CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team dropped its first game of the 2025-26 season Friday, coming up short in a 75-68 decision at Northwestern. With the loss, the Vikings are now 4-1 on the year.

Game Stats
-Colbi Maples ended with 24 points, while Izabella Zingaro finished with 18.
-Izabella Zingaro grabbed eight rebounds, with Paula Pique adding five.
-Cleveland State combined for 15 assists, including four from Paula Pique and three from Jada Leonard.

Game Notes
-Colbi Maples recorded her second 20-point game of the season with the 24 points on the night.
-With a 6-for-10 effort from behind-the-arc, Colbi Maples recorded a career-high for three-pointers made.
-Izabella Zingaro tallied a perfect 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line on the game.
-The 15 assists marks the fourth time this season that the Vikings have notched double-digits assists.
-Friday's game marked the first loss of the season for the Vikings.

The Game
Cleveland State opened the contest with a quick start on Friday, as a Paula Pique layup started the scoring, and an ensuing 13-4 run gave the Vikings a quick double-digit lead at 15-4 following a Macey Fegan layup at the 3:33 mark. Cleveland State added to its lead with an Ayisse Magassa basket on the next possession, before the Wildcats stopped the scoring run with a pair of free throws.

The Vikings responded with an Ella Van Weelden three-pointer to put the score at 20-6 late in the frame, while Cleveland State went on to hold a 20-9 advantage after the first 10 minutes play.

The Vikings were then able to withstand a second quarter that favored Northwestern, holding a one-point lead heading into the halftime break at 35-34.  

To begin the third quarter the two teams traded baskets, until a stretch of converted Northwestern possessions put the Wildcats on top 51-41 late in the frame. The Vikings responded by posting a 9-3 run over the final 3:05 of the quarter, closing the gap to just four points at 54-50 heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

Cleveland State carried its momentum into the fourth quarter, as four straight points from Izabella Zingaro tied the contest at 54-54 less than one minute into the frame.

The two teams then traded baskets over the next few minutes, until Northwestern gained a six-point lead at 64-58 midway through the frame. A Colbi Maples three-pointer less than one minute later pulled the Vikings within three at 64-61, while a pair of Zingaro free throws put the difference at just one point, 64-63.

Northwestern was able to regain a 68-63 lead over the next few possessions, while the Vikings once again responded with a Zingaro layup and a Maples three-pointer to knot the contest at 68-68 with 2:20 left on the clock. The Wildcats then closed out the frame on a 7-0 run, coming away with the 75-68 victory.

Up Next
Cleveland State will return home to host the CSU Invitational presented by Holiday Inn Cleveland Clinic, welcoming Radford, St. Bonaventure and Valparaiso to Woodling Gymnasium for a three-day tournament.