GAME #8
Cleveland State at Northern Kentucky
Saturday, December 2 | 2:00 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 its first week of #HLWBB play on Saturday, December 2, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a 2:00 p.m. contest. Entering Saturday's matchup, the Vikings stand at 6-1 overall this season and 1-0 in league play, while the Norse are 1-4 on the year.
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Extend Cleveland State's current win streak to seven straight games…Put the Vikings at 2-0 to start #HLWBB play for the fourth time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier…Give Cleveland State a win to open the month of December.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/NKU SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 19th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State holding a 13-5 edge in the all-time series, including a 7-1 record for the Vikings over the last eight matchups. Last year, the Vikings went 2-1 against the Norse, including a 63-60 overtime win in the #HLWBB Semifinals.
SCOUTING THE NORSE
Northern Kentucky enters Saturday's game with a 1-4 record on the young season, picking up its lone win of the year in a 76-66 decision over Marshall…Saturday will mark the first #HLWBB game of the season for the Norse…Earlier this year, the Norse were selected to finish fifth in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll…Last year, NKU posted a 10-10 regular season league record, falling in the semifinals of the #HLWBB Tournament to Cleveland State…Carter McCray currently leads the league averaging 10.8 rebounds per game, while Khamari Mitchell-Steen ranks sixth with 15.8 points per game.
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State picked up a 13-point win over RMU in the #HLWBB opener, extending its current win streak to six straight games. Three Vikings finished the game with double-digit points, while Cleveland State shot 50-percent from the floor (26-for-52), including a .500 clip from behind-the-arc (5-for-10).
VIKINGS LOOK TO CARRY #HLWBB MOMENTUM
After picking up a 72-59 victory against RMU in Wednesday's #HLWBB opener, the Vikings will be looking to carry that momentum into Saturday's contest at Northern Kentucky. With a win on Saturday, the Vikings would open #HLWBB play with a 2-0 record for the third straight season and fourth time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier. Under Kielsmeier, the Vikings own a 54-37 record in #HLWBB regular season play, including a program-best 17-3 mark last year.
…CSU TABBED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
Last month, Cleveland State was selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, picking up 107 points. This marks the third time in program history that the Vikings were selected to finish second in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with the Vikings also tabbed in the top-two prior to the 2011-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
After spending the last two and a half weeks at home, the Vikings will return to the road this weekend, with Saturday's game at Northern Kentucky marking the first of five road games for the Vikings during the month of December. So far this season, Cleveland State owns a 1-1 record when playing on the road, including a 74-66 win at Loyola earlier this year.
MAPLES NOTCHES 20-POINT GAME IN #HLWBB OPENER
Junior Colbi Maples recorded her third 20-point game of the season in the #HLWBB opener last time out, posting a team-high 25 points in the win over RMU. Maples, who has now tallied double-digit points in all but one game this year, is averaging 16.9 points per game to rank third among league players. In addition, Maples is also one of the most efficient shooters in the league, ranking second with a .536 field goal percentage through seven games played.
PERDUE EARNS SPOT IN STARTING LINEUP
Last time out, Mickayla Perdue earned a spot in the starting lineup, finishing with 15 points in 30 minutes of action. Perdue, who joined the Vikings prior to the 2023-24 season as a senior transfer, is averaging 9.1 points per game in 20.8 minutes played on the year.
VILLALOBOS STRONG ON THE BOARDS AGAINST RMU
Entering Saturday's game at Northern Kentucky, Carmen Villalobos is coming off her first double-digit rebounding effort of the year, as she posted 10 boards against RMU last time out. Villalobos, who leads the team and ranks fifth among #HLWBB players averaging 7.0 rebounds per game, is one of five Vikings with a double-digit rebounding effort so far this season.
REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Seven games into the 2023-24 campaign, sophomore Jordana Reisma has eclipsed double-digit blocked shots on the year, entering Saturday's game with 11 blocks. Reisma, who is one of four #HLWBB players with 10+ blocks on the year, has posted at least one block in all but one game this year, including a season-high three blocked shots against Central Michigan and Austin Peay.
VIKING DUO NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Following a pair of standout performances at the Holiday Inn Express Cleveland Downtown Viking Invitational, Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue both earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Maples led the Vikings averaging 14.0 points per game on the week, while shooting 54-percent from the floor. Perdue added 9.7 points per game along with five steals and five assists throughout the three games.
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who owns a career head coaching record of 518-171. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 102-55 overall record, including a trio of 20-win seasons. Last year, Kielsmeier guided the Vikings to their third #HLWBB Tournament Championship, while he led the Vikings to their first-ever postseason title in 2021 when Cleveland State captured the WBI championship.
…KIELSMEIER NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Chris Kielsmeier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List last week - one of 20 coaches named to the inaugural watch list. Under Kielsmeier, the Vikings have advanced to the postseason in three straight years, and have tallied 20-win campaigns three times over the last four seasons.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will return to non-league play with a pair of games at the Wolstein Center next week, beginning with a 7:00 p.m. contest against Niagara on Wednesday, December 6.
