Shooting for 7

After playing three games in six days, the IU women's basketball team has a breather before taking on Cleveland State at 2 p.m. Sunday in Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers (6-1) are riding a six-game win streak and have been setting and matching records along the way.

The win streak is the team’s longest since it won nine consecutive games in 2008-09, while the 6-1 start is on the way to matching the team’s best start since the 2006-07 season, when the team started 7-1.

A win Sunday against the Vikings (2-4) would match that 2006-07 team’s 7-1 start.

IU pulled off a 52-49 win against Clemson on Wednesday, finding a way to win despite shooting 30.9 percent from the field, committing 16 turnovers and being outrebounded 53-49.

“They don’t pretend to be anyone that they’re not,” IU Coach Curt Miller said. “We know we’re still predicted to be 12th out of 12 in the Big Ten, but no one can take this win away from us. No one can take the six-game win streak away from us.”

By holding Clemson to 49 points, IU has kept five consecutive opponents to less than 50 points for the first time since the 1973-74 season.

In each of their wins, the Hoosiers have kept opponents to 33.3 percent shooting or lower.

“I never promised to pretty play this year, and we gotta make some games look ugly,” Miller said.

IU will look for another tough defensive effort against Cleveland State, which has had its share of offensive struggles.

The Vikings are shooting 39.1 percent from the field and averaging 66.3 points per game.

IU is even worse, with 58.4 points per game, but has the Big Ten’s second-best scoring defense (52.3 points per game) so far.

Cleveland State is led by forward Shalonda Winton, who paces the team with 23.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Guard Cori Coleman (11.7 points per game) is the only other player who averages double figures in scoring.

Winton posted a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds in the Viking’s 68-57 win against VCU Wednesday but was supported by three other players in double figures.

Coleman chipped in 13 while guard Kiersten Green and forward Haley Schmitt each scored 12 points.

A lack of scoring balance had plagued the Vikings  prior to the win against VCU, Cleveland State Coach Kate Peterson Abiad said.

“Spreading the ball around — you have kids ready to score,” Abiad told csuvikings.com. “That’s been a problem for us — just having one player that does all the scoring. That’s not gonna get us as far as we’d like to go. Seeing a few other players get into the mix, I hope we see more of that.”

The Vikings have struggled on the road so far, going 0-4, and have been outscored 314-270 away from home.

IU, on the other hand, will be looking to move to 5-0 at home.

“This tonight I think really gives us some momentum going into this road trip,” Abiad said after the win against VCU. “We need to learn to win on the road, so I’m looking forward to another opportunity.”