Posted: Dec 30, 2022
GAME #14
Cleveland State at Robert Morris
Saturday, December 31 | 12:00 p.m. | Moon Township, Pa.
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out the calendar year on the road this weekend, traveling to Robert Morris for a 12:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, December 31. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State stands at 12-1 overall this year and 3-0 in #HLWBB play, while RMU is currently 7-5 overall and 1-2 in Horizon League action.
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Extend Cleveland State's current win streak to 13 straight games…Keep the Vikings perfect in #HLWBB play…Cap off a perfect 8-0 month of December for Cleveland State.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/RMU SERIES
Saturday's game will mark the ninth meeting between the two teams in program history, with RMU owning a slight 5-3 edge in the all-time series. The Colonials swept the season series last year, putting RMU at 2-0 when playing as Horizon League opponents. Cleveland State's last victory against the Colonials came during the 2003-04 campaign.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
RMU enters Saturday's game with a 7-5 overall record this season, including a 1-2 mark against Horizon League opponents…The Colonials' lone #HLWBB victory came in a 68-47 decision against Wright State earlier this month…Most recently, RMU dropped a 52-41 contest against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out…When playing at home, RMU owns a 6-1 record this season…Earlier this year, the Colonials were selected to finish ninth in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll…As a team, RMU has held its opponents to a league-low 55.7 ppg, while the Colonials also lead the league with a 6.17 turnover margin.
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State returned to Horizon League play with a 77-68 victory at Youngstown State, extending its win streak to 12 straight games. The Vikings had a balanced offensive attack with four players recording 10+ points against the Penguins, while three Vikings recorded 7+ rebounds to help Cleveland State hold a 45-34 advantage on the boards. The Viking defense forced YSU into 16 turnovers on the game, turning these miscues into 22 points, while also holding a 36-26 edge in points in the paint.
VIKINGS SET PROGRAM RECORD WITH 12-GAME WIN STREAK
After picking up a 77-68 victory at Youngstown State last time out, Cleveland State extended its win streak to 12 straight games, setting a program record for consecutive wins. The Vikings, who set the previous record with 11 straight wins during the 2019-20 campaign, are one of just six Division I teams with a current win streak of 12+ games.
VIKINGS RETURN TO #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State returns to Horizon League play this week, looking to stay perfect in #HLWBB play and improve to 4-0. Currently in the second week of league play, Cleveland State is the only team to be undefeated in league play following the win at Youngstown State last time out, while a victory on Saturday would put the Vikings at 4-0 in #HLWBB play for the second straight season.
VIKINGS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
Entering the week, Cleveland State leads the Horizon League with a 17.2 ppg scoring margin and has outscored its opponents by 20+ points six of the last eight games. During this stretch the Vikings have shot 44-percent from the field, including a .603 clip against Detroit Mercy (35-for-58) which marked the highest single-game total among #HLWBB teams this season. Cleveland State has also combined for 109 assists over the last eight games, including 19 from Brittni Moore.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Thirteen games into the 2022-23 campaign Cleveland State leads the Horizon League in rebounding (42.3), steals (10.3) and blocked shots (4.9), serving as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Through the first seven weeks, the Vikings have recorded double-digit steals six times and have notched 4+ blocked shots during seven games. Individually, Brittni Moore and Amele Ngwafang are tied for sixth among #HLWBB players averaging a team-best 6.2 rebounds per game, while Jordana Reisma is fourth with 1.3 blocks per game and Deja Williams is tied for third averaging a team-best 1.5 steals per game.
WILLIAMS FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Entering the weekend Deja Williams leads the Horizon League with a .944 free throw percentage, ranking seventh among Division I players in the category. Williams, who is 34-for-36 from the free throw line this season, has been a perfect 13-for-13 over the last two games. Last time out, Williams went 6-for-6 against YSU, converting all six of her free throw attempts over the last 1:01 of the contest to clinch the #HLWBB victory for the Vikings.
MOORE FINDING HER RHYTHM
In her second season as a Viking, senior Brittni Moore is finding her rythym on the court, currently averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game - leading the team with 81 total boards and ranking second in scoring. Through the first 13 games, Moore has tallied double-digit points nine times, including a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds last time out at Youngstown State. In addition, Moore has combined for 26 assists, 19 steals and seven blocked shots so far this year.
#HLWBB PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Earlier this season, junior Destiny Leo was selected as the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, becoming the fourth Viking to earn the accolade and the first since Kailey Klein (2009-10). In addition, Cleveland State was selected to finish third in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, picking up 102 points and one first-place vote to finish behind Youngstown State and Green Bay.
LEO RECORDS 1,000 CAREER POINTS
With a 12-point effort against Campbell earlier this month, Destiny Leo eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, and enters Saturday's game with 1,021 total points. Leo, who became the 32nd Viking all-time to reach the 1,000-point milestone, is just the eighth Viking to do so in three seasons. Through 13 games played this year, Leo ranks third among #HLWBB players averaging 16.6 points per game, and has tallied 20+ points during four games.
…LEO IN THE CSU RECORD BOOK
Entering the weekend, Destiny Leo currently ranks in the top-10 in three CSU Career Record Book categories; Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.392), Free Throw Percentage (.895) and Three-Point Field Goals Made (161). Leo is currently first in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, while she is just one three-pointer shy of moving into a tie for eighth place on the three-point field goal list.
ROAD WARRIORS
Saturday's game at Robert Morris will be the final game of six straight road games for the Vikings, as they will close out the calendar year away from home. So far this season, Cleveland State owns a 6-1 record when playing on the road, with the lone loss coming at nationally ranked Iowa State to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Once again, Cleveland State remained in the top-10 in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll, currently sitting ninth after extending its win streak to 11 straight games with a pair of wins last time out. The Vikings are one of three Horizon League teams to be ranked in the top-25, as Green Bay (14) and Youngstown State (18) are also ranked this week.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2022-23 campaign, who owns a 78-50 record at Cleveland State and a 494-166 overall record in 23 seasons as a head coach. Kielsmeier, who joined the Vikings as the seventh head coach in program history prior to the 2018-19 season, is one of just two active #HLWBB coaches to reach the 450-win milestone.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will finally return home to open the New Year, beginning a four-game homestand against Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, January 6.
