-year head coach Kaci Bailey, and returns 10 players from last year's team…Last month, the Hawks were selected to finish fifth in the Central Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference…Quincy will begin its season with a pair of games against Ursuline (November 12) and Parkside (November 13), before facing Cleveland State.
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings notched an 81-54 victory against ETSU in the 2021-22 season opener. All nine of Cleveland State's players that saw action against ETSU notched at least three points, while eight of the nine Vikings grabbed at least two rebounds. As a team, the Vikings shot 39-percent from the floor, including a .545 clip during the fourth quarter. Cleveland State's defense posted eight steals and forced ETSU into 17 turnovers.
CLEVELAND STATE FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
In the season opener against ETSU, the Vikings went 30-for-41 from the free throw line, with six different players converting free throws. Cleveland State was led by Destiny Leo who went 7-for-7 from the line, while Amele Ngwafang went 6-for-10 and Brittni Moore and Isabelle Gradwell both went 5-for-6. The 30 made free throws marks a season-high among Horizon League teams through the first few days of the 2021-22 season.
LEO NOTCHES CAREER-HIGH AGAINST ETSU
Last time out, Destiny Leo picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Vikings with a career-high 24 points against ETSU. Leo, who notched the fourth 20-point game of her career, went 6-for-12 from the floor, including a career-high tying five three-pointers. Leo's 24 points against the Bucs is the third highest single-game total among #HLWBB players this season.
VIKING DEBUTS
Cleveland State had four players make their debuts against ETSU last time out, as Brittni Moore, Amele Ngwafang, Gabriella Smith, and Deja Williams donned the Green & White for the first time. All four players made their way into the scoring column in their first game as Vikings, including Moore who finished with 13 points.
HOME SWEET HOME
During the 2021-22 season the Vikings will play 17 of their 29 regular season games in the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center - including six of their seven non-league contests. Cleveland State will start the season with six straight home games, marking the first time in program history that the Vikings will spend the entire month of November at home.
…VIKINGS EXTEND WOLSTEIN CENTER WIN STREAK
With their 81-54 victory over ETSU in the season-opener on Tuesday, the Vikings extended their current win streak inside the Wolstein Center to eight straight games. This run dates back to January 23 of last season, and includes wins over six different teams. Over the last three seasons Cleveland State has combined for an 18-6 record when playing at home, including a perfect 5-0 mark against non-league opponents.
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State returns 10 letterwinners from last season's WBI Championship squad, including the senior quartet of Nadia Dumas, Isabella Geraci, Isabelle Gradwell, and Barbara Zieniewska. This returning core will be joined by four transfers and one true freshman for the upcoming season, giving head coach Chris Kielsmeier a well-rounded roster for the 2021-22 campaign.
…HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of fourth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2021-22 campaign, who owns a 46-40 record at Cleveland State and a 462-156 overall record in 21 seasons as a head coach. Kielsmeier, who joined the Vikings as the seventh head coach in program history prior to the 2018-19 season, notched his 450th career win last year in a 60-48 victory over Green Bay, becoming just the second active #HLWBB coach to reach the milestone.
CLEVELAND STATE TABBED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Last month the Vikings were tabbed to finish sixth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll - picking up 78 points. Last season, the Vikings finished sixth in the league standings with an 8-8 #HLWBB record, and advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament for the second straight year. IUPUI was picked as the preseason favorite, while Milwaukee, Green Bay, Northern Kentucky, and Oakland rounded out the top five.
LEO NAMED #HLWBB PRESEASON SECOND TEAM
After being named the Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year as a freshman last season, Destiny Leo earned a spot on the #HLWBB Preseason Second Team last month, becoming the fourth Viking to earn a spot on a preseason team during head coach Chris Kielsmeier's tenure. As a freshman, Leo averaged 11.4 points per game to rank 13th among league players, while she was tops in the #HLWBB standings with 51 total three-pointers on the season.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will open Horizon League play next week, hosting IUPUI on Thursday, November 18 and UIC on Saturday, November 20.
