Jan. 5, 2007
Contact: Alan Ashby
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Game #17
at Loyola (2-11, 1-2 HL)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007
Site: Chicago, Ill.
Arena: Gentile Center (5,500)
Tip-off: 12:30 p.m. CST
Series: CSU leads, 17-9
Live Stats: www.CSUVikings.com
Watch: www.HorizonLeague.com
Listen: N/A
The Opening Tip
Cleveland State (4-12, 1-2 HL) wraps up its two-game swing through Chicago with a 12:30 p.m. CST tip at Loyola (2-11, 1-2 HL) on Saturday (Jan. 6). The Vikings and Ramblers are very familiar with each other, having squared off six times in the past two seasons.
The Series With Loyola
Cleveland State leads the all-time series with Loyola by a 17-9 margin, including a 7-7 mark in Chicago. With the squads battling in the opening round of the Horizon League championship each of the past two seasons, this marks the seventh meeting -- and CSU's fifth trip to the Gentile Center -- in less than two calendar years.
Noting The Vikings
CSU fell to 1-2 in the Horizon League with a 72-46 loss at UIC on Thursday evening. CSU employs a three-guard system, with junior Brittany Korth (7.4 ppg, 2.3 apg), and freshmen Kailey Klein (6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Jessica Roque (9.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg) handling the backcourt duties. The Vikings have been led in the post by senior Nicole Thomas, who is averaging 7.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. With freshman Stephaine Crosley (8.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) out indefinitely with a leg injury, sophomore center Stephanie Youdath (7.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.4 bpg) has moved into the starting line-up the last six games. Sophomores Dominique Butler (8.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.3 spg) and Natalie Miller (5.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and freshman Angel Roque (3.6 ppg, 2.3 apg) give the Vikings solid guard play off of the bench, while senior Chenara Wilson (3.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and junior Robyn Hoying (3.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg) provide depth in the front court.
Butler At It Again
After going without a steal in CSU's opening game, sophomore guard Dominique Butler made up for it in a big way against Niagara (Nov. 12) -- matching her career-high with eight thefts. Thanks to recording at least three steals in half of her 12 games played, Butler's 2.33 steals per game once again leads the Horizon League. Last year, she averaged 2.9 spg to lead the league and rank 20th in the nation.
...And Welcome Back
Due to the fact that she missed four games early in the year with a minor knee injury, Butler was not eligible to be ranked in the Horizon League stats until the conclusion of Thursday's game. Now having played the required 75 percent of CSU's games, the Milwaukee, Wis. native not only leads the league in steals, but is 14th in rebounds (4.9), free throw pct. (.658) and defensive rebounds (3.25) and 24th in scoring (8.3).
A League Of Her Own
The start of Horizon League play has been just what the doctor ordered for freshman guard Kailey Klein. She scored 21 points against Butler and added 18 more against Wright State in her first start to pace the Vikings in both games, while averaging 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals for good measure. The Cherry, Ill. native's best performance of the season came on Dec. 7 at Western Michigan, when she erupted for a team season-high 26 points and a career-best eight rebounds. As the owner of a conference record 2,496 points in high school, Klein is no stranger to scoring outbursts.
Baby Steps
While four victories might not seem like a lot, Cleveland State has already matched its win total from each of the last two seasons and the Vikings still have at least 14 games left to play. With six different underclassmen playing at least 17 minutes a game -- and freshman Kailey Klein's playing time on the rise (14.0 mpg) -- the improvement is a sign of good things to come down the road.
Youdath Doubles Up
Stephanie Youdath certainly made her first career start a memorable one, posting her first double-double with career-highs of 14 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes of action at Western Michigan on Dec. 7. She then proved the performance wasn't a fluke, tallying a new career-high with 16 points and three more swats against Akron on Dec. 10. Excluding her first (and brief) appearance of the season against the College of Charleston (one rebound in three minutes), the Mentor, Ohio native is averaging 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the 10 full games since returning from a disc problem in her back.
...And Shows Off Wingspan
Listed at 6-4 in the media guide, Stephanie Youdath's wingspan is actually closer to seven feet. Since making her Cleveland State debut 11 games ago, she has blocked 26 shots -- nearly equal to the total of the rest of the team (30). Thanks to her career-best seven blocks against Wright State (one shy of the school record), Youdath's 26 blocks and 2.36 pg average would easily outdistance the Horizon League leader (UW-Green Bay's Nicole Soulis: 22 blocks, 1.57 pg) if she had played enough games to qualify. Youdath recorded 12 stuffs in limited action as a freshman two years ago at Marist.
