Vikings Head Back on The Road For Contest at Wright State

CSU In Four-Way Tie for First Place in Horizon League

Angel Roque is averaging 11.8 points per game over the last four contests.

Jan. 25, 2010

• Purchase Tickets
• Ticket Information
• Special Promotions
• CSU Hoops Luncheon Series
• Family Value Saturday's
• Birthday and Team Parties
• Jr. Viking Kids Club
• Women's Basketball on Twitter

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME 19

Cleveland State (10-8, 5-2) at Wright State (5-12, 1-6)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
Site: Nutter Center (11,019) - Fairborn, Ohio
TV: Live video streaming available online through the Horizon League Network. Links to video available at CSUVikings.com.
Audio: None
Series: CSU leads, 29-24
Last Mtg: @CSU 51, WSU 43 (2/19/09)
Tickets: Available at site

CSU single game and season tickets are available by calling the Wolstein Center Ticket Office at (216) 687-4848 or by contacting Ticketmaster.

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State heads back on the road for the first time in two weeks when the Vikings travel to Wright State for a 5:00 p.m. contest on Thursday (Jan. 28) in the Nutter Center. The Vikings, who have won four straight and five of their last six to improve to 10-8, are in a four-way tie for first place in the Horizon League with Green Bay, Detroit and Butler at 5-2. CSU's win streak reached four with a 57-43 victory over Youngstown State on Friday (Jan. 22) night. Wright State is 5-12 overall and 1-6 in league play following losses at Butler (77-61) and Valparaiso (59-52) last week.

PREVIEWING CLEVELAND STATE: With four starters and eight letterwinners back from last year's 19 win team, seventh year head coach Kate Peterson Abiad has her most experienced squad to date. Headlining the list of returnees is senior guard and the Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year, Kailey Klein (15.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.4 apg). Joining her in the starting backcourt are senior Jessica Roque (7.2, 2.9, 3.1) and junior Shawnita Garland (13.1, 4.3, 4.2), who joined Klein on the preseason all-league first team. Senior Angel Roque (7.3, 2.4, 2.3) gives the Vikings an experienced point guard, while freshman Honesty King (3.5 ppg) is working her way into the rotation after redshirting last season. Sophomore Janelle Adams (4.7, 4.5) is an athletic wing-forward who is being counted on to fill a bigger role this season and sophomore guard Takima Keane (2.4, 0.6) is beginning to receive more minutes as a wing-forward combo. Senior Stephaine Crosley (7.3, 5.9) is the most experienced post player on the roster and is joined in the starting frontcourt by freshman Shalonda Winton (7.3, 6.2). Sophomore Destinee Blue (2.3, 2.2) provides CSU with a low post presence off the bench, while reshman Kailey Montgomery is continuing to work her way back from a knee injury that forced her to redshirt last season.

KLEIN SCHOOL RECORD SCORING WATCH (52): With her five points against Youngstown State on Friday (Jan. 22), Kailey Klein raised her career scoring total to 1,800 points, maintaining her hold on third place on the all-time scoring list at CSU. Klein needs five points to move past Audra Cook (1,805) into second place and 52 points to become the all-time scoring leader in school history (Dianne Foster; 1,851).

SIXTH SENSE: Senior Angel Roque is making a strong case for the Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year Award. Roque, often referred to by head coach Kate Peterson Abiad as the "sixth starter", is averaging 7.3 points and 2.3 assists in 25.6 minutes per game. She has stepped up her play over the last four contests, averaging 11.8 points per game and shooting .548 (17-31) from the field. The streak began when Roque scored 12 points at UIC and continued with 14 points versus Butler, eight against Valparaiso and 13 against Youngstown State.

WINTON DOUBLES UP: Freshman Shalonda Winton put together one of her best all-around efforts to date in Friday's (Jan. 22) win over Youngstown State, notching her first career double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds and adding a career-high tying three steals. Her 13 rebounds were one shy of equaling her career-high of 14 set against Indiana (Dec. 19).

GAME NO. 113 NEXT FOR KLEIN & ROQUE: When seniors Kailey Klein and Jessica Roque take the court on Thursday night, it will be the 113th game in each of their CSU careers. With at least 12 games left this season, the duo is on pace to break the school record for games played in a career, currently 120 by graduate manager Brittany Korth (2004-08). The 113 games played will tie the duo for eighth place all-time at CSU.

... AND START NO. 100 NEXT FOR KLEIN: When Kailey Klein is announced as a starter for Thursday's game, it will be the 100th start of her career, moving her into sole possession of third place on the all-time list at CSU. Klein, who came off the bench for the first 13 games of her career, will run her streak of consecutive starts to 100.

ADAMS RETURNS TO LINEUP: After missing five games with a sprained left ankle suffered on Jan. 3, sophomore Janelle Adams was back in the lineup for the Vikings on Friday against Youngstown State. Adams played four minutes, missing both of her field goal attempts and making one steal.

NICE COMEBACK: CSU trailed Valparaiso by eight points (44-36) at halftime on Jan. 16, but rallied for a 71-68 victory. It marked just the second time this season that the Vikings won a game when trailing at the half and the largest halftime deficit overcome this year. The only other game CSU won when trailing at the half was against Indiana when the Vikings went into the locker room down 34-33. The Vikings won 77-75 in overtime after being down by six with under one minute to play.

GARLAND SETS CAREER-HIGH: Shawnita Garland scored a career-high 24 points in the win over Valparaiso (Jan. 16), hitting 8-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point and 6-of-8 at the free throw line. Her previous career-high was 23 points which was set multiple times, including earlier this year at Wisconsin (Nov. 22).

BELIEVE IT OR NOT: CSU's win over Valparaiso on Jan. 16 marked the first time in program history that the Vikings defeated the Crusaders in Cleveland. The Vikings are now 1-8 all-time against Valpo at home.

ON THE GLASS: CSU enters the week with a league-leading +1.9 rebounding margin this season, having outrebounded their opponents in 10 of the 18 games this year. The Vikings have only had six seasons in program history when they have held a positive rebounding margin, including last year when they finished at +1.7. CSU is currently on pace to post back-to-back positive rebounding marks for just the second time in school history (1978-79 & 1979-80).

AT THE LINE: CSU struggled at the free throw line during the nonconference season, shooting just .641 (145-226). However, with head coach Kate Peterson Abiad putting more and more emphasis on free throws at practices, the Vikings have improved in Horizon League play, hitting .740 (97-131) from the free throw line.

... AND EVEN BETTER OVER THE LAST FOUR: The Vikings have been near flawless at the charity stripe over the last four games, hitting 61-of-76 (.803) attempts. Included in that total was a 7-for-8 effort at UIC (Jan. 9) in the final minute that helped seal the win.

HOT, HOT, HOT: Cleveland State shot a season-best .534 from the field on against Butler (Jan. 14), hitting 31-of-58 from the field. It was just the second time that CSU shot better than 50-percent from the field this season with the first time coming in a loss at Wisconsin (Nov. 22) when the Vikings shot .510 (25-49). CSU shot a sizzling .567 (17-30) in the first half against the Bulldogs and hit .500 (14-28) from the floor in the second half.

LIGHTING UP THE BOARD: The Vikings hot shooting against Butler allowed them to set a season-best for points scored (81), bettering the old mark of 77 set against Indiana (Dec. 19) in an overtime win.

... KLEIN NEARS A TRIPLE DOUBLE: For the second time this season, Kailey Klein flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high tying eight assists against Butler (Jan. 14). Earlier this season, Klein had 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in a win at Niagara. There have been five triple-doubles in program history with Ashley Schrock recording the last one with 13 points, 13 boards and 10 assists vs. Wright State (2/15/03).

LET'S PLAY TWO: It's too bad that the Vikings can't play more doubleheaders with the men's team as both squads are 11-2 in twinbills over the last three season after the women defeated Youngstown State and the men topped Green Bay on Friday (Jan. 22). The only blemishes on the women's record have come via Green Bay, while the men's squad has dropped contests to Wright State and West Virginia.

KLEIN MAINTAINS SCORING LEAD: Kailey Klein's five point effort on Friday allowed her to maintain her lead in Horizon League scoring race at 0.2 points over Green Bay's Kayla Tetschlag (15.9-15.7). Klein has finished as the runner-up for the league scoring title in each of the last two seasons. Her 28 point efforts against Indiana (Dec. 19) and at Loyola (Jan. 7) are the most points scored by a Horizon League player this season.

KLEIN LIKES THE LEAGUE: To say Kailey Klein has been on a roll since Horizon League play opened up would be an understatement. In seven league games this season, Klein is averaging 18.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game with three double-doubles. She is shooting .426 (43-101) from the field and .824 (28-34) at the free throw line. For good measure, Klein has chipped in 13 steals, 17 assists and four blocked shots.

NCAA STATS: The most recent NCAA statistics were released on Monday (Jan. 25) and CSU was well represented. The Vikings are ranked 23rd in assists (16.2), 56th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.88) and 88th in steals (8.8). Individually, Kailey Klein is 104th in scoring (15.9), while Shawnita Garland is 77th in steals (2.4), 82nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.55) and 98th in assists (4.2).

WINTON PASSES HER BOARDS: Shalonda Winton has done a more than admirable job for the Vikings in her first season, especially on the glass, where she is 10th in the Horizon League with 6.2 rebounds per game. Winton, who has grabbed at least five rebounds in 16 of the 18 contests, registered a career-high 14 boards versus Indiana (Dec 19).

A HELPING HAND: Despite having her streak of scoring in double figures snapped at nine at UIC (Jan. 9), Shawnita Garland had a huge effect on the game as she dished out a career-high eight assists. Even more impressive was that Garland did not have a single turnover.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: CSU has excelled at offensive rebounding this season, as the Vikings lead the league with 15.3 per game. CSU has grabbed at least 10 offensive rebounds in 17 of 18 games this season, including 22 at Eastern Michigan and 21 against Ohio and Kent State. Shalonda Winton ranks second in the league in offensive rebounding (2.9), while Stephaine Crosley is close behind in fifth (2.8).

CROSLEY NETS CAREER HIGH: Stephaine Crosley scored a career-high 16 points at Eastern Michigan on Dec. 29. Crosley, who bettered her old career-high of 15 points from her first collegiate game, added eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. Making her performance more impressive was that she missed practice the day before, battling flu-like symptoms.

SHE'S A STEAL: Shawnita Garland has made a Horizon League most 44 steals this season, ranking first in the league statistics with 2.4 per game. Garland made a league single-game most nine steals at Eastern Michigan (Dec. 29), tying her for the fourth most steals in a game in school history.

2K FOR DOUBLE K: Kailey Klein is 200 points shy of becoming the third player in Horizon League history to score 2,000 career points. Former Milwaukee standout Traci Edwards (2005-09) is the all-time leading scorer in league history with 2,340 points, while former Butler great Julie VonDielingen (1989-93) ranks second in the Horizon League annals with 2,018 points.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK (7x): Kailey Klein's Horizon League Player of the Week selection on Jan. 18 made her the most honored player in CSU history with seven, moving her past Audra Cook who earned the award six times. Klein's seventh weekly award moved her into a tie for fifth place for the most career awards in league annals. Milwaukee's Traci Edwards earned the honor a record 10 times, while Green Bay's Nicole Soulis is second with nine. Carol Madsen of Xavier and Julie VonDielingen of Butler are tied for the third with eight awards each.

VIKINGS BUST BCS: CSU's win over Indiana (Dec. 19) was its first over a Bowl Championship Series Conference opponent since Dec. 30, 1996, when the Vikings knocked off Syracuse, 79-77. CSU defeated Louisville, 79-68, on Dec. 18, 2003, but the Cardinals were then a member of Conference USA. Prior to the win over Indiana, CSU had lost 18 straight to BCS schools, or those with major college football.

QUITE A STEAL: CSU has been at its best on the defensive end of the court, ranking second in the Horizon League in steals with 9.5 per game. Shawnita Garland leads the league with 2.4 steals per game, making a league-most 44. Kailey Klein (30), Angel Roque (25) and Stephaine Crosley (25) each also have at least 25 steals.

ROQUE EN FUEGO IN MEXICO: Jessica Roque did a majority of her damage against Iona (Nov. 27) from behind the three-point line, connecting on a school-record tying seven three's in eight attempts. Her .875 (7-8) percentage from beyond the arc was a CSU single game record, while Roque's seven three pointers were the most by a CSU player since Omega Harrington hit seven vs. Green Bay on Jan. 16, 2006.

KLEIN AFTER FOURTH SCORING CROWN: Kailey Klein is attempting to become the second player in school history to lead the team in scoring in four straight seasons. Klein, who averaged 11.0 points as a freshman, 19.9 points as a sophomore and 16.9 last season, would join Debra Taylor (1987-91) as the only players in school history with four straight scoring titles.

ELITE GROUP: Kailey Klein is one of two players in school history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 field goals made and 250 assists, joining Audra Cook.

THE DEFENSE DOES NOT REST: Cleveland State's defense was at its best against Ohio in the season opener on Nov. 13, holding the Bobcats to 34 points It was the fewest give up by a Viking team since a 62-24 win over Ashland on Feb. 8, 1983.

UP NEXT: CSU heads to Detroit for a 1:30 p.m. contest on Saturday (Jan. 30) in the Vikings final game of the first round of league action.