Posted: Jan 21, 2023
GAME #20
Cleveland State at Northern Kentucky
Sunday, January 22 | 1:00 p.m. | Highland Heights, Ky.
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out the weekend on Sunday, January 22, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a 1:00 p.m. contest. Entering Sunday's game, Cleveland State stands at 17-2 overall this season and 8-1 in #HLWBB play, while Northern Kentucky is currently 11-7 overall and 5-4 in Horizon League action.
A WIN ON SUNDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State back-to-back wins…Mark the ninth straight road victory for the Vikings…Give Cleveland State a 9-1 #HLWBB record for the first time in program history…Represent the 500th career victory for head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/NORTHERN KENTUCKY SERIES
Sunday's game will mark the 16th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State holding an 11-4 edge in the all-time series. The Vikings went 3-0 against Northern Kentucky last season, including a 59-51 victory against the Norse in the Quarterfinals of the Horizon League Tournament.
SCOUTING THE NORSE
Northern Kentucky enters Sunday's game with an 11-7 overall record this season, while standing at 5-4 in Horizon League play to rank fifth in the #HLWBB standings…The Norse are coming off back-to-back wins against Detroit Mercy (75-51) and Purdue Fort Wayne (75-69)…Earlier this year, Northern Kentucky was selected to finish fourth in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with Lindsey Duvall earning Preseason First Team honors and Ivy Turner being named to the Preseason Second Team…Duvall currently leads the league averaging 17.6 points per game, while also ranking second with 9.2 rebounds per game…Kailee Davis also ranks second in the league standings with 3.6 assists per game.
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State got back in the win column with a convincing 103-72 victory at Wright State. The Vikings shot 55-percent from the floor (36-65), including a .478 clip from three-point range (11-23). Cleveland State held a 45-22 advantage on the boards, while also holding a 50-14 edge in points in the paint. Cleveland State had five players finish in double-figures, led by Destiny Leo with 31 points.
CLEVELAND STATE ECLIPSES THE CENTURY MARK
The Vikings recorded the 14th 100-point game in program history last time out, finishing with 103 points at Wright State. This marked the second straight season that the Vikings have recorded a 100-point game, while it puts Cleveland State at 12-2 all-time when scoring 100+ points.
VIKINGS IN SOLE POSSESSION OF FIRST PLACE IN #HLWBB STANDINGS
After picking up a convincing win at Wright State last time out the Vikings moved into sole possession of first place in the #HLWBB standings, and currently own an 8-1 record in league play. This marks the best start to Horizon League play for the Vikings, and the first time that Cleveland State has recorded just one loss in its first nine #HLWBB contests.
ROAD WARRIORS
Sunday's game at Northern Kentucky will be the second of four straight road games for the Vikings, as they will close out the month of January away from home. So far this season, Cleveland State owns an 8-1 record when playing on the road, with the lone loss coming at No. 8 Iowa State to begin the season. Entering Sunday's game, the Vikings have won eight straight road contests, and own the best record among #HLWBB teams when playing away from home.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering the weekend, Cleveland State is ranked 12th in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of three Horizon League teams to be ranked in the top-25, as Green Bay (11) and Youngstown State (18) are also ranked this week.
…AND RECEIVING VOTES IN WBCA TOP-25
Cleveland State also entered this weekend's games receiving votes in the most recent USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Vikings are one of 15 teams to be receiving votes in this week's poll, while they are the lone Horizon League team to appear in the rankings.
LEO NOTCHES 30-POINT GAME AT WRIGHT STATE
Junior Destiny Leo tallied a season-high 31 points at Wright State last time out, shooting 9-for-14 from the floor, including an 8-for-11 clip from behind-the-arc. Leo, who is one of just two #HLWBB players with a 30-point game this season, tallied 23 of her 31 points during the first half - with 21 of those points coming on seven three-pointers. Leo, who currently sits at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .390 three-point field goal percentage (175-for-448), enters Sunday's game just one three-pointer shy of moving into a tie for fifth place on the all-time three-pointers made list.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Last time out Cleveland State had one of its best offensive performances, shooting 55-percent from the floor (36-for-65), marking the third time this season that the Vikings have posted a .500 clip or better from the field. In addition, the Vikings shot 47-percent from three-point range (11-for-23), knocking down a season-best 11 three-pointers. As a team, Cleveland State recorded 19 assists, with five players finishing in double-digit points - a first for the season.
…AND ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Nineteen games into the 2022-23 campaign Cleveland State leads the Horizon League in rebounding (41.4), blocked shots (4.21) and steals (9.89), serving as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Through the first 10+ weeks, the Vikings have recorded double-digit steals eight times and have notched 4+ blocked shots during nine games. Individually, Amele Ngwafang ranks seventh among #HLWBB players averaging 6.8 rebounds per game, while Jordana Reisma is fifth with 1.1 blocks per game, and Deja Williams and Brittni Moore are tied for fifth averaging a team-best 1.5 steals per game.
WILLIAMS & LEO FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Entering Sunday's game at Northern Kentucky, Deja Williams and Destiny Leo continue to be the top two free throw shooters in the Horizon League, Williams with a .926 clip (50-for-54) and Leo with a .919 clip (67-for-74). Nationally, Williams ranks fourth in the category while Leo ranks eighth among Division I players. Over the last eight games, this duo has combined for a 59-for-63 effort from the free throw line, including a perfect 7-for-7 clip at Wright State last time out.
#HLWBB WEEKLY ACCOLADES
So far this season Cleveland State has earned four #HLWBB Player of the Week and three #HLWBB Freshman of the Week honors - both of which lead all league teams. Destiny Leo (11/28, 12/5), Brittni Moore (12/12) and Amele Ngwafang (1/9) have combined for the four Player of the Week honors, while Jordana Reisma has picked up all three Freshman of the Week awards (11/21, 12/5, 1/2).
VIKINGS SET PROGRAM RECORD WITH 16-GAME WIN STREAK
Prior to last Saturday's game against Green Bay, Cleveland State set a program record with a 16-game win streak, dating from November 12, 2022 through January 12, 2023. The Vikings, who set the previous record with 11 straight wins during the 2019-20 campaign, were one of just four Division I teams with a win streak of 16+ games at the time(South Carolina, Ohio State, LSU).
…CLEVELAND STATE NOTCHES PERFECT DECEMBER
Included in Cleveland State's record setting 16-game win streak was a perfect 8-0 record during the month of December, marking the second straight season that Cleveland State has gone undefeated during a calendar month (went 5-0 during November last season). This also marked the first time since the 2012-13 campaign that the Vikings posted a perfect record during the month of December specifically, as they went 6-0 during December of 2012.
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 an 83-51 record at Cleveland State and a 499-167 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 close out the month of January on the road next weekend, traveling to Detroit Mercy on Thursday, January 26 and Oakland on Saturday, January 28.
