Cleveland State Women's Basketball Continues #HLWBB Play Against YSU Saturday

SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue Horizon League play this weekend, hosting Youngstown State in National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday, February 4. Entering Saturday's game, Cleveland State stands at 20-3 overall this season and 11-2 in #HLWBB play, while YSU is currently 16-6 overall and 10-3 in Horizon League action.

A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Give the Vikings four straight wins…Keep Cleveland State perfect during the second half of #HLWBB play…Give the Vikings the season sweep over YSU.

THE CLEVELAND STATE/YSU SERIES
Saturday's game will mark the 82nd meeting between the two teams in program history, with Youngstown State owning a 46-35 advantage in the all-time series. Earlier this season, Cleveland State picked up a 77-68 victory over the Penguins as part of its program record 16-game win streak.

SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State enters Saturday's game with a 16-6 overall record this season, while standing at 10-3 in Horizon League play…YSU snapped a four-game win streak last time out, dropping a 67-65 decision at Purdue Fort Wayne…The Penguins are currently third in the #HLWBB standings, and one of three league teams to post double-digit #HLWBB wins so far this season…Saturday's game will be the second of a two-game roadswing for YSU, where the Penguins own a 6-4 record this season…YSU leads the league averaging 16.4 assists per game, while ranking second with a 1.13 assist/turnover ratio…Individually, Lilly Ritz is averaging a league-best 10.7 rebounds per game. 

LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State opened the month of February with a 61-43 victory over RMU, notching the season sweep of the Colonials. Two Vikings recorded double-digit points, including a 30-point performance from Destiny Leo, while Amele Ngwafang recorded another double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. The Cleveland State defense forced RMU into 20 turnovers, and held the Colonials to a .254 clip from the field. 

#NGWSD
Saturday's game against Youngstown State will be Cleveland State's annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, featuring a pre-game sports activity zone, poster making station and more. 

VIKINGS SIT IN FIRST PLACE IN #HLWBB STANDINGS
Following Thursday's victory over RMU, the Vikings moved into sole possession of first place in the #HLWBB standings with an 11-2 record (as of Thursday, Feb. 2). Cleveland State's 11-2 record marks the best 13-game start in league play for the Vikings, as they are one of three teams to record double-digit league wins.

HOME-SWEET-HOME
For the first time in two weeks the Vikings will be playing inside the friendly confines of the Wolstein Center this week. Saturday's game against YSU will be the 12th of 15 scheduled home games for the Vikings this season, a place where CSU owns a 10-1 record so far this year, and an overall record of 46-18 during head coach Chris Kielsmeier's tenure.

VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering the week, Cleveland State was ranked 15th in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of three Horizon League teams to be ranked in the top-25, as Youngstown State (13) and Green Bay (14) are also ranked this week.

CLEVELAND STATE RECORDS 20-WIN SEASON
With Thursday's 61-43 victory over RMU the Vikings notched their 20th win of the 2022-23 campaign, marking the third 20-win season over the last four years. Cleveland State became the first #HLWBB team to reach the 20-win plateau this season, while it marks just the fifth 20-win campaign in program history.

LEO RECORDS 30-POINT GAME…AGAIN
For the league-leading third time this season Destiny Leo eclipsed the 30-point mark last time out, finishing right on the number in the win over RMU. Leo, who has finished with 30+ points in three out of the last five games, is leading all #HLWBB players averaging 18.2 points per game this season. Against RMU, Leo shot 10-for-17 from the floor, including a trio of three-pointers, while also going 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Entering Saturday's game against YSU, Leo is just four points shy of moving into 17th place on the CSU Scoring List with 1,223 total points on her career. 

…LEO FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Entering Saturday's game against YSU, Destiny Leo continues to be the top free throw shooter in the Horizon League, owning a .936 clip (103-for-110) from the line on the season. Nationally, Leo ranks third among Division I players in free throw percentage, while she also ranks in the top-25 for free throws made. So far this season, Leo has been perfect from the free throw line in 15 games, including a season-best 13-for-13 effort at RMU earlier this year (12/31).

NGWAFANG NOTCHES SECOND STRAIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Last time out, Amele Ngwafang recorded her second straight double-double - and sixth of the season - finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over RMU. Ngwafang, who is one of just four #HLWBB players with six or more double-doubles this season, leads the team averaging 7.1 rebounds per game, while she ranks third with 9.5 points per game this year. Among #HLWBB players, Ngwafang ranks seventh in rebounding, while ranking fifth with 65 offensive boards.

CLEVELAND STATE ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Twenty-three games into the 2022-23 campaign Cleveland State leads the Horizon League in rebounding (41.4) and blocked shots (4.04) while ranking second in steals (9.48), serving as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Through the first 12+ weeks, the Vikings have recorded double-digit steals nine times and have notched 4+ blocked shots during 10 games. Individually, Amele Ngwafang ranks seventh among #HLWBB players averaging 7.1 rebounds per game, while Jordana Reisma is tied for third with 1.2 blocks per game, and Deja Williams is sixth averaging a team-best 1.5 steals per game.

#HLWBB WEEKLY ACCOLADES
So far this season Cleveland State has earned five #HLWBB Player of the Week and three #HLWBB Freshman of the Week honors - with the five Player of the Week accolades leading all league teams. Destiny Leo (11/28, 12/5, 1/30), Brittni Moore (12/12) and Amele Ngwafang (1/9)  have combined for the five Player of the Week honors, while Jordana Reisma has picked up all three Freshman of the Week awards (11/21, 12/5, 1/2). 

VIKINGS SET PROGRAM RECORD WITH 16-GAME WIN STREAK
Earlier this season, Cleveland State set a program record with a 16-game win streak, dating from November 12, 2022 through January 12, 2023. The Vikings, who set the previous record with 11 straight wins during the 2019-20 campaign, were one of just four Division I teams with a win streak of 16+ games at the time (South Carolina, Ohio State, LSU).

HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2022-23 campaign, who owns an 86-52 record at Cleveland State and a 502-168 overall record in 23 seasons as a head coach. Kielsmeier, who joined the Vikings as the seventh head coach in program history prior to the 2018-19 season, recorded his 500th career head coaching win in a 107-65 decision at Detroit Mercy last time out.

…500 CAREER HEAD COACHING WINS FOR CHRIS KIELSMEIER
Last week's 107-65 victory at Detroit Mercy marked the 500th career head coaching win for Chris Kielsmeier, with 84 of those wins coming during his tenure at Cleveland State. Prior to joining the Vikings, Kielsmeier earned 179 wins during eight seasons at Howard Payne University and 237 wins during 10 seasons at Wayne State College. 

UP NEXT
The Vikings will host Chicago State in a non-league game on Tuesday, February 7, with a special tip-off time of 2:00 p.m.