The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue the 2022-23 campaign with a two-game roadswing this week, beginning with an 8:00 p.m. EST contest at DePaul on Tuesday, November 15. Entering Tuesday's contest, both teams stand at 1-1 on the young season. 

 

Give the Vikings back-to-back wins…Mark just the third win over DePaul in program history…Give Cleveland State its first road victory of the year.

 

Tuesday's game will be the 16th meeting between the two teams in program history, with DePaul owning a 13-2 advantage in the overall series. The last time the two teams faced off was during the 1992-93 season, when DePaul earned a 94-55 victory. Cleveland State's two wins against DePaul came during the 1986-87 and 1983-84 campaigns. 

 

Cleveland State picked up a 62-46 victory over Hofstra in its home opener, remaining undefeated against the Pride in program history (2-0). This marked the second straight season that the Vikings were able to pick up a win in the home opener, while it also improved Cleveland State to 13-3 against non-league opponents in the Wolstein Center under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.

 

Cleveland State returns nine letterwinners from last season's #HLWBB Championship appearance squad, including All-Tournament Team honorees Destiny Leo and Gabriella Smith. In addition, the Vikings also return Barbara Zieniewska, Brittni Moore, Deja Williams, and Amele Ngwafang, who all appeared in the starting lineup throughout the year. This returning core will be joined by three transfers and one true freshman for the upcoming season, giving head coach Chris Kielsmeier a well-rounded roster for the 2022-23 campaign.

 

The Vikings will be under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier during the 2022-23 campaign, who owns a 67-50 record at Cleveland State and a 483-166 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, is one of just two active #HLWBB coaches to reach the 450-win milestone.

 

Last time out, Brittni Moore recorded her first double-double as a Viking, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds against Hofstra. The 12 boards marked a CSU career-high for Moore, while the 11 points came on 4-for-8 shooting from the floor and a 3-for-4 performance from the free throw line. Moore also added two steals and one assist on the game. 

 

After being held to just eight points at Iowa State in the season opener, junior Destiny Leo returned to form in Saturday's victory against Hofstra, finishing with a team-best 19 points. Leo's 19 points came on five field goals - including a pair of three-pointers - along with a perfect 7-for-7 performance from the free throw line. Leo, who has posted 19+ points during 18 games in her Cleveland State career, is now averaging 15.4 points per game as a Viking.

 

Over the first week of the 2022-23 campaign Cleveland State has been the best shot blocking team in the Horizon League, entering Tuesday's game at DePaul averaging 5.50 blocks per game. The Vikings recorded seven blocked shots at Iowa State and followed that up with four against Hofstra. Individually, Amele Ngwafang and Jordana Reisma have both recorded three blocks so far this season, while Carmen Villalobos has notched two.

 

Cleveland State had five players make their debuts at Iowa State in the season opener, as Carmen Villalobos, Sara Guerreiro, Faith Burch, Jordana Reisma, and Shadiya Thomas donned the Green & White for the first time. Villalobos earned a spot in the starting five against the Cyclones, while the other four played considerable minutes off the bench. 

 

After sitting out the 2021-22 campaign due to injury, redshirt junior Aminata Ly returned to action in the season opener at Iowa State. Ly finished with two points and one rebound in her first game back, playing 13 minutes off the bench.

 

Last month the Vikings were tabbed to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll – picking up 102 points and one first-place vote. Last season, the Vikings finished fourth in the league standings with a 14-6 #HLWBB record, and advanced to the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament for the first time since 2010. Youngstown State was picked as the preseason favorite, while Green Bay was selected second. 

 

As a two-time All-League honoree, junior Destiny Leo was named the #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year last month, becoming the fourth Viking to be selected as the league's preseason player of the year and the first since Kailey Klein (2009-10). Leo returns as Cleveland State's leading scorer from a season ago, as she averaged 18.7 points per game to lead all league players and rank 38th nationally. In addition, Leo led the Vikings with 73 total three-pointers on a .390 three-point field goal percentage – both of which were tops in the league and top-50 among Division I players.

 

Last year, Destiny Leo set a program record with a .906 free throw percentage, converting 125 of her 138 attempts on the year. Leo is the only Viking to post a free throw percentage of .900 or higher in program history. In the CSU Career Record Book, Leo is currently sitting at the top of the three-point field goal percentage list, shooting at a .386 clip (127-329) through her first three seasons.

 

Cleveland State combined for a 23-9 record last season, marking the second 20-win campaign over the last three years. The Vikings advanced to the #HLWBB Semifinals for the third straight year, while their championship game appearance marked the first time that Cleveland State was playing for the tournament title since the 2009-10 season. The Vikings also made their second straight postseason appearance, earning a spot in the WBI Championship game for the second straight year – winning the title following the 2021-22 campaign.

 

The Vikings will close out their mini two-game roadswing at Niagara on Saturday, November 19.