GAME #14
Cleveland State vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Thursday, January 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes

CLEVELAND STATE ROSTER | PURDUE FORT WAYNE ROSTER

SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return home for a single game this week, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, January 20. Thursday's game will mark the only scheduled home game for the Vikings during the month of January. Cleveland State enters Thursday's game standing at 10-3 overall this season and 5-2 against league opponents, while Purdue Fort Wayne is currently 5-11 overall and 4-5 in Horizon League play.

A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings back-to-back wins…Put Cleveland State at 8-1 when playing at home this season…Improve the Vikings to 6-2 in #HLWBB play this year.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/PURDUE FORT WAYNE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 11th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 9-1 advantage in the all-time series. Last season the two teams met four times, with the Vikings picking up wins in all four meetings, including a 71-61 victory in the last matchup of the year.

SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne enters Thursday's contest standing at 5-11 overall this season and 4-5 in Horizon League play…Included in their 4-5 #HLWBB record, the Mastodons have benefitted from a pair of forfeit wins against IUPUI and Wright State…Last time out, the Mastodons fell to Milwaukee (68-56) before having their game at Green Bay canceled due to COVID-19 implications…Purdue Fort Wayne is currently ninth in the #HLWBB standings based off win percentage (.444)…As a team, the Mastodons rank second with a .332 three-point field goal percentage and third with a .771 free throw percentage so far this season.

LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings played their first game in over two weeks, picking up a 66-57 victory at Milwaukee. Four Vikings finished the game with double-figure points, led by Gabriella Smith with 15. The Vikings held a slight 38-37 edge on the boards, with Brittni Moore grabbing nine rebounds and Destiny Leo recording eight.

HOME-SWEET-HOME
After playing almost the entire first part of the 2021-22 campaign at home, the Vikings will finally return to the Wolstein Center this week, where they own a 7-1 record so far this season. Thursday's game against the Mastodons will be the eighth actual game played at home for the Vikings so far this year, but the only scheduled home game during the month of January. 

VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Thursday's game against Purdue Fort Wayne will be just the sixth #HLWBB game for the Vikings this season, despite owning a 5-2 record in league play (Cleveland State picked up two forfeit wins against IUPUI and Wright State). Through the first part of the league slate, the Vikings have had to cancel three #HLWBB games in addition to the forfeit wins. 

LEO LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
Over the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, sophomore Destiny Leo is averaging a league-best 21.1 points per game after notching 20+ points in six of the 10 games played. Included in her six 20-point games is a pair of 30-point performances; 30 vs. Quincy and a career-high 31 at Northern Kentucky. In addition, Leo is one of Cleveland State's most efficient shooters, as she owns a .500 clip from the field, including a .456 clip from behind-the-arc so far this season.

DUMAS PICKING UP ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Redshirt senior Nadia Dumas enters Thursday's game having posted double-digit points in five straight outings, and is one of three Vikings to be averaging 10+ points per game on the season (10.9 ppg). Over the first part of the 2021-22 campaign Dumas averaged 8.6 points per game, but has increased her scoring over the last five outings, averaging 13.6 ppg during this stretch. On the season, Dumas is shooting 55-percent from the floor (49-for-89).

VIKINGS ON THE GLASS
Through the first 11 games played, Cleveland State is averaging a league-best 42.3 rebounds per game, and owns a 4.7 rebounding margin which ranks second among league teams. The Vikings have outrebounded their opponent in eight games so far this year, and grabbed a season-high 55 boards against Ohio Christian. Entering Thursday's game against Purdue Fort Wayne, three Vikings are averaging 6.3 rpg or better (Zieniewska; 6.6, Dumas; 6.5, Ngwafang; 6.3), making Cleveland State the only school to have three players ranked in the top-10 in the league statistics.

CLEVELAND STATE AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Entering the week, Cleveland State leads the league in scoring (72.0 ppg), rebounding (42.3 rpg), blocked shots (4.64 bpg), and turnover margin (2.00), while ranking second in steals (9.91 spg).

…INDIVIDUALS AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Individually, two Vikings rank in the top-five in statistical categories, led by Destiny Leo who is averaging a league-best 21.1 points per game and 2.6 three-pointers per game, while shooting 50-percent from the floor to rank third. Amele Ngwafang ranks second in blocked shots averaging 1.8.

TRIO CLOSING IN ON 100 GAMES PLAYED AT CSU
The trio of redshirt-senior Nadia Dumas and seniors Isabelle Gradwell and Isabella Geraci are closing in on becoming the first active Vikings to play in 100 career games at Cleveland State, as Dumas notched her 94th appearance, Gradwell tallied her 96th appearance and Geraci picked up her 90th 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 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.

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 53-43 record at Cleveland State and a 478-159 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 hit the road this weekend, traveling to Fort Wayne, Ind. to face the Mastodons in the second game of a two-game weekend series against Purdue Fort Wayne.