“It’s surreal,” Perdue said after the game. “I was waiting for this day since the beginning of the season to come here, be home and see my family I haven’t seen in awhile. I saw a few people in the crowd that I haven’t seen in years, so it was a good feeling to know I have so many people supporting me and watching me no matter how long it’s been. It’s a great feeling.”
After transferring from Division II Glenville State, Perdue has found her groove for the Vikings. Earlier in the week, Perdue was named Horizon League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the first time in her career. She led the Vikings to wins over Detroit Mercy and Purdue Fort Wayne, averaging 22 points per game with a 50-percent shooting percentage.
Perdue initially struggled to learn the Vikings’ system, but is hitting her stride down the stretch, said Vikings coach Chris Kielsmeier.
“It’s a complex system and there’s a lot to it,” he said. “She really couldn’t get herself settled in. It was apparent to the staff what we had. She just tore the gym up this summer. She was making plays all over the place. We knew it was a matter of time before we got her into a rhythm and she’s just taken off and played great on both ends of the floor.
“We’re very fortunate in our program to have her and I love coaching the kid,” Kielsmeier said.
Perdue has improved on the defensive end of the floor, he said, which has led to an increase in easy transition buckets.
“Sometimes kids don’t get credit for that,” Kielsmeier said. “It’s all about the points and what’s your shooting percentage and all those things, but this kid can defend. She can create a lot of shots and points in transition off of it and that’s a huge part of our system.”
Entering Saturday’s games, Perdue is averaging 15.0 points per game and is one of just five Horizon League players to eclipse that mark. She also ranks in the top-10 in the conference in free throw percentage (77.6 percent) and made 3-point field goals (1.8 per game), while also averaging 1.1 steals per game. Cleveland State is currently 16-3 and 7-1 in the Horizon League, one game back of first-place Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Perdue had about 30 family and friends at the game, including her parents, Jason and Joanna Perdue. It was a great opportunity for the family to see her play in person for the first time in several years, Jason Perdue said.
“It’s always good coming back being close to home and I know she was looking forward to it,” Jason Perdue said. “She didn’t play as well as she can, but they got the win and I know she had fun. She was looking forward to seeing her family and playing close to home.”
Perdue’s biggest group of fans, the Springfield High School girls basketball team, weren’t able to attend due to their game against Fairmont. Last summer, Perdue spent time in the gym with the Wildcats, several of whom were texting her before the game.
“They’ve been making history, winning games,” she said.
Perdue’s parents have flown all over the country watching her play this season, including a trip to Iowa City, Iowa to watch her play against the Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark. Perdue had a team-high 24 points in the loss, while Clark is on pace to break the NCAA Division I women’s basketball scoring record next month — scored 38 points.
“She’s keeping us busy,” Jason Perdue said.
Perdue began her collegiate career at Toledo, playing in nine games as a freshman before redshirting as a sophomore. Last season, she transferred to D-II Glenville State (W. Va.) where she averaged 17.7 points per game and led the nation with 110 3-pointers. The Pioneers went 33-3, falling to eventual national champion Ashland University.
When Cleveland State came calling last season, Perdue made the decision to return to Ohio.
“I felt like I fit in as soon as I got here,” she said. “In the end, it was God’s plan and everything happens for a reason and I believe that to this day. I’m glad I chose Cleveland State.”
Perdue has two years of eligibility remaining for the Vikings. While she continues to improve on the basketball floor, she’s an even better person, Kielsmeier said.
“Her personality – she’s just smiling and bubbling all the time,” he said. “It’s infectious to be around her. She oozes that to everybody. You just love to coach young kids that are maybe having a bad day, but they don’t show it. They’re happy and they love being in the gym. She’s a special kid.”
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