2016 HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Following a strong finish to the 2015-16 regular season, the Cleveland State women's basketball team will enter the 2016 Horizon League Tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Vikings, who finished the regular season with a 9-19 overall record and a 6-12 mark in Horizon League action, will begin play in the Horizon League Tournament with a First Round contest on Thursday, March 10.
The eighth-seeded Vikings will take on No. 5 Northern Kentucky (17-12, 9-9) in a First Round contest at 3:30 p.m. EST on Thursday afternoon.
The Vikings and the Norse split the season series, with Northern Kentucky picking up an 83-51 victory during the first half of league play and Cleveland State earning a 64-62 win in the regular season finale. The two teams have met just three times in program history, with the first meeting coming during the 1981-82 season.
Entering the Horizon League Tournament Cleveland State has won four of its last five contests, and went 5-4 during the second half of league play. Northern Kentucky also posted a 5-4 record during the second half of the league slate, but dropped three of its last four games to close out the regular season.
Under head coach Kate Peterson Abiad the Vikings own an 11-10 record in the Horizon League Tournament, advancing to the semifinals five times and earning an appearance in the championship game twice. Cleveland State won the Horizon League Tournament title in both of their championship appearances, capturing the crown during the 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons.
New for the 2015-16 season, all four rounds of the Horizon League Tournament will take place at the Kress Events Center in Green Bay, Wis. The four First Round games will be played on Thursday, March 10, two Second Round games on Friday, March 11, a pair of Semifinal contests on Saturday, March 12, and the Championship game will be played on Sunday, March 13. All games can be viewed on ESPN3, with the Championship game also appearing live on ESPNU.