Feb. 23, 2001

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Vikings Stop Slide: With their win Thursday, the Vikings matched their regular season win total from last season and eclipsed their MCC victory total...seniors Mahogany Green, Kate Harker, Venus Harmeyer and Bridget Oberer will be recognized today in a pregame ceremony...Butler leads the all-time series with CSU by a 9-3 margin, although the Vikings won 73-63 in Indianapolis on Jan. 25...senior forward Valerie Burg leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 12.5 ppg, while junior forward Kelly Kuhn averages 11.6 ppg and an MCC-leading 9.7 rpg...Butler has lost seven of its last eight contests...a win this afternoon would assure CSU of its third consecutive non-losing season, a feat surpassed just once in school history -- from 1977-81 (four seasons)...junior center Kim Brockway is probable for today's contests with a badly bruised right knee...a win today, coupled with a UIC loss at UW-Milwaukee would assure CSU of no lower than the four seed at the MCC tourney.

The First Time Around: Despite going the final 6:41 without a field goal, Cleveland State held on to defeat Butler, 73-63, in front of 1,012 fans in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 25. The Vikings knocked down 24-of-28 free throws for the game, including their last 10, to pick up their first-ever win at Butler in six tries. Venus Harmeyer paced CSU with 17 points and four assists, while Tonya Crum added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Abby Scharlow joined Harmeyer and Crum in double-digits with 14 points. Butler's Kelly Kuhn posted game-highs of 19 points and 16 rebounds for her MCC-leading seventh double-double of the season. Valerie Burg added 14 points for the Bulldogs. CSU was out-shot 42-34 percent from the field for the game, but forced 24 turnovers (courtesy of a season-high 16 steals) that led to 31 points. In addition, the Vikings shot twice as many free throws as Butler (11-of-14) to offset 24 Bulldog points in the paint.

Shooting Worries: While a team that is noted for shooting three-pointers can never be expected to lead the nation in field goal percentage, the Vikings have struggled from the floor in MCC play. In 13 non-conference contests, CSU shot a respectable 41 percent from the field, including a .315 mark from behind the arc. However, in a dozen MCC contests, the Vikings have made more than 40 percent of their shots just three times -- both contests against Wright State and versus Loyola on Jan. 18. Of the seven players with at least 30 attempts in conference play, just two -- Kim Brockway and Tonya Crum -- are shooting above 40 percent.

On Tap: Following today's contest, the Vikings will travel to Detroit on Thursday, Mar. 1 for the final regular season game. CSU won the first match-up, 91-77, in Cleveland.

Vikings Knock Off Raiders: Cleveland State (13-12, 6-6 MCC) defeated Wright State (6-18, 3-8 MCC) by a 72-59 margin in action Thursday night in Goodman Arena. With the victory, CSU equaled its regular season win total from last year and exceeded its MCC victory total. The Vikings opened up a 26-8 lead with 6:26 left in the first half, as the Raiders committed 15 turnovers that led to 14 CSU points. WSU slowly chipped away at the deficit, cutting the Vikings' lead to just seven five minutes into the second stanza. However, a 16-0 run by CSU over the next five minutes put the game out of reach. "Two more wins and we're third in the conference and that's what it's all about -- getting the best possible seed for the [MCC] tournament," noted CSU head coach Duffy Burns. "We got up big, but unfortunately didn't play well in stretches and let them get back into the game. Give Wright State credit though, they never quit." Senior guard Bridget Oberer (Chillicothe, Ohio/Teays Valley) paced the Vikings with 13 points and four assists. Junior forward Tonya Crum (Lodi, Wis./Sun Prairie) narrowly missed her sixth double with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. WSU was led by senior forward Reggen Stewart's 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Freshman forward Iesha Gray added 10 points. For the game, CSU shot 43 percent from the floor while holding WSU to just 34 percent. In addition, the Vikings held a 39-33 rebound margin.

Noting Coach Burns: Cleveland State Head Coach Duffy Burns is now in his sixth year at the helm of the Vikings. CSU has posted a 78-87 (.473) mark under his direction, and last season advanced to the first conference championship game in school history. In addition, in 1998-99 Burns directed CSU to the school's first winning record since 1983-84 when the Vikings went 19-8 under Alice Khol -- a span of 15 years. CSU has led the MCC in three-point shooting all five years Burns has been the head coach, while posting an impressive conference record of 8-6 in both 1997-98 and 1998-99.

A Glance At The Staff: Burns' staff is rounded out by Deb Roof, Erica Floyd and LeAnna Hicks. Roof is in her eighth year at Cleveland State -- and in her third term as the top assistant. She played for CSU from 1987-91 and is 14th all-time with 231 assists. Floyd is in her third year on the staff after spending the previous four seasons at Kent State. She graduated in 1993 from Ohio State and was a two-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes. Hicks, the graduate assistant for the second straight season, completed an outstanding four-year career at Cleveland State in 1999. She finished as the all-time leader in three-point field goals with 162 and is also in the top 15 in points (1,059-12th) and assists (343-4th).

Triple Threat: After setting the school record last year for three-pointers in a season (231) and game (17 vs. Loyola 2/19), the Vikes are once again atop the conference at 7.72 bombs per game (3rd in the nation as of Feb. 19). The Vikings have led the MCC each of Duffy Burns' five years in Cleveland and led the nation in 1996 with 8.5 threes per game. In addition, CSU has made a three-pointer in 241 straight contests -- ranking behind only Louisville's current 289-game run in NCAA annals.

80's Enough: In the six seasons since Duffy Burns arrived in Cleveland, the Vikings have hit his self-proclaimed "magic number" of 80 points 45 times in 165 games (27%). Of those 45 contests, CSU has been victorious on 41 occasions (91%). All four losses were to conference opponents: UW-Milwaukee (2/17/96), Butler (2/24/96) and Detroit (1/30/97 & 2/5/00). The Vikings are 7-0 this season when topping 80 points.

On The Rebound: Last year, the Vikings were out-rebounded in 22-of-30 contests. However, that didn't seem to bother CSU too much, as evidenced by its -38 rebound margin in its improbable three-game run to the MCC title tilt. This season, the Vikings have out-rebounded 11-of-25 foes, going 8-3 in those contests. After finishing last in the MCC in 1999-00 in rebound margin, the Vikings currently rank fifth.

Ramblin' Woman: Junior forward Tonya Crum is playing her first season in a CSU uniform since transferring from Loyola Chicago following the 1998-99 campaign. Crum's redshirt season was a rough one, as she had to deal with mononucleosis and tearing the ACL in her left knee. As a sophomore, she was named first team All-MCC after finishing sixth in the conference in scoring (12.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (8.4). Currently, she is ranks among the MCC leaders in scoring (8.2-27th), rebounding (6.8-5th) and field goal pct. (.473-8th). In addition, she has posted five double-doubles in CSU's last 10 contests. In 12 MCC contests she is averaging 9.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg, which rank 20th and 2nd, respectively.

Apple Of Their Eye: A glance at senior Bridget Oberer's game-by-game stats reveals that she did not play in CSU's road games at Butler and Illinois-Chicago. Injuries haven't kept her from the court, rather student teaching obligations have. She works during the week at an elementary school in Lakewood.

No Barnburners Here: In 1999-2000, 18 of CSU's 30 games were decided by less than 10 points, with the Vikings winning eight. However, so far this season 16-of-25 games have been double-digit margins of victory. CSU's 13 wins have come by an average of 15.8 points a game, while the Vikings' 12 losses have been by an average of 11.2 points a game. CSU's defense is the big reason for the discrepancy, as its opponents are shooting just 38 percent in Viking wins, but 44 percent in losses.

Green Steps Up: There's a saying that goes: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." Senior forward Mahogany Green is living proof that this is true. She currently ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (15.4), second in assists (4.32) and fifth in steals (2.04). In addition, despite measuring just 5-9, she is second in the MCC in both rebounds (7.7) and double-doubles (seven), trailing only Butler's Kelly Kuhn who stands 6-3 (9.7 rpg and nine double-doubles).

Twin Towers: Kim Brockway (6-4) and Karyn Woloszynek (6-3) are doing their best to make life in the paint miserable for CSU's opponents. The pair has combined for 69 blocks -- more than every other team in the MCC but Butler (85) and Loyola (82). In her third season, Brockway ranks second at Cleveland State with 151 career blocks. Her total of 73 swats last season equaled the school record set by Jessica Toth in 1995-96.

Harmeyer Heats Up: In 13 non-conference contests, Venus Harmeyer scored in double-digits just four times and averaged just 7.5 ppg. However, the conference leader in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.69) has scored in double-digits in seven of CSU's 12 MCC games, including a season-high 17 at Butler. In conference play, she is averaging 9.8 ppg, 3.42 apg and has knocked down a team-best 23 three-pointers.

Injury Equals Opportunity: Erika Roudebush's sprained ankle on Jan. 2 has given freshman Abby Scharlow the opportunity to see more playing time in the 14 games since, including eight starts. She has responded by averaging 10.2 ppg and 2.71 spg, while committing just 21 turnovers. She has scored double-digits in six of the games and broke out for a career-best 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor in CSU's win over Loyola on Jan. 18.

Shooting Guard Gets Rowdy: Sophomore guard Erika Roudebush is going to have a tough time topping her opening weekend. After coming off the bench all of last season, Roudebush started the first 11 contests this season (before spraining her ankle) as the two guard and responded with a pair of career-highs. In the season-opener against Ohio State, she torched the nets for a career-best 21 points and followed that two days later with a game-high 22 against Niagara. She currently ranks among the MCC leaders in scoring (17th), field goal pct. (13th), three-point field goal pct. (7th) and three-pointers (10th).

Green Breaks Loose: Senior forward Mahogany Green etched her name into the Cleveland State record books in the Feb. 3 win against Detroit, to earn MCC Player of the week honors for the first time in her career. She connected on 13-of-25 field goals en route to scoring a career-high 37 points - the highest total in the MCC this season and tied for the third-highest output in CSU history. In addition, Green matched her own school record with seven three-pointers on 14 attempts. She also added eight rebounds, three assists and a career-high tying two blocks. When Detroit cut CSU's lead to just five at the 17:35 mark of the second half, Green scored 13 consecutive points for the Vikings over the next four minutes to push the lead back to double-digits.

Center Of Attention: On Dec. 11, junior center Kim Brockway earned MCC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career (Jan. 3, 2000). Brockway helped direct the Vikings to a pair of wins during the week. At Akron, she tallied 11 points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks in just 17 minutes as CSU blew out the Zips. She followed that up three days later by going 7-of-10 both from the field and the free throw line en route to 21 points (just one shy of her career-high), as the Vikings edged IUPUI. Brockway also added four rebounds and two blocks against the Jaguars.

No. 23 Becomes No. 15: On Nov. 25 against Prairie View A & M, senior forward Mahogany Green became the 15th player in the 27-year history of CSU women's basketball to score 1,000 career points. Green scored the historic point with a free throw at the 5:44 mark of the first half. Her performance against the Panthers helped earn her a spot on the All-Tournament team. Then on Jan. 6 in CSU's win over Belmont, she pulled down her 500th rebound, to become just the ninth Viking with 1,000 points and 500 boards.

Green Makes History: It's hard to imagine, but senior forward Mahogany Green accomplished something against Niagara on Nov. 19 that only one other player had done in a combined 97 seasons of men's and women's basketball at Cleveland State. Green posted a triple-double against the Purple Eagles, tallying 16 points, 13 rebounds and a career-best 10 assists. Sue Koziol is the only other player to have notched a triple-double, pulling off the feat twice in 1983.

Indiana Quintet: On Nov. 14 Duffy Burns announced the signing of five recruits to National Letters of Intent -- Indiana natives Jill Barnbrook (South Bend, Ind/John Adams), Kate Doll (Granger, Ind./Penn), Nikki Perkins (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson), Maria Rickards (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) and Mandy Sichting (Martinsville, Ind./Martinsville) all inked with the Vikings during the early signing period. All five were slated as preseason All-State picks by Hoosier Basketball Magazine and Barnbrook, Doll, Rickards and Sichting were each listed among the top 750 players in the nation by All-Star Girls Report.

She Takes Charity: Sophomore shooting guard Erika Roudebush is having a fantastic year shooting the ball. Not only is she shooting .450 from the floor and .357 from the three-point line, but she is blistering the net at a .909 (40-for-44) clip from the free throw line. Her string of consecutive free throws was snapped at 23 versus Loyola (Jan. 18). The school record of 26 was set by April Cunningham in 1996-97.

Century Club: Cleveland State's 101-point outburst against Belmont marked the fourth time under Duffy Burns that the Vikings have topped the century mark and the sixth time in school history. CSU last scored 100 points on Nov. 16, 1998 when it defeated Chicago State 106-58.

In A Minute: Last year Audra Cook, Juli Grant and Mahogany Green each averaged over 30 minutes per game. This season Duffy Burns is able to utilize CSU's deeper bench, as Green is leading the team at just 29.3 minutes per game. In addition, eight other players are seeing at least 10 minutes of action.

Charitable Donations: The Vikings shot a solid .718 from the free throw line in their non-conference action -- much better than the school-record .696 set last year. However, since MCC play started, CSU has stepped it up a notch, knocking down freebies at a .753 clip. In the five games from Jan. 20 - Feb. 8 CSU was almost automatic, knocking down 114-of-135 (.844) from the charity stripe.

Taylor Goes Into Hall: On Jan. 20, Deb Taylor joined former cagers Laura Englehart, Sue Hlavacek and Sue Koziol in the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Taylor played for the Vikings from 1987-91, finishing with 1,748 points and 893 rebounds -- both of which rank third all-time at CSU. She is one of just two players to lead the Vikings in scoring four times and a three-time all-conference pick. Men's basketball players Eddie Bryant and Shawn Hood as well as baseball player Luis Martinez were also enshrined.

Baptiste Leaves Team: Sophomore center Nicole Baptiste (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) has decided to transfer from Cleveland State. She left the basketball team on Jan. 17, but will remain enrolled in classes through the end of the spring semester. In 11 contests for the Vikings this season, she averaged 4.5 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 11 minutes of action.