CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State head women's basketball coach Kate Peterson Abiad announced the 2013-14 schedule Friday afternoon, with 14 home contests highlighting this season's slate. The Vikings will play a 13-game non-league schedule this season, before opening their 16-game Horizon League schedule on January 9, 2014.
Among Cleveland State's opponents for the 2013-14 season are five 20-win teams, eight teams who advanced to the postseason, and one first time opponent.
"This year's non-league schedule will be very challenging for our young team," Peterson Abiad said. "We successfully competed against some high-powered teams last year on our home court and now we will return those games and see if we can continue that success on the road. We have five new players that will need to learn to be competitive very quickly and I think they all look forward to that challenge."
Cleveland State will begin the 2013-14 season with an exhibition contest against Ursuline on Sunday, November 3 before opening the regular season at Butler on Friday, November 8. Butler will be CSU's first opponent that reached the post season last year – making an appearance in the WNIT and finishing with a 17-14 record.
The Vikings will then return to the Wolstein Center for a four-game homestand, hosting Lake Erie (Nov. 14), Eastern Michigan (Nov. 23), Florida Atlantic (Nov. 23) and Morehead State (Nov. 27). The Nov. 23 matchup against Florida Atlantic will mark the first meeting between the two teams, as the Owls are Cleveland State's lone first time opponent on this season's schedule.
Cleveland State will then head south for a Thanksgiving tournament at East Carolina, facing IUPUI (Nov. 30) and the host, East Carolina (Dec. 1). Both teams marked 20-win seasons last year and made an appearance in the First Round of the WNIT.
CSU will split time at home and on the road over the next four-game stretch, hosting Ohio (Dec. 5) and Indiana (Dec. 21), and traveling to VCU (Dec. 15) and New Hampshire (Dec. 18).
The Vikings will round out their non-league schedule on the road, playing a pair of games at Miami (OH) (Dec. 29) and at South Dakota (Jan. 4) – two opponents who made postseason appearances last year.
"My expectation of the league this year is simply that it will be very different from last year, including the addition of Oakland University. We will not be facing many of the league's premier players from last year, with the league having a new look, and there is a bit of a question mark regarding what teams will emerge. There is no doubt that it will be a competitive season, and if our team matures through the preseason as we hope, we will be competing for a spot in the top of the league standings," Peterson Abiad said.
Cleveland State will begin the Horizon League portion of its schedule on the road, facing Detroit (Jan. 9) and Wright State (Jan. 12), before hosting Milwaukee (Jan. 16), Green Bay (Jan. 18) and Oakland (Jan. 23) in a three-game homestand.
The 2013-14 season will mark Oakland's first year in the Horizon League, as the Golden Grizzlies join the league after playing in the Summit League for six seasons. Oakland posted a 9-20 record last year, and owns a 1-0 record against the Vikings, with the lone contest coming during the 1979-80 season.
The Vikings will then return to the road for two more league contests against UIC (Jan. 25) and Valparaiso (Jan. 27), before closing out the first half of the league slate at home against Youngstown State on Saturday, Feb. 1.
Cleveland State will open the second half of league play with three straight home contests, hosting Wright State (Feb. 8), Valparaiso (Feb. 13) and Detroit (Feb. 15), before starting a three-game roadswing at Green Bay on Friday, Feb. 21. The Vikings will stay on the road and face Milwaukee (Feb. 23) and Oakland (Feb. 27), before returning home to face UIC (March 1) in the final regular season home contest of 2013-14.
CSU's regular season finale will take place at Youngstown State (March 8), with the 2014 Horizon League Tournament starting on Monday, March 10 and continuing through Sunday, March 16 – with the regular season champion hosting the semifinals and championship game.
The Vikings will have four doubleheaders with the men's team throughout the 2013-14 season – Saturday, Nov. 23 (Men vs. Robert Morris), Thursday, Jan. 16 (Men vs. Oakland), Thursday, Feb. 13 (Men vs. UIC) and Saturday, Feb. 15 (Men vs. Green Bay).
To purchase 2013-14 season tickets for Cleveland State women's basketball, call the Cleveland State Ticket Office at 216-687-4848.