CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State women's basketball team opened its home slate Saturday afternoon, earning a 96-57 victory over Central Michigan to improve to 2-1 on the year.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Vikings unveiled their 2023 Horizon League Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament Appearance banner in the Wolstein Center.

Game Stats
-Four Vikings finished with double-digit points, including Destiny Leo with a team-high 17. Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue each added 14 points, while Jordana Reisma tallied 10.
-Cleveland State held a 52-35 edge in rebounding, including a team-best 12 boards from Sara Guerreiro.
-The Vikings recorded 14 assists, with three each from Jordana Reisma, Destiny Leo and Colbi Maples.
-The Cleveland State defense recorded 11 steals on the game, and forced Central Michigan into 24 turnovers.
-The Vikings combined for seven blocked shots, including three from Jordana Reisma.

Game Notes
-With 17 points on the day, Destiny Leo eclipsed the 1,500-point mark for her career, finishing the game with 1,516 total points.
-Saturday's win improved the Vikings to 16-1 when playing at home over the last two seasons.
-Filippa Goula made her Cleveland State debut, finishing with two points and one rebound on the day.

The Game
After closing the first half on a 13-3 run to take a 44-30 lead into the halftime break, the Vikings were able to extend their lead to 20 points just over one minute into the third quarter, as a 7-0 run from Jordana Reisma and Destiny Leo put the score at 51-30.

Cleveland State extended its lead to a few minutes later, as a Carmen Villalobos jumper put the Vikings up 61-30 midway through the third quarter. The Viking defense held Central Michigan off the board until the 5:31 mark of the period then, as the Vikings outscored the Chippewas 32-12 during the frame to take a 76-42 lead into the final 10 minutes of action.

The Vikings were able to hold a sizable lead throughout the remainder of the contest, including gaining their largest lead at 92-53 following a 6-0 run that included four points from Kali Howard and two points from Mickayla Perdue.

The 39-point lead would also match the final score, as a Grace Ellis layup in the final minute of play put the final score at 96-57 Cleveland State.

Up Next
Cleveland State will host its second annual Viking Invitational next week, facing Austin Peay, Chicago State and UMKC during the three-day tournament (November 22-25).