GAME #16
Cleveland State at UIC
Thursday, January 27 | 7:30 p.m. EST | Chicago, Ill.
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SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out the month of January on the road this weekend, traveling to UIC on Thursday, January 27 and IUPUI on Saturday, January 29. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State currently stands at 12-3 overall this season and 7-2 against league opponents, while UIC is 2-13 (1-9) and IUPUI is 12-5 (9-3).

THE CLEVELAND STATE/UIC SERIES
Thursday's game will mark the 81st meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 47-33 advantage in the all-time series. Earlier this year, the Vikings claimed a 74-64 victory over the Flames in their first actual game of the #HLWBB slate. Entering Thursday's contest, Cleveland State has won 11 straight matchups against the Flames. 

…THE FIRST TIME AROUND
Cleveland State picked up a 74-64 victory against UIC in the first meeting earlier this season, marking a 2-0 start to #HLWBB play. Destiny Leo led the Viking offense with 22 points, while Nadia Dumas finished with nine points and eight rebounds. The Cleveland State defense forced the Flames into 23 turnovers, turning these miscues into 26 points.

SCOUTING UIC
UIC enters the weekend with a 2-13 overall record and a 1-9 mark against Horizon League opponents…The Flames have lost eight straight games entering Thursday's contest, most recently dropping a pair of games against IUPUI…Thursday's game against the Vikings will be the second of a six-game homestand for the Flames…UIC's last win came in a 68-64 decision at Detroit Mercy, while UIC's first win of the season came against Valparaiso.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/IUPUI SERIES
Saturday's game will mark the 17th meeting between the two teams, with IUPUI owning a 10-6 advantage in the all-time series. Entering Saturday's contest  the Jaguars have won nine straight matchups, excluding the forfeit win for CSU earlier this year.

…THE FIRST TIME AROUND
In what was scheduled to be the #HLWBB opener for Cleveland State and IUPUI, the Vikings picked up a forfeit win after COVID-19 implications within the Jaguar program forced them to cancel the contest.

SCOUTING IUPUI
IUPUI enters the weekend with a 12-5 overall record, including a 9-3 mark in league play…Entering the weekend, the Jaguars have won seven straight, including a pair of wins against UIC last time out…Two of IUPUI's three #HLWBB losses came as forfeits earlier this season…So far this season, IUPUI owns a 5-2 record when playing at home…The Jaguars enter the week leading the league in field goal percentage (.453) and 3-point field goal percentage (.358).

LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State picked up an 80-58 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne, marking a season sweep of the Mastodons after earning an 85-59 victory at home against PFW earlier in the week. The Cleveland State offense posted a .604 clip from the floor, while four Vikings finished with double-figures, led by Destiny Leo with 21 points. As a team, the Vikings recorded 13 steals, turning 20 Purdue Fort Wayne turnovers into 23 points.

VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
This weekend's games will be the eighth and ninth #HLWBB games for the Vikings this season, despite owning a 7-2 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 this weekend's games will be the fifth and sixth road contests out of the last seven games. Cleveland State is closing out the month of January with a three-game roadswing - a place where the Vikings stand at 4-2 so far this season (including a forfeit win at Wright State).

LEO NOTCHES SEVENTH 20-POINT GAME OF THE SEASON
Last time out, Destiny Leo recorded her seventh 20-point game of the year, finishing with 21 points at Purdue Fort Wayne. Leo, who leads the league averaging 20.6 points per game this year, is also tied for the league lead with her seven 20-point performances. Through her first 12 games played so far this season, Leo has finished with 15 or more points in all but one game. In addition, Leo is one of Cleveland State's most efficient shooters, as she owns a .490 clip from the field, including a .418 clip from behind-the-arc so far this season.

DUMAS ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Redshirt senior Nadia Dumas enters the weekend having posted double-digit points in seven straight outings, and is one of three Vikings to be averaging 10+ points per game on the season (11.5 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 seven games, averaging 14.0 ppg during this stretch. On the season, Dumas leads the Vikings with a .569 clip from the floor (58-for-102).

CLEVELAND STATE WITH THE STEAL
Entering this weekend's games against UIC and IUPUI, the Vikings lead the Horizon League averaging 10.46 steals per game. Last time out, the Vikings combined for 27 steals in the weekend series against Purdue Fort Wayne, and have posted 10+ steals during seven games this season. All 10 Vikings that have seen action so far this year have notched at least one steal, led by Gabriella Smith (25) and Brittni Moore (20).

VIKINGS ON THE GLASS
Through the first 13 games played, Cleveland State is averaging a league-best 40.7 rebounds per game, and owns a 3.6 rebounding margin which ranks fourth among league teams. The Vikings have outrebounded their opponent in nine games so far this year, and grabbed a season-high 55 boards against Ohio Christian. Entering this weekend, three Vikings are averaging 6.0 rpg or better (Dumas-6.7, Zieniewska-6.4, Ngwafang-6.2), 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 weekend, Cleveland State leads the league in scoring (73.6 ppg), rebounding (40.7 rpg), blocked shots (4.31 bpg), steals (10.46 spg), and turnover margin (2.85).

…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 20.6 points per game and 2.3 three-pointers per game, while shooting 49-percent from the floor to rank third. Amele Ngwafang ranks third in blocked shots averaging 1.6.

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 Gradwell notched her 98th appearance, Dumas tallied her 96th 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 55-43 record at Cleveland State and a 471-159 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 return home to open the month of February with a four-game homestand, beginning with Wright State on Thursday, February 3 and Northern Kentucky on Saturday, February 5.