After taking a full week off for finals, the Wright State Raiders women’s basketball team (2-7, 0-2 Horizon) will be back on the court as they try to end a three-game losing streak on Monday, December 16 as they host the Cleveland State Vikings (8-2, 2-0 Horizon) – who are winners of five in a row – at 7pm at the Nutter Center.
Last time out: Kari Hoffman’s crew are coming off a tough 74-60 loss on December 6 at Oakland, who’s biggest lead was 19. In the first quarter of the game, redshirt freshman Rylee Sagester hit a pair of three-pointers 32 seconds apart to give WSU the 18-15 lead after one. But Oakland’s Lianna Baxter scored five of the first seven points of the second quarter to give the Golden Grizzlies the upper hand at 20-19 and the lead was never relinquished after that. The Raider bench scored 70 of the team’s 51 points. Sagester recorded a career-high of 17 on 5-of-11 shooting from downtown, while Chloe Chard Peloquin had 13, Ellie Magestro-Kennedy had nine, Abbie Riddle had eight, and Olivia Brown had four points along with a career-high 10 assists.
The starters shot an abysmal 20 percent (6-of-30) from the field, but it wasn’t Amaya Staton’s fault as she finished as the only Raider starter in double-figure scoring with 11 points (3-of-5 FG) plus five rebounds and a steal. However, Staton played only 12 minutes due to picking up four fouls.
Oakland was led by Maddy Skorupski who flirted with a triple-double of 21 points, five rebounds and eight assists, but she did shoot 7-of-20 from the field. Macy Smith scored 16 and hit 3-of-5 shots from three land, while Baxter had 14 points off the bench.
About the opponent: The Cleveland State Vikings, who are the defending Horizon League Regular Season Champions, were picked to finish atop the standings again before this season started. They finished 29-6 overall last season and won 18 of 20 games against conference opponents. One of the best mid-major teams in the country over the past several seasons, there have been some tough breaks in terms of injuries, with the last two defending Horizon League Players of the Year tearing their ACLs: Destiny Leo last season on November 25, 2023 against Kansas City; and now Colbi Maples this season on November 12 last month against Bowling Green.
Most of CSU’s talent from last season, besides Leo and Maples, have returned as well. They are led by point guard Mickayla Perdue – who leads the Horizon League in minutes per game (33.1), free throws made (56), and free throws attempted (68); and she is also tied for 9th in the country in points per game (22.0). Sara Guerreiro (12.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 1.3 spg, 86.1% FT) is the conference’s leader in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.53). Jordana Reisma (14.7 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.3 bpg) has the second-best field-goal percentage in all of women’s college basketball (71.6%). Their fifth starter is forward Macey Fegan who transferred from Toledo, the team that actually beat Cleveland State in the First Round of last year’s WNIT. Fegan currently ranks 10th in the Horizon League in steals per game (1.4).
Cleveland State head coach profile: Chris Kielsmeier is in his eighth season as the head coach of the Vikings and is already the second-winningest coach in program history (133). He started his head coaching career at Howard Payne University, where he won 179 games in eight seasons (2000-08) and led them to a NCAA Division III National Championship in 2008. He then spent ten seasons at Division II Wayne State University (2008-18), where he won 237 games and led his squad to the 2012 Elite Eight.
Staton her case: Staton currently leads the Horizon League in both total rebound percentage (21.7) and player efficiency rating (34.2). She’s also second in rebounds per game (8.3), tied for third in blocks per game (1.2), and eighth in free-throw percentage (78%). Ironically, she started her NCAA career at Cleveland State, where she played in nine games as a freshman in the 2020-21 season.
Wright State starting lineup – per game averages
• Amaya Staton, F (6-1, Gr., Merrimack transfer) – 11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 62.5 FG (35/56), 78% FT (32/41)
• Claire Henson, G (5-10, Jr.) – 10.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.8 spg, 43.5% 3-PT
• Makiya Miller, G (5-7, Jr.) – 7.7 ppg, spg
• Lauren Scott, G (5-7, Jr.) — 5.4 ppg, 23.8 mpg in five games (three starts)
• Macie Taylor, G (5-7, R-Soph.) – 10.2 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 78.9% FT (15/19)
Wright State rotation players – per game averages
• Olivia Brown, G (5-7, R-Soph., Akron transfer) – 3.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg; started six games while Scott was out with a knee injury
• Chloe Chard Peloquin, C (6-3, Jr., Canisius transfer) – 5.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, bpg
• Rylee Sagester, G (5-7, R-Fr.) – 6.3 ppg, 38.5% 3-PT (15/39)
• Ellie Magestro-Kennedy, G (5-7, R-Fr.) – 5.1 ppg, 38.5% 3-PT; in eight games
• Abbie Riddle, G (5-10, R-Fr., Bowling Green transfer) – 2.6 ppg, 12 mpg in five games
• Florrie Cotterill 🏴, F (6-2, Fr.) – 0.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg in seven games
Rest of the Wright State roster: https://wsuraiders.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster
Cleveland State starting lineup – per game averages
• Jordana Reisma, F (6-3, Jr.) – 14.7 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 0.9 spg, 81.8% FT (18/22);
• Macey Fegan, F (5-11, Soph., Toledo transfer) – 5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.4 spg, 90.9% FT (10/11)
• Destiny Leo, G (5-10, Gr.) – 11.3 ppg, 80% FT (24/30), 40.9% 3-PT
• Sara Guerreiro 🇵🇹, G (5-10, Gr.) – 12.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.5 spg, 86.1% FT (31/36)
• Mickayla Perdue, G (5-6, Gr.) – 22 ppg, 3.9 apg, spg, 82.4% FT (56/68); begun her career at NCAA Division II Glenville State before transferring to Toledo
Cleveland State rotation players – per game averages
• Mya Moore, F (5-11, Jr.) – 2.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.6 bpg; started her NCAA career at Seattle University
• Filippa Goula 🇬🇷, G (5-6, Gr.) – 2 ppg, 0.3 spg in nine games; begun her career at St. Francis (PA) before transferring to Northeastern Junior College
• Grace Ellis 🇦🇺, F (6-0, 5th-year) – 1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg; begun her NCAA career at Wyoming
• Paulina Hernandez, F (6-0, Soph.) – 1.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg in nine games
• Sarah Hurley, G (6-1, Soph.) – 0.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg in eight games (two starts)
• Kali Howard, F (5-11, Sr.) – 1.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Rest of the Cleveland State roster: https://csuvikings.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster
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