GAME #26
Cleveland State vs. Oakland
Thursday, February 15 | 11:00 a.m. | Wolstein Center
Live Stats | Live Video | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its current four-game homestand this week, beginning with an 11:00 a.m. contest against Oakland on Thursday, February 15. Entering Thursday's matchup, the Vikings are 21-4 overall this season and 12-2 in league play, while Oakland is currently 10-13 on the year and 6-9 against league opponents.
A WIN ON THURSDAY WOULD…
Keep the Vikings perfect during the month of February…Give Cleveland State a series sweep over Oakland…Extend Cleveland State's home win streak to 20 straight games.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/OAKLAND SERIES
Thursday's game will mark the 22nd meeting between the two teams in program history, with Cleveland State owning a 16-5 advantage in the all-time series. The Vikings have won 12 straight against the Grizzlies, including a 77-65 victory earlier this year.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland enters Thursday's game with a 10-13 record on the year, including a 6-9 mark in #HLWBB play…Last time out, the Grizzlies picked up a 67-65 victory against RMU, snapping a three-game losing skid…When playing away from home, Oakland stands at 3-7 so far this year…The Grizzlies are currently eighth in the #HLWBB standings…As a team, Oakland ranks third among league teams averaging 73.0 points per game, while they lead the league in offensive rebounds (14.6), turnover margin (5.04) and steals (12.17)…Individually, Brooke Quarles-Daniels ranks 11th averaging 13.2 points per game, while Miriam Ibezim ranks fourth averaging 7.0 rebounds per game.
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State was last in action seven days ago, when the Vikings picked up a 71-59 victory over Wright State. Four Vikings finished the game in double-figures, while Guerreiro and Villalobos each combined for seven+ boards. As a team, the Vikings recorded 16 assists on the night, while the Cleveland State defense recorded 12 steals, forcing Wright State into 15 turnovers - which they turned into 16 points.
HEALTH + HOOPS WITH VIKING BASKETBALL
Thursday's game against Oakland will be Cleveland State's annual Kids Day Game - Health + Hoops With Viking Basketball. The event, which is open to all local Cleveland schools, will feature pre-game health and wellness stations, in-game interactive activities and more. This year, Cleveland State is proud to partner with Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine and the CSU College of Health.
VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Entering the ninth week of #HLWBB play, the Vikings currently sit at the top of the league standings, tied with Green Bay with a 12-2 record. Cleveland State, who is one of two teams with 10+ #HLWBB wins on the year, owns a league-best three-game win streak, while also winning 10 of their last 11 contests.
HOME-SWEET-HOME
Cleveland State will host its third game of a four-game homestand on Thursday, marking the 14th of 16 scheduled home games for the Vikings this season. So far this year, Cleveland State owns a perfect 13-0 record when playing at home, while the Vikings have combined for a 63-18 record at home during head coach Chris Kielsmeier's tenure.
CLEVELAND STATE RECORDS 20-WIN SEASON
With their 86-63 victory over Green Bay earlier this month, the Vikings notched their 20th win of the 2023-24 campaign, marking the third straight 20-win season and the fourth over the last five years. After also picking up a 71-59 victory against Wright State last time out, the Vikings now have 21 wins on the year, which is tied for the third most wins in a single-season in program history.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE OFFENSIVE END THIS SEASON
Entering the 15th week of the season, Cleveland State has been one of the top offensive teams in the Horizon League, currently leading the league averaging 75.6 points per game while ranking second with a .465 field goal percentage. Through the first 25 games, the Vikings have tallied 70+ points 20 times, and currently own a 13.5 scoring margin.
…MAPLES & PERDUE LEADING THE CHARGE
Twenty-five games into the 2023-24 campaign, Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue have been leading the Cleveland State offense, as this duo has accounted for 44-percent of the Vikings' scoring on the year. Entering Thursday's game, three Horizon League players have eclipsed the 400-point mark for the season, with Maples (413) and Perdue (420) being two of them. Combined, Maples and Perdue have tallied 19 20-point games on the year.
PERDUE FROM BEHIND-THE-ARC
After notching a pair of three-pointers against Wright State last time out, Mickayla Perdue continues to lead the league averaging 2.3 three-pointers per game. Through 25 games played, Perdue has 57 total three-pointers on the year, while shooting 39-percent from behind-the-arc. So far this season, Perdue has tallied at least one three-pointer in 19 games, including a season-high 7-for-8 performance against Green Bay earlier this month.
VILLALOBOS WITH THE STEAL
Through 25 games played Carmen Villalobos leads the Horizon League with 58 total steals on the year. Villalobos has been part of a Viking defense that has held its opponents to a .386 clip on the year - the second lowest field goal percentage for opponents among league teams. Averaging 2.3 steals per game, Villalobos has tallied at least one takeaway in all but one game this season, and notched a season-high tying five steals against Wright State last time out.
REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Entering Thursday's game, sophomore Jordana Reisma has 28 blocked shots on the year and 71 for her career. Reisma, who is one of five #HLWBB players with 25+ blocks on the year, has posted a block in 17 of 25 games this year. Reisma's 71 career blocks are just one block shy of earning her a spot in the CSU Career Record Book.
#HLWBB PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
So far this season Cleveland State has been recognized five times with weekly honors from the Horizon League - marking a season-high among league teams. Colbi Maples (Dec. 4, Jan. 22) and Mickayla Perdue (Jan. 15, Feb. 5) have picked up the honor twice, while Jordana Reisma (Dec. 26) has earned #HLWBB honors once.
LEO HONORED AT GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS AWARDS
Last month 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 is ranked ninth 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 13th.
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 533-174. Through six seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 117-58 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 close out its current homestand on Saturday, February 17, hostign Milwaukee at 12:00 p.m.
