INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the second straight season the Cleveland State women's basketball team will be making an appearance in the Horizon League Championship game, as the second-seeded Vikings earned a 63-60 overtime victory against No. 5 Northern Kentucky. With the win, the Vikings are now 29-4 overall this season and 2-0 in #HLWBB Tournament play this year.
JOIN US IN INDY!
Fans that are interested in coming to Indianapolis for tomorrow's championship game can purchase tickets for the Cleveland State Fan Bus! Roundtrip bus transportation and game ticket are available for just $35, and can be PURCHASED HERE. The bus will depart from the Wolstein Center at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning with the return time TBD based on the men's semifinal contest tonight. Space is limited, so reserve your spot now!
GAME STATS
-Destiny Leo led the Vikings with 25 points, while Gabriella Smith added 14 and Brittni Moore chipped in 12.
-Brittni Moore grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds, while Barbara Zieniewska finished with seven boards.
-The Vikings shot 46-percent from the field on the game (24-for-52) including 50-percent from behind-the-arc (8-for-16).
-Cleveland State held a 37-25 edge in rebounding on the game.
-The Viking defense combined for eight blocked shots, including three from Amele Ngwafang.
GAME NOTES
-After finishing with 12 points on the day, Brittni Moore eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, ending the game with 1,005 total points.
-Brittni Moore tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds on the day.
-Destiny Leo notched her 13th 20-point game of the season after notching 25 against NKU.
-With the win, the Vikings advanced to their second straight #HLWBB Championship game and their fourth in program history.
-The Vikings are now 8-4 in #HLWBB Tournament play under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
-This marked Cleveland State's second overtime game of the season, as the Vikings now own a 2-0 record when playing extra minutes.
THE GAME
After trailing by five points at the halftime break at 32-27, the Vikings were able to work their way back into the contest over the opening minutes of the third quarter, as a Gabriella Smith three-pointer closed the gap to just one point and a Brittni Moore layup off of a steal on the ensuing NKU possession gave the Vikings a one-point lead at 38-37.
The two teams then traded baskets over the final minutes of the frame, with Cleveland State taking a 40-39 edge into the fourth quarter.
NKU was able to swing the momentum into its favor over the first part of the fourth quarter then, until back-to-back baskets from Barbara Zieniewska and Moore tied the score at 49-49 with 4:17 left on the clock.
Although NKU was able to regain a slight lead a few minutes later, a Destiny Leo three-pointer with 1:19 on the clock gave Cleveland State a three-point lead at 54-51.
This lead would not hold though, as NKU was able to convert three-pointer on its final possession of the frame, sending the game into overtime.
The Vikings were able to get on the board first during the overtime period, as another Leo three-pointer put the Vikings up 57-54, before a Leo jumper on the ensuing CSU possession put the score at 59-54 just over 30 seconds into the overtime period.
Cleveland State was then able to hold a lead for the rest of overtime, including extending the advantage to six points at 63-57 on a Moore layup, before NKU was able to convert another three-pointer to put the final score at 63-60.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will now face top-seeded Green Bay in the #HLWBB Championship, with tip-off set for 12:00 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, March 7) in Indianapolis, Ind.
