GAME #23
Cleveland State at Purdue Fort Wayne
Wednesday, January 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will close out its current roadswing on Wednesday, January 31, traveling to Purdue Fort Wayne for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Entering Wednesday's matchup, the Vikings are 18-4 overall this season and 9-2 in league play, while Purdue Fort Wayne is currently 14-8 on the year and 7-4 against league opponents.
A WIN ON WEDNESDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings back in the win column…Mark double-digit #HLWBB wins for the third straight season…Give Cleveland State its first series sweep of the season.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/PURDUE FORT WAYNE SERIES
Wednesday's game will be the 16th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 14-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Vikings have won 10 straight games against the Mastodons, including a 68-56 victory earlier this year.
…LAST TIME VS. THE MASTODONS
Cleveland State picked up a 68-56 victory against Purdue Fort Wayne in the first matchup of the season, facing the Mastodons earlier this month. Two Vikings finished the game with double-digit points, including Colbi Maples who tallied a season-high 29 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Jordana Reisma grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds, while the Viking defense combined for 12 steals and three blocked shots.
SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
Purdue Fort Wayne enters Wednesday's game with a 14-8 record on the year, including a 7-4 mark in #HLWBB play…The Mastodons are currently on a three-game win streak, picking up victories over Northern Kentucky, Chicago State and RMU in their last three outings…Purdue Fort Wayne is currently tied for third in the league standings, just two games behind Cleveland State…The Mastodons currently lead the league in three-point shooting, averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game while ranking third with a .339 three-point field goal percentage…Individually, Amellia Bromenschenkel ranks in the top-10 in scoring (7th-13.1 ppg) and rebounding (8th-6.6 rpg).
VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Entering the seventh week of #HLWBB play, the Vikings are currently second in the league standings with a 9-2 league record. Cleveland State sits one game out of first place, while Purdue Fort Wayne is two games behind the Vikings, tied for third in the standings. With one more win, the Vikings will reach double-digit #HLWBB wins for the third straight year.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Vikings will be back on the road to close out the month of January, with Wednesday's game marking the third of a stretch of three games away from home. So far this season, the Vikings are 7-4 on the road, with Wednesday's game marking the 12th of 15 scheduled road games for Cleveland State this season.
PERDUE RECORDS 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Last time out, Mickayla Perdue recorded the 1,000th point of her career, becoming the second active Viking to reach the milestone. Perdue's 1,000th point came on a three-pointer at the 2:22 mark of the second quarter in the game at Detroit Mercy. Perdue, who has combined for 355 points this season, also recorded 637 points at Glenville State and 18 points at Toledo.
…NOTCHES NINTH 20-POINT PERFORMANCE
Mickayla Perdue's 1,000th career point came as part of a 24-point effort at Detroit Mercy, marking her ninth 20-point game of the season and third straight. Perdue, who is tied for the league-lead with nine 20-point performances this season, was 9-for-17 from the floor including a trio of three-pointers. For the season, Perdue is averaging 16.1 points per game, while she has been one of Cleveland State's most efficient shooters, owning a .472 clip from the field.
REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Entering Wednesday's game, sophomore Jordana Reisma has 25 blocked shots on the year and 68 for her career. Reisma, who is one of five #HLWBB players with 25+ blocks on the year, has posted a block in 16 of 22 games this year, including a season-high four against Youngstown State earlier this month. Reisma's 68 career blocks are just four blocks shy of earning her a spot in the CSU Career Record Book.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE OFFENSIVE END THIS SEASON
Through the first 13 weeks of the season, Cleveland State has been one of the top offensive teams in the Horizon League, currently ranking second in the league averaging 75.6 points per game while ranking second with a .463 field goal percentage. Through the first 22 games, the Vikings have tallied 70+ points 17 times, and currently own a 13.3 scoring margin. Individually, two Vikings rank in the top-five in scoring, with Colbi Maples ranking third averaging 16.3 points and Mickayla Perdue ranking fourth averaging 16.1 points per game.
...AND ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Cleveland State also enters Wednesday's game as one of the top defensive teams in the league, averaging 10.09 steals per game. Last time out, the Vikings grabbed seven steals against Detroit Mercy, while Cleveland State has tallied 10 or more takeaways in 11 games this year. Individually, Carmen Villalobos leads the league with 49 total steals on the year, while Colbi Maples ranks third with 47 takeaways.
VIKINGS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
As a team, Cleveland State has combined for 384 made free throws this season, leading the league and ranking second nationally in the category (trailing LSU with 459 made free throws). Through 22 games the Vikings are averaging 17.45 free throws made per game, ranking fourth among Division I teams. Cleveland State has converted 20+ free throws six times so far this year, including a season-high 31-for-38 performance against IUPUI earlier this year.
#HLWBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
So far this season Cleveland State has been recognized four times with weekly honors from the Horizon League - marking a season-high among league teams. Colbi Maples has picked up the honor twice (Dec. 4, Jan. 22), while Jordana Reisma (Dec. 26) and Mickayla Perdue (Jan. 15) have both earned #HLWBB honors once.
LEO HONORED AT GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS
Last week Destiny Leo was honored at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, being named the 2023 Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. Leo, who was one of three finalists from the Greater Cleveland area, won the award after helping Cleveland State to its best season in program history during 2022-23 as the #HLWBB Player of the Year, helping the team to a 30-5 overall record, Horizon League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering the week, Cleveland State was ranked eighth 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 sixth.
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 530-174. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 114-58 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.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will begin a four-game homestand this weekend, hosting Green Bay at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 3.
