CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team began Horizon League play Wednesday, picking up a 72-59 victory over RMU. With the win, the Vikings also improve to 6-1 on the year.

Game Stats
-Colbi Maples led the Viking offense with 25 points, while Mickayla Perdue added 15 points and Sara Guerreiro chipped in 12 points.
-Carmen Villalobos grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, while Sara Guerreiro recorded seven boards.
-The Viking defense recorded 10 steals on the game, including three from Colbi Maples and Carmen Villalobos.
-Cleveland State shot 50-percent from the field on the game, including a .636 clip during the fourth quarter (7-for-11).

Game Notes
-With 25 points against RMU, Colbi Maples has now tallied double-digit points in six of the first seven games.
-Carmen Villalobos recorded her first double-digit rebound game of the season, finishing with 10 boards against RMU.
-Wednesday's victory put the Vikings at 10-2 in #HLWBB season openers over the last 12 seasons, and 1-0 to start league play for the fifth time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
-The Vikings remained perfect at home this season, improving to 5-0 on the year.

The Game
After taking a slim three-point lead into the second quarter at 18-15, the Vikings were able to open the second frame with back-to-back three-pointers from Mickayla Perdue and Sara Guerreiro, extending their lead to 24-15 just over two minutes into the quarter.

Cleveland State then added to its scoring run over the next two minutes, gaining a 31-15 lead on a Carmen Villalobos layup midway through the frame. The Viking defense was able to hold RMU off the board until the 5:42 mark, as Cleveland State went on to outscore the Colonials 24-12 during the second quarter to take a 42-27 lead into the halftime break.

The two teams then traded baskets throughout the third quarter, with Cleveland State holding onto a double-digit lead throughout the frame, taking a 54-40 advantage into the final 10 minutes of play.

The Vikings were able to open the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run, extending their advantage to 64-42 on a Colbi Maples free throw. RMU responded with a 7-2 run of its own, before a Maples three-pointer gave the Vikings a 20-point lead once again at 69-49 with 2:38 left on the clock.

Cleveland State was then able to hold its advantage over the final minutes, coming away with the 72-59 victory to begin Horizon League play.

Up Next
Cleveland State will hit the road to continue #HLWBB play on Saturday, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a 2:00 p.m. contest.