CHICAGO, Ill. - The Cleveland State women's basketball team picked up its first victory of the 2023-24 campaign Sunday, earning a 74-66 victory at Loyola.

Game Stats
-Destiny Leo led the Viking offense with 33 points - including an 18-for-18 effort from the free throw line - while Colbi Maples added 10 points.
-The Vikings held a 38-27 edge in rebounds, with seven from Carmen Villalobos and six from Faith Burch.
-Cleveland State shot 45-percent from the field on the game, including .500 clips from the floor in the first and third quarters.
-The Vikings held a 28-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Game Notes
-With her 33 points, Destiny Leo has opened the season with back-to-back 30 point games.
-Destiny Leo recorded a career-high with her 18 made free throws.
-Colbi Maples notched her second straight double-digit point game after finishing with 10 points at Loyola.
-Freshman Paulina Hernandez made her collegiate debut on Sunday, finishing with five rebounds, four points and one blocked shot against Loyola.

The Game
After taking a 34-29 lead into the halftime break, the Vikings were able to extend their lead over the opening minutes of the third quarter, as an 11-0 run put Cleveland State up 45-29 on a Carmen Villalobos three-pointer. An and-one play from Colbi Maples midway through the quarter extended the Viking lead once again, as Cleveland State gained a 48-29 advantage at the 5:36 mark.

The Vikings were then able to hold a sizable lead over the final minutes of the quarter, as a layup and ensuing free throw from Brooklynn Fort-Davis put Cleveland State up 57-45 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.

Cleveland State was able to withstand a Loyola run to begin the fourth quarter, regaining a double-digit lead at 60-49 following an and-one play from Destiny Leo. The two teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes, until a Fort-Davis free throw put the Vikings back up by 10 at 64-54 with less than four minutes to play in the quarter.

Despite another Loyola run over the final minutes of the game, the Vikings were able to hold onto their lead, closing out the game with six of the final eight points - all from Leo - to earn the 74-66 victory..

Up Next
Cleveland State will open its home slate next Saturday (November 18), hosting Central Michigan at 2:00 p.m. inside the Wolstein Center.