GAME #15
Cleveland State at Purdue Fort Wayne
Saturday, January 22 | 2:00 p.m. | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will hit the road to begin a three-game roadswing this weekend, traveling to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, January 22. Saturday's game will be the second straight matchup against the Mastodons, with Cleveland State entering the game standing at 11-3 overall this season and 6-2 against league opponents, while Purdue Fort Wayne is currently 5-12 overall and 4-6 in Horizon League play.
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings three straight wins…Give Cleveland State the season sweep over the Mastodons…Improve the Vikings to 7-2 in #HLWBB play this year.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/PURDUE FORT WAYNE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 12th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Vikings have won six straight games against the Mastodons entering Saturday's contest, including an 85-59 decision in the first meeting of the season.
SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne enters Saturday's contest standing at 5-12 overall this season and 4-6 in Horizon League play…Included in their 4-6 #HLWBB record, the Mastodons have benefitted from a pair of forfeit wins against IUPUI and Wright State…The Mastodons enter Saturday's game having lost two straight games and nine of their last 10…Purdue Fort Wayne is currently ninth in the #HLWBB standings based off win percentage (.400)…As a team, the Mastodons rank second with a .337 three-point field goal percentage and third with a .766 free throw percentage so far this season.
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings picked up an 85-59 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne, with four Vikings finishing in double-figures, led by Nadia Dumas with 19 points. As a team, Cleveland State shot 49-percent from the field, while they limited their turnovers to just nine miscues on the game. The Viking defense posted 14 steals, and forced Purdue Fort Wayne into 25 turnovers which resulted in 32 CSU points.
…TRAVEL PARTNER WEEKEND
The Vikings will be facing the Mastodons in back-to-back games this week, as the 2021-22 edition of the #HLWBB schedule has travel partners playing each other twice in the same week - once at home, and once on the road. Last season, the two teams faced off in back-to-back games twice, with Cleveland State picking up wins in all four contests.
VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Saturday's game against Purdue Fort Wayne will be just the seventh #HLWBB game for the Vikings this season, despite owning a 6-2 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.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
After spending the majority of November and December at home, the Vikings have had to get comfortable playing on the road lately, as Saturday's game at Purdue Fort Wayne will be the fourth road contest out of the last five games. Including Saturday's game against the Mastodons, Cleveland State will close out the month of January with three straight road games - a place where the Vikings stand at 3-2 so far this season (including a forfeit win at Wright State).
…BUT FIRST, HOME-SWEET-HOME
Thursday's contest against the Mastodons marked the first game for the Vikings inside the Wolstein Center in nearly a month, a place where the Vikings own an 8-1 record so far this season. Thursday's game was the lone home game for Cleveland State during the month of January, but the Vikings will play six of their eight scheduled games at home to close out the league schedule next month.
DUMAS TIES CAREER-HIGH AGAINST MASTODONS
Last time out, redshirt senior Nadia Dumas tied her career-high against the Mastodons, posting 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and a 7-for-9 performance from the free throw line. This marked the sixth straight double-digit effort from Dumas, who is one of two Vikings to be averaging 10+ ppg on the year (11.6). Over the first part of the 2021-22 campaign Dumas averaged 8.6 points per game, but has increased her scoring over the last six outings, averaging 14.5 ppg during this stretch. On the season, Dumas is shooting 56-percent from the floor (55-for-98).
CLEVELAND STATE WITH THE STEAL
Entering Saturday's game at Purdue Fort Wayne, the Vikings lead the Horizon League averaging 10.25 steals per game. Last time out, the Vikings grabbed 14 steals against the Mastodons, marking the fifth time this season that Cleveland State has tallied 10+ turnovers. Six different Vikings recorded at least one steal against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out, including four from Barbara Zieniewska and three from Brittni Moore and Amele Ngwafang.
…AND LIMITING THE TURNOVERS
Cleveland State tied its season low with nine turnovers against Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, marking the third time this season that the Vikings have finished with single-digit turnovers in a game. On the flip side, the Vikings forced the Mastodons into 25 turnovers - the seventh time this season that a Cleveland State opponent has notched 20 or more turnovers.
LEO LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
Over the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, sophomore Destiny Leo is averaging a league-best 20.5 points per game after notching 20+ points in six of the 11 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 .481 clip from the field, including a .438 clip from behind-the-arc so far this season.
CLEVELAND STATE AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Entering the weekend, Cleveland State leads the league in scoring (73.1 ppg), rebounding (41.3 rpg), blocked shots (4.50 bpg), steals (10.25 spg), and turnover margin (3.17).
…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 20.5 points per game and 2.5 three-pointers per game, while shooting 48-percent from the floor to rank third. Amele Ngwafang is tied for 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 95th appearance, Gradwell tallied her 97th appearance and Geraci picked up her 91st 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.
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 54-43 record at Cleveland State and a 470-159 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 stay on the road for a pair of games next weekend, traveling to UIC on Thursday, January 27 and IUPUI on Saturday, January 29.
