LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened play in the 2022 Women's Basketball Invitational Friday evening, picking up a 73-60 first round victory over Northeastern. With the win, the Vikings are now 22-8 overall this season.
Game Stats
· Destiny Leo led the Viking offense with 23 points, while Brittni Moore added 17 points and Isabelle Gradwell chipped in 13.
· Brittni Moore grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Nadia Dumas recorded eight boards.
· The Vikings combined for 13 assists on the game, including three from Isabelle Gradwell and two each from Nadia Dumas, Barbara Zieniewska and Brittni Moore.
· The trio of Nadia Dumas, Destiny Leo and Isabella Geraci all recorded two steals on the game.
· The Vikings held a 43-31 advantage in rebounding against Northeastern, including 21 offensive boards that the Vikings turned into 31 second chance points.
Game Notes
· Destiny Leo notched her 11th 20-point game of the season with her 23 points against Northeastern.
· Brittni Moore posted a CSU career-high with her 17 points on the game.
· Cleveland State is making its second straight postseason appearance, and second straight appearance in the WBI.
· With Friday's win, the Vikings are now 5-4 in postseason play, including a perfect 4-0 mark during head coach Chris Kielsmeier's tenure.
· Friday's game marked the first meeting between Cleveland State and Northeastern in program history.
The Game
After taking a slim one-point lead into the halftime break at the 32-31 mark following a Destiny Leo three-pointer with just three seconds on the clock, the two teams traded baskets throughout the opening minutes of the third quarter, until Cleveland State notched back-to-back three-pointers from Leo and Brittni Moore to put the Vikings up 46-43 with 3:19 left on the clock.
The Vikings then closed the frame on a 7-2 run, with baskets from Leo, Isabelle Gradwell and Moore, heading into the final 10 minutes of play with a 53-45 lead.
Cleveland State then extended its lead to double-digits less than one minute in the fourth quarter, as a Deja Williams three-pointer at the 9:22 mark put the score at 56-45 CSU. Five straight points from Moore gave the Vikings a 61-45 advantage, before a pair of Williams free throws gave Cleveland State an 18-point lead at 63-45 with 7:55 left to play.
Although Northeastern was able to go on a 6-0 run over the next few possessions, the Vikings responded with a 10-0 run of their own, including an and-one play from Leo and a Moore three-pointer, putting the score at 73-51 with 1:33 left on the clock.
The Vikings were then able to hold on to their sizeable advantage over the final minutes of the contest, pulling away with the 73-60 victory.
Up Next
Cleveland State will now face Nevada in the WBI Semifinals tomorrow (Saturday, March 19) at 7:30 p.m.
