SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will return to Horizon League play for a single game on Monday, December 16, traveling to Wright State for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Entering the matchup, the Vikings are 8-2 overall this season and 2-0 in league play, while Wright State is currently 2-7 on the year and 0-2 to begin #HLWBB play.
 
A WIN ON MONDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings seven straight wins…Keep Cleveland State perfect during the month of December…Improve the Vikings to 3-0 in #HLWBB play this season.
 
THE CLEVELAND STATE/WRIGHT STATE SERIES
Monday's game will mark the 87th meeting between the two teams, with the series knotted at 43-43. Cleveland State is currently on a five-game win streak against the Raiders, including a pair of wins in the season series last year. 
 
VIKINGS RETURN TO #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State will return to Horizon League play on Monday, looking to stay perfect in #HLWBB play and improve to 3-0. Entering their second week of league play, the Vikings are one of five teams to be undefeated in league action, while a win on Monday would put CSU at 3-0 to start league play for the third time over the last four seasons.
 
…VIKINGS SELECTED AS #HLWBB PRESEASON FAVORITES
Earlier this season, the Vikings were selected as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League, picking up 117 points and seven first place votes. This marked the first time in program history that Cleveland State was selected as the preseason favorite, while it marked the fourth time that they were ranked in the top-two heading into a season.
 
LAST TIME OUT…
The Vikings extended their current home win streak to 28 straight games, picking up a 78-59 victory over Bethune-Cookman inside Woodling Gymnasium. Cleveland State's 28 consecutive home wins ranks them third among Division I teams (South Carolina-62, FGCU-37), and dates back to February 2, 2023.
 
BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Monday's game at Wright State will mark the sixth of 17 road games for the Vikings this season, and the first #HLWBB contest on the road during the 2024-25 campaign. Through the first six weeks of the season the Vikings have traveled over 3,100 miles for five road games, owning a 3-2 record during this stretch.
 
…BUSY STRETCH AHEAD
Cleveland State will see its busiest stretch of the 2024-25 campaign this week, playing three games over six days - all of which will be road games. After playing at Wright State on Monday, the Vikings will travel to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Clasico, taking on Morgan State (December 19) and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (December 21) before taking a couple days off for the Holiday Break.
 
VIKINGS EXTEND WIN STREAK & REMAIN PERFECT DURING DECEMBER
With Friday's win over Bethune-Cookman, Cleveland State remained perfect during the month of December (3-0), while also extending its current win streak to six straight games. The six consecutive wins leads all league teams, while it marks the sixth straight season that the Vikings have had a win streak of 6+ games.
 
REISMA TALLIES CAREER-HIGH AGAINST BETHUNE-COOKMAN
Last time out, Jordana Reisma recorded a career-high 25 points against Bethune-Cookman, going 11-for-13 from the floor. The 11 made field goals marked a career-high for the junior, while she also added seven rebounds and four blocked shots on the night, moving into a tie for sixth place on the CSU Career Record List with 90 total blocks.
 
…AND EFFICIENT FROM THE FIELD
Entering Monday's game against Wright State, Jordana Reisma continues to be Cleveland State's most efficient offensive player, shooting 71-percent from the field going 58-for-81 through 10 games played. Among Division I players, Reisma ranks second with her .716 clip, while she currently sits at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .580 field goal percentage (280-for-482) for her career.
 
PERDUE NOTCHES SEVENTH 20-POINT GAME OF THE YEAR
Last time out, Mickayla Perdue recorded her seventh 20-point game of the season, finishing with 22 points against Bethune-Cookman. Perdue, who has recorded 20+ points in back-to-back games, is averaging 22.0 points per game to lead all Horizon League scorers. Nationally, Perdue is tied for ninth in scoring, while she is one of only 15 Division I players with 215+ points so far this season.
 
GUERREIRO ON THE BOARDS
Entering Monday's contest at Wright State Sara Guerreiro leads all league players averaging 8.6 rebounds per game on the season. Through 10 games, Guerreiro has grabbed a team-best 86 rebounds, including a pair of 10+ rebound performances against Chicago State (13) and Northern Kentucky (16). As a team, the Vikings are averaging a league-best 41.3 boards per game, holding a 7.6 rebound margin on the year.
 
HIGH POWERED OFFENSE
Through the first six weeks of the 2024-25 campaign, Cleveland State has been one of the highest scoring teams in the Horizon League, averaging 78.9 points per game. The Vikings, who have tallied 75+ points six times this season, lead the league with a .478 field goal percentage on the year. So far this season, the Vikings have shot 50-percent or better from the field four times, including a .547 clip against Bethune-Cookman in their last outing.
 
VIKINGS SHARING THE BALL
Cleveland State has done a great job of spreading the offense so far this season, averaging a league-best 16.0 assists per game. Last time out, the Vikings finished with 17 assists, marking the seventh straight game with 15+ helpers and eighth overall this year. Individually, Sara Guerreiro ranks second among league players averaging 4.8 assists per game, while Mickayla Perdue is averaging 3.9 to rank fourth.
 
CLEVELAND STATE FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Through 10 games played this season, the Vikings rank fourth nationally averaging 19.0 free throws made per game. For the season, Cleveland State has converted 190 free throws, including a season-best 33-for-41 performance against Chicago State last month. The Vikings are shooting at a .766 clip from the free throw line on the year, with the quartet of Mickayla Perdue (56-68), Sara Guerreiro (31-36), Destiny Leo (24-20), and Macey Fegan (10-11) all shooting 80-percent or better.
 
VIKINGS IN THE RANKINGS
Cleveland State entered the sixth week of the 2024-25 campaign ranked 12th in the latest edition of the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of two Horizon League teams to be in the current rankings, as Green Bay sits 21st in this week's top-25, while Purdue Fort Wayne and Detroit Mercy are receiving votes.
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of seventh-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who currently owns a career head coaching record of 549-178. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 133-62, with his 100th victory as a Viking coming in a 95-41 decision over Chicago State last season. Under his guidance, Cleveland State has posted four 20-win seasons, including a program-record 30 wins during the 2023-24 campaign.
 
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will close out the week by traveling to Puerto Rico to take on Morgan State (December 19) and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (December 21) as part of the Puerto Rico Clasico.