GAME #16
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State
Saturday, January 6 | 1:00 p.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue Horizon League play at home this weekend, hosting Youngstown State at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 6. Entering Saturday's contest, the Vikings are 12-3 overall this season and 3-1 in league play, while Youngstown State is currently 6-9 on the year and 2-3 against league opponents.
PURCHASE TICKETS NOW
Saturday's game against Youngstown State will be a ticketed event, with courtside seats available for $20 and general admission tickets available for $10. Purchase tickets by 11:59 p.m. Friday (January 5) night and you can get two courtside seats for $20.24 to celebrate the New Year! Purchase tickets by CLICKING HERE or purchase at the Wolstein Center Box Office on gameday.
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State a 2-0 start to the 2024 calendar year…Mark back-to-back wins for the Vikings for the third time this season…Extend Cleveland State's home win streak to 13 straight games.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/YOUNGSTOWN STATE SERIES
Saturday's game will mark the 83rd meeting between the two teams in program history, with Youngstown State owning a 46-36 advantage in the all-time series. Despite the edge for YSU, the Vikings picked up wins in both meetings last year.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Saturday's game with a 6-9 record on the year, including a 2-3 mark in #HLWBB play…YSU's two league wins have come in their last two outings, picking up wins against IUPUI (58-56) and Oakland (70-63)…Saturday's game will be the first of a three-game roadswing for the Penguins…Earlier this year, Youngstown State was selected to finish third in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, while Malia Magestro was named to the Preseason All-League Second Team…YSU's Emily Saunders currently leads the league with a .650 field goal percentage, while Saunders is also averaging a league-best 1.9 blocks per game.
VIKINGS RETURN TO #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State returned to Horizon League play last weekend, currently sitting at 3-1 in #HLWBB action. Just four games into the league slate the Vikings sit third in the #HLWBB standings with wins over RMU, Northern Kentucky and Milwaukee through the first two weeks of play.
…CSU TABBED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL
Earlier this season, 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.
HOME-SWEET-HOME
For the first time in four weeks the Vikings will be playing at home, with Saturday's game against YSU marking the eighth of 16 scheduled home games for the Vikings this season. So far this year, Cleveland State owns a perfect 7-0 record when playing at home, while the Vikings have combined for a 57-18 record at home under Chris Kielsmeier's tenure.
PERDUE NOTCHES 20-POINT PERFORMANCE…AGAIN
Last time out Mickayla Perdue tallied her fifth 20-point game of the season, finishing with 24 points in the win at Milwaukee. Perdue, who is one of two Vikings with five 20-point games this season, has recorded 20+ points in five of the last six games. Since moving into the starting lineup five weeks ago, Perdue has been averaging 19.2 points per game to lead the Viking offense during this nine-game stretch.
…VIKINGS ON THE OFFENSIVE END
Through the first nine weeks of the season, two Vikings are ranked in the top-five in scoring among Horizon League players, with Colbi Maples ranking fourth (16.5 ppg) and Mickayla Perdue ranking fifth (14.8 ppg). Cleveland State is the only school with two players ranked in the top-five, while the Vikings have combined for a league-best 76.5 points per game as a team so far this year.
…VIKINGS SPREADING THE OFFENSE
Entering Saturday's game against Youngstown State, the Vikings have recorded double-digit assists in eight straight games, including a season-high 19 helpers in the win over Niagara. For the season, Colbi Maples has a team-best 63 assists and ranks third among Horizon League players averaging 4.2 assists per game.
REISMA FINDING HER STRIDE
Over the last four games sophomore Jordana Reisma has been finding her stride, notching three double-digit scoring games and a double-double during this stretch. Reisma, who has been averaging 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game over the last two weeks, tallied her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 boards against Southern Miss and followed that up with a career-high 18-point performance against Drexel.
…REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Fifteen games into the 2023-24 campaign, sophomore Jordana Reisma has 18 blocked shots on the year and 61 for her career. Reisma, who is one of five #HLWBB players with 18+ blocks on the year, has posted a block in all but three games this year, including a season-high three against Central Michigan and Austin Peay.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering the week, Cleveland State is ranked sixth in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of two Horizon League teams to be ranked, as Green Bay enters the week ranked fifth.
THE NON-LEAGUE SLATE
Cleveland State closed out its non-league slate last month, finishing with a 9-2 record against non-league opponents this season - with one of its losses coming against No. 4 Iowa. Over the last three years, the Vikings have combined to go 25-6 in non-league action, with the nine wins tying the program-best for non-league wins under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
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 524-173. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 108-57 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 earlier this year - 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 continue its current homestand on Wednesday, January 10, hosting Detroit Mercy at 7:00 p.m.
