Posted: Mar 05, 2023
GAME #33 | #HLWBB Semifinals
No. 2 Cleveland State vs. No. 5 Northern Kentucky
Monday, March 6 | 2:30 p.m. | Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio | CSU Game Notes
SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue postseason play on Monday, March 6, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. for a semifinal matchup against Northern Kentucky in the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship. Entering Monday's game, CSU stands at 28-4 overall this year and is playing as the No. 2 seed in this year's tournament, while Northern Kentucky is currently 17-13 on the year and will be playing as the No. 5 seed.
A WIN ON MONDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings into the championship game of the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championship…Make the Vikings 8-4 in #HLWBB Tournament play under head coach Chris Kielsmeier…Give Cleveland State its second straight #HLWBB Championship appearance.
THE CLEVELAND STATE/NORTHERN KENTUCKY SERIES
Monday's game will mark the 18th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State holding a 12-5 edge in the all-time series, including a 6-1 record for the Vikings over the last seven matchups. In Horizon League Tournament play, this will be the second meeting between the two teams, with the Vikings earning a 59-51 victory over NKU in last year's #HLWBB Quarterfinals.
AGAINST NORTHERN KENTUCKY THIS SEASON…
The Vikings split the regular season matchups against the Norse this season, picking up a 57-56 victory at home and dropping a 73-69 decision on the road. The one-point win over NKU at home was part of Cleveland State's nine-game win streak over the final weeks of regular season play.
SCOUTING THE NORSE
Northern Kentucky enters Monday's semifinal with a 17-13 overall record this season and finished the regular season with an even 10-10 record in league play…Despite winning just two out of their final six games to end the regular season, the Norse earned the No. 5 seed in the #HLWBB Tournament, and picked up a 59-58 victory at fourth-seeded Youngstown State in the Quarterfinals on Thursday…When playing on the road this season Northern Kentucky owns just a 5-9 record…Last week, Lindsey Duvall was named to the All-League First Team, while Kailee Davis picked up All-League Third Team honors.
2023 BARBASOL HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
This year's #HLWBB Tournament began with three First Round games on Tuesday, February 28 and four Quarterfinal games on Thursday, March 2 with the winners advancing to Monday's Semifinals - No. 1 Green Bay, No. 2 Cleveland State, No. 5 Northern Kentucky, and No. 6 Purdue Fort Wayne. The winners of Monday's semifinal matchups between Green Bay/Purdue Fort Wayne and Cleveland State/Northern Kentucky will advance to Tuesday's Championship game. Both the semifinals and championship game will be held at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Ind. and will be carried on the ESPN Network.
…VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State entered the #HLWBB Tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing the regular season with a 17-3 mark against league opponents. CSU's 17 league wins marked a program-best for league wins in a single-season, while the Vikings finished just one game shy of first place in the #HLWBB standings.
…VIKINGS IN THE #HLWBB TOURNAMENT
Under head coach Chris Kielsmeier the Vikings now own a 7-4 record in the Horizon League Tournament, and have advanced to the semifinals for the fourth straight season. This marks the second time that the Vikings have made four straight #HLWBB Semifinal appearances in program history, also making four straight trips to the semifinals from 2008-2011. Cleveland State has made three appearances in the championship game in program history - including last season - capturing the title during the 2007-08 and 2009-10 seasons.
…VIKINGS AS THE No. 2 SEED
This marks the first time in program history that the Vikings will be playing as the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament. Overall, the Vikings have been a top-four seed 10 times now, including three years as the No. 3 seed (2014-15, 2010-11, 2008-09) and six years as the No. 4 seed (2021-22, 2009-10, 2007-08, 2003-04, 2000-01, 1998-99).
#HLWBB QUARTERFINAL RECAP
For the second straight season the Vikings hosted a Quarterfinal matchup to begin #HLWBB tournament play, picking up a 65-52 victory over No. 7 seed Milwaukee. For the 26th time this season Cleveland State held an advantage at the halftime break, and went on to control play throughout the final two quarters. Brittni Moore posted a team-high 17 points, while Jordana Reisma grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. The Vikings notched 11 steals and forced the Panthers into 17 turnovers, turning these miscues into 17 points.
ROAD WARRIORS
Monday's #HLWBB semifinal game will mark the 17th road game for the Vikings this season, as they enter the contest with a 13-3 record when playing away from home. In neutral site matches, the Vikings are 2-0 this season, picking up a 72-45 victory over Lindenwood and an 80-55 win against Campbell as part of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic back in December.
VIKINGS IN THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
Entering Horizon League Tournament play, Cleveland State was ranked 10th in the lastest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Vikings are one of two Horizon League teams to be ranked in the top-25, as top-seeded Green Bay entered the week ranked seventh.
VIKINGS IMPROVE PROGRAM RECORD WITH 28TH WIN OF THE SEASON
Thursday's 65-52 victory over Milwaukee in the #HLWBB Quarterfinals marked the 28th win of the 2022-23 season for the Vikings, improving the program record for wins in a single-season. Cleveland State set the program record with 24 wins earlier this season, as a 73-63 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne eclipsed the previous record of 23 wins which was set back during the 1982-83 campaign. Cleveland State is now one of just six Division I teams with 28+ wins on the year.
LEO NAMED #HLWBB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Last week junior Destiny Leo was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, becoming just the third Viking in program history to earn Player of the Year honors. Leo, who was also named to the All-League First Team, averaged a league-best 17.9 points per game through regular season play, while also notching a league-high .385 three-point field goal percentage and .919 clip from the free throw line. On the year, Leo has posted a league-high 12 20-point games, including four 30-point performances to pace all league players.
WILLIAMS NAMED #HLWBB SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
For the second time over the last three seasons the Vikings earned Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year honors, as senior Deja Williams picked up the award last week. Williams, who came off the bench in all but one game during regular season play, averaged 6.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Through 31 regular season games, Williams helped the Vikings to a league-best 75.2 points per game, while also helping the Vikings average 9.16 steals on the defensive end of the court to lead all league teams.
MOORE, NGWAFANG & REISMA EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS
In addition to Destiny Leo and Deja Williams, the Vikings earned four additional Horizon League postseason honors, as Brittni Moore was named Second Team All-League, Amele Ngwafang was named to the All-League Third Team and All-Defensive Team, while Jordana Reisma earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. Cleveland State's five #HLWBB honorees led all league teams.
MOORE & NGWAFANG WITH THE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
So far this season Brittni Moore and Amele Ngwafang have combined for 10 double-doubles, including nine against Horizon League opponents. Moore (12.0 ppg - 13th) and Ngwafang (9.9 - 24th) both rank in the top-25 among league players in scoring so far this season, while the duo ranks in the top-10 in rebounding (Ngwafang - 6th, Moore - 10th). Through regular season play, Ngwafang has a team-best 252 total boards, while Moore has combined for 193 rebounds.
…REISMA WITH THE BLOCK
Through 32 games, freshman Jordana Reisma has combined for a team-high 40 blocked shots, which ranks her third among league players this season. Reisma has tallied two or more blocks in 12 games this year, including a season-high six-block effort at Northern Kentucky during regular season play. As a team, the Vikings are leading the league averaging 3.84 blocks per game.
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE DEFENSIVE END
Thirty-two games into the 2022-23 campaign Cleveland State leads the Horizon League in rebounding (42.4), blocked shots (3.84) and steals (9.22), serving as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Through the first 16 weeks, the Vikings have recorded double-digit steals 13 times and three+ blocked shots 21 times, including 11 steals and three blocks against Milwaukee in the #HLWBB Quarterfinals last time out.
VIKINGS AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
As a team, Cleveland State has combined for a league-best 551 free throws made this season, while shooting 71-percent from the line. The Vikings are averaging 17.22 free throws per game, ranking second nationally in the category, trailing only LSU at 17.62. Last time out, the Vikings went 17-for-20 from the free throw line (.850), marking the eighth time this season that they shot 80-percent or better from the line.
…LEO FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Entering Monday's game against Northern Kentucky, Destiny Leo continues to be the top free throw shooter in the Horizon League, owning a .914 clip (149-for-163) from the line on the season. Nationally, Leo ranks third among Division I players in free throw percentage (with 60+ more attempts than the two players ahead of her), while she also ranks in the top-20 for free throws made. So far this season, Leo has been perfect from the free throw line in 19 games, including a season-high 13-for-13 effort at RMU earlier this year.
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 a 94-53 record at Cleveland State and a 510-169 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 earlier this season.
