GAME #11
Cleveland State at Robert Morris
Thursday, December 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Moon Township, Pa.
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to Horizon League play this week, hitting the road for just the second time this season when the Vikings travel to Robert Morris on Thursday, December 30. Entering the game, Cleveland State stands at 9-1 overall this season and 4-0 in league play, while Robert Morris is currently 3-6 on the year, including a 1-3 mark against league opponents.
A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD…
Keep the Vikings perfect in #HLWBB play this season…Mark the first win for the Vikings against Robert Morris as Horizon League opponents…Put the Vikings at 3-0 in road games this season (including a forfeit win at Wright State).
THE CLEVELAND STATE/ROBERT MORRIS SERIES
Thursday's game will mark the seventh meeting between the two teams, with the series tied at 3-3. After not facing each other last year, this will mark the first meeting between the two teams as Horizon League opponents. Robert Morris picked up a 65-54 victory in the last meeting during the 2005-06 season, while Cleveland State's last win in the series came as a 74-55 decision during the 2003-04 campaign.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
Robert Morris enters Thursday's game standing at 3-6 overall this season and 1-3 in league play…RMU has lost three straight games entering the week, and had its last two games cancelled…The Colonials picked up a 55-46 victory over Detroit Mercy in their #HLWBB opener earlier this year for their lone league win…RMU was selected to finish ninth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, while Sol Castro was named to the Preseason Second Team…The Colonials are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Charlie Buscaglia who is in his 19th year overall with the program.
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings closed out their non-league schedule, dropping a 66-52 decision against Loyola (Ill.). This snapped a 10-game win streak for the Vikings, which dated back to last season's WBI Championship. Destiny Leo and Nadia Dumas led the Vikings with 16 points each, while Gabriella Smith grabbed a team-high eight rebounds on the game.
VIKINGS RETURN TO #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State will return to Horizon League play on Thursday, looking to stay perfect in #HLWBB play and improve to 5-0. Entering the third week of league play, Cleveland State is one of two teams to be undefeated in #HLWBB games (Youngstown State), while a win against the Colonials on Thursday would put the Vikings at 5-0 in league play for the first time since joining the Horizon League.
…CLEVELAND STATE TABBED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Earlier this season, 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.
VIKINGS POST 7-0 START TO THE 2021-22 CAMPAIGN
For just the second time in program history the Vikings went 7-0 to start the season (excluding the forfeit wins over IUPUI & Wright State), picking up wins against ETSU, St. Bonaventure, Quincy, UIC, LIU, Northern Kentucky, and Ohio Christian. Cleveland State's 7-0 start tied the program record for the best start to a season, which was first set during the 1974-75 campaign.
ON THE ROAD…FOR JUST THE SECOND TIME
Thursday's game at Robert Morris will mark just the second time playing away from home for the Vikings this season, with Cleveland State opening its road slate with a 63-52 victory at Northern Kentucky earlier this month. Thursday's game will mark the second of what was supposed to be four road games during the month of December for the Vikings (including a forfeit win at Wright State & cancelation at Akron).
LEO LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
Over the first part of the 2021-22 campaign, sophomore Destiny Leo is averaging 23.0 points per game after notching 20+ points in five of the seven games played. Included in her five 20-point games is a pair of 30-point performances; 30 vs. Quincy and a career-high 31 at Northern Kentucky in Cleveland State's last #HLWBB matchup. In addition, Leo is Cleveland State's most efficient shooter, as she owns a .551 clip from the field, including a .523 clip from behind-the-arc so far this season.
DUMAS PICKING UP ON THE OFFENSIVE END
After notching back-to-back 15+ point games against Ohio Christian and Loyola (Ill.), redshirt senior Nadia Dumas enters Thursday's game averaging 10.6 ppg - one of three Vikings to average double-digit points on the season. Last time out, Dumas finished with a team-high tying 16 points against the Ramblers, marking her fifth 10+ point game of the year.
VIKINGS ON THE GLASS
Through the first eight games played, Cleveland State is averaging a league-best 44.0 rebounds per game, and owns a 5.5 rebounding margin which is also a league-high. The Vikings have outrebounded their opponent in six games so far this year, and grabbed a season-high 55 boards against Ohio Christian. Five different Vikings have led CSU on the boards through the first eight games, while Cleveland State has a league-high three players ranked in the top-10 (Amele Ngwafang, Barbara Zieniewska, Nadia Dumas) in the individual stat category.
CLEVELAND STATE AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Entering the week, Cleveland State leads the league in scoring (76.5 ppg), rebounding (44.0 rpg), blocked shots (4.75 bpg), and turnover margin (3.38), while ranking second in steals (9.88 spg) and field goal percentage (.419).
…INDIVIDUALS AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Individually, four Vikings rank in the top-five in statistical categories, led by Destiny Leo who is averaging a league-best 23.0 points per game and 3.3 three-pointers per game, while shooting 55-percent from the floor to rank second. Amele Ngwafang ranks in the top-five in rebounding (5th - 7.3) and blocked shots (2nd - 1.5), while Nadia Dumas joins Ngwafang in blocked shots (5th - 1.3) and Brittni Moore ranks fourth in steals (2.0).
CLEVELAND STATE STARTING FIVE
After using the same starting lineup through the first six games, the Vikings have used two different starting fives the last two times out. Nadia Dumas, Isabelle Gradwell and Barbara Zieniewska have appeared in the starting lineup during all eight games, while Deja Williams and Gabriella Smith picked up their first starts in the Green & White against Ohio Christian.
GRADWELL & DUMAS CLOSING IN ON 100 GAMES PLAYED AT CSU
Redshirt-senior Nadia Dumas and senior Isabelle Gradwell are closing in on becoming the first active Vikings to play in 100 career games at Cleveland State, as Dumas notched her 91st appearance and Gradwell tallied her 93rd appearance last time out. Gradwell has played in every game during her collegiate career, while Dumas has taken the court in all but two games as a Viking.
VIKINGS ECLIPSE THE CENTURY MARK
Cleveland State recorded the 13th 100-point game in program history earlier this season, finishing with 104 points against Ohio Christian. This marked the first time since the 2019-20 campaign that the Vikings have eclipsed the 100-point mark, while it put the Vikings at 11-2 all-time when scoring 100+ points after finishing with a 104-51 victory against the Trailblazers.
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 52-41 record at Cleveland State and a 477-157 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.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will close out its brief two-game roadswing on Saturday, January 1, opening the New Year with a 1:00 p.m. contest at Youngstown State.
