SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue its opening week of the 2024-25 season this weekend, traveling to Chicago State for a 5:30 p.m. EST contest on Saturday, November 9. The Vikings enter the matchup looking for their first win of the season, while Chicago State stands at 0-2 on the year.
 
A WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…
Give Cleveland State its first win of the 2024-25 campaign…Put the Vikings at 1-1 on the year…Improve CSU to 9-2 against Chicago State all-time.
 
THE CLEVELAND STATE/CHICAGO STATE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 11th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Vikings earned a 95-41 victory over the Cougars, marking head coach Chris Kielsmeier's 100th victory at Cleveland State.
 
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State enters the 2024-25 campaign with nine returners from last season's team that went 29-6, and captured the program's first-ever Horizon League Regular Season championship. In addition, this returning core will be joined by five newcomers including three transfers and two true freshmen.
 
CLEVELAND STATE SELECTED AS #HLWBB PRESEASON FAVORITES
Last month, the Vikings were selected as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League, picking up 117 points and seven first place votes. This marked the first time in program history that Cleveland State was selected as the preseason favorite, while it marked the fourth time that they were ranked in the top-two heading into a season.
 
THREE EARN #HLWBB PRESEASON HONORS
The trio of Destiny Leo, Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue picked up preseason honors from the Horizon League, with Maples being named the #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year and Leo and Perdue both earning a spot on the Preseason First Team. This marks the third straight year that the Vikings have earned #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year honors, with Maples becoming the fifth Viking all-time to earn the honor.
 
PERDUE NOTCHES 20-POINT GAME AT OHIO STATE
Mickayla Perdue picked up right where she left off in the season opener at Ohio State, finishing with a team-best 29 points. Perdue, who tallied the 16th 20-point game of her CSU career, finished with four three-pointers on the game and went 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Through 36 games played as a Viking, Perdue has combined for 636 points, averaging 17.6 points per game during her time at Cleveland State.
 
LEO RETURNS TO THE COURT
After missing the final 29 games during 2023-24 due to a season-ending injury, Destiny Leo returned to the court for the first time since November 24, 2023 in the season opener at Ohio State, finishing with eight points, two assists and one rebound. Six of Leo's points came on a pair of three-pointers, as she now has 226 three-pointers on her career as one of just two Vikings all-time with 225+ shots from behind-the-arc. In addition, Leo also became the eighth Viking all-time with 1,560+ career points, finishing the game with 1,565 total points.
 
VIKING DEBUTS
Last time out, the duo of Macey Fegan and Mya Moore made their Cleveland State debuts at Ohio State, while Sarah Hurley appeared in her first collegiate game in the season opener.
 
REISMA ON THE BLOCK
Jordana Reisma added to her career blocked shot total last time out, notching one block in the season opener at Ohio State. Reisma now enters Saturday's game with 78 career blocked shots and sits 10th in the CSU Career Record Book. With two more blocks Reisma would become the 10th Viking all-time with 80+ career blocks, while three more blocks would move her into ninth place on the all-time list at Cleveland State.
 
RETURNING OFFENSE
Cleveland State returns 81-percent of its offense from last season, including a trio of 1,000-point scorers in Destiny Leo, Colbi Maples and Mickayla Perdue. This group accounted for 1,300+ points last year, while the duo of Jordana Reisma and Sara Guerreiro added 630+ additional points. In addition, the Vikings also return six players that appeared in the starting lineup at least once last year, giving Cleveland State a veteran group for the 2024-25 campaign.
 
VIKINGS IN THE RANKINGS
Entering the season, Cleveland State is receiving votes in the WBCA Top-25 Coaches Poll, while the Vikings also begin the year ranked eighth in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 Poll.
 
THE NON-LEAGUE SLATE
Cleveland State will be continuing an 11-game non-league slate on Saturday, with just three of these games coming at home. Three of Cleveland State's non-league opponents were 20-win teams last year, while four were postseason teams from a year ago.
 
VIKINGS ON THE ROAD
Saturday's game at Chicago State will be the second of 18 road games for the Vikings this season. Throughout the course of non-league play alone, the Vikings will play eight games away from home and are slated to travel 7,200+ miles. Over the last two seasons, Cleveland State stands at 9-5 when playing on the road.
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of seventh-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who enters the 2024-25 campaign with a career head coaching record of 541-177. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 125-61, with his 100th victory as a Viking coming in a 95-41 decision over Chicago State last season. Under his guidance, Cleveland State has posted four 20-win seasons, including a program-record 30 wins during the 2023-24 campaign.
 
...KIELSMEIER NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Chris Kielsmeier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List last month – one of 20 coaches to earn the recognition, and the only coach from the Horizon League. Under Kielsmeier, the Vikings have advanced to the Horizon League Championship game three straight years, and have made four consecutive postseason appearances.
 
A LOOK BACK AT 2023-24
Cleveland State combined for a 29-6 record last season, marking the program's third straight 20-win campaign and fourth total under Chris Kielsmeier. Included in Cleveland State's overall record was a program-best 18-2 mark in Horizon League play, which led to the Vikings capturing their first-ever #HLWBB Regular Season title. CSU made its fourth straight postseason appearance during 2023-24, earning a spot in the inaugural WBIT field. 
 
NEW! CLEVELAND STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RADIO SHOW
Fans can stay up-to-date with all things Viking Basketball throughout the 2024-25 season by tuning in to the Cleveland State Women's Basketball Radio Show. The weekly show will air on Monday nights beginning at 6:00 p.m. on 1350 AM and will feature a variety of coaches, student-athletes and members of the CSU community.