SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue postseason play in the 2025 WNIT Friday, March 28, hosting Duquesne in a Super 16 matchup at 7:00 p.m. Entering Friday's contest, the Vikings are 25-9 on the year, while Duquesne is currently 21-12 this season.
 
A WIN ON FRIDAY WOULD…
Advance the Vikings to the Great 8 of the WNIT…Mark the seventh postseason win for Cleveland State in program history…Give the Vikings back-to-back wins for the sixth time this season…Mark the 15th home win of the year.
 
THE CLEVELAND STATE/DUQUESNE SERIES
Friday's game will be the 12th meeting between the two teams in program history, with Duquesne owning a 9-2 edge in the all-time series. The last time the two teams met was during the 2001-02 campaign, when Duquesne picked up an 85-71 victory. Cleveland State's last victory against Duquesne came on December 28, 2000, when the Vikings picked up a 91-85 win in Pittsburgh.
 
2025 WNIT
This year's WNIT field features 48 teams, including 16 that received byes into the second round of the tournament. First round matchups were contested March 20-22, while second round games were played March 23-25. Super 16 winners will advance to the Great 8 (March 29-31), while Fab 4 games are set for April 1-2 and the 2025 WNIT Championship game is scheduled for April 5. All games will be hosted on campus sites.
 
…A LOOK AT THE BRACKET
Cleveland State is one of two Horizon League teams in the WNIT field, joining Purdue Fort Wayne who is also playing in the Super 16. The Mastodons are the only opponent in the field from the Vikings' 2024-25 schedule.
 
…CLEVELAND STATE IN THE WNIT
This marks the second appearance for the Vikings in the WNIT, as they also earned a spot in the field during the 2014-15 campaign, falling at Michigan in a first round contest.
 
…LAST TIME OUT
Cleveland State picked up its first-ever victory in the WNIT last time out, posting a 72-70 overtime victory against Coppin State in the second round of the 2025 WNIT. The Vikings were playing for the first time in over two weeks, and marked their second overtime game of the 2024-25 campaign. The two-point victory over Coppin State gave the Vikings a 2-0 record in overtime games this season, while it improved Cleveland State to 28-19 all-time when playing extra minutes.
                           
PERDUE & REISMA NOTCH 20-POINT GAMES AGAINST COPPIN STATE
Last time out, Mickayla Perdue and Jordana Reisma both recorded 20-point games against Coppin State, Perdue finishing with a team-best 25 points and Reisma adding 21 points. This marked Perdue's 19th 20-point effort of the season, while it was the sixth of the year for Reisma. This duo accounted for 63-percent of Cleveland State's offense on the game, while they are responsible for nearly half of the Vikings' offense this season (47%).
 
CLEVELAND STATE WITH THE ASSIST
As a team, Cleveland State combined for 17 assists against Coppin State last time out, marking the Vikings' 24th game with 15+ helpers this year. For the season, Cleveland State has 546 total assists, setting a program record for assists in a single-season. Individually, Sara Guerreiro leads the team with 142 assists on the year, while Mickayla Perdue has 115 total helpers.
 
HOME-SWEET-HOME
Friday's game will mark the 17th home game for the Vikings this season, with Cleveland State owning a 14-2 record when playing on its home court this year. Over the last three seasons, the Vikings have gone 46-3 when playing at home, including a perfect 17-0 campaign last year.
 
…POSTSEASON PLAY AT THE WOLSTEIN CENTER
Friday's game will mark the third time in program history that the Vikings are hosting a postseason game in the Wolstein Center, while this year marks the first time for WNIT play to come to Cleveland. The Vikings' first time hosting postseason play came during the 2010-11 campaign, when they hosted Chicago State in the second round of the WBI.
 
CSU CONTINUES POSTSEASON PLAY WITH 25 WINS
After securing their fourth straight 20-win season with a 79-58 victory over Oakland earlier this year, Cleveland State continues WNIT play with 25 wins - the third most wins in a single-season in program history. The 25 wins marks the fifth 20-win campaign for Cleveland State over the last six years, while it marks the third straight season with 25+ victories.
 
PERDUE NAMED #HLWBB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Earlier this season Mickayla Perdue was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, becoming just the fifth Viking in program history to earn Player of the Year honors. Perdue, who was also named to the All-League First Team, is averaging 20.2 points and 3.3 assists per game, and has recorded a league-high 19 20-point performances on the year, including a four 30-point efforts. For the season, Perdue has 688 total points, ranking 12th nationally among Division I payers.
                            
…VIKINGS WITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORS
Mickayla Perdue's Player of the Year honor marked the third straight season that Cleveland State has taken home the major award from the league. This marked the fourth time in #HLWBB history that the same school has earned Player of the Year honors during three straight seasons, but it was the first time that three different players from the same school have earned the recognition (2025-Perdue, 2024-Maples, 2023-Leo).
 
GUERREIRO, LEO & REISMA EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS
In addition to Mickayla Perdue, the trio of Sara Guerreiro, Destiny Leo and Jordana Reisma also picked up All-League accolades, with Reisma earning a spot on the All-League Second Team & All-Defensive Team, Guerreiro being named to the All-League Third Team & All-Defensive Team and Leo picking up All-League Third Team honors.
 
…LEO BECOMES FOUR-TIME ALL-LEAGUE HONOREE
With her All-League Third Team accolade this season, Destiny Leo became a four-time All-League honoree, picking up postseason accolades in each of her four complete seasons that she has played at Cleveland State. Leo becomes the fourth Viking all-time to be a four-time All-League honoree, and has earned Player of the Year, Sixth Player of the Year, First Team, Third Team, and Freshman Team nods.
 
PERDUE SETS SINGLE-SEASON SCORING RECORD
After finishing with 33 points against Purdue Fort Wayne in the #HLWBB Semifinals, Mickayla Perdue set the CSU Single-Season Scoring Record, and currently owns 688 points on the year. Perdue is one of three players to hold multiple spots on the top-10 list after also ranking seventh with 607 points from last season, while she is one of just two Vikings all-time to record multiple 600-point seasons (Kailey Klein).
 
LEO SETS SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINT RECORD
With a trio of three-pointers in the Horizon League semifinals, Destiny Leo set the CSU Record for three-pointers in a single-season, and enters Friday's game with 95 on the year. Leo, who broke her own record of 90 three-pointers that she set during the 2022-23 campaign, is averaging 2.8 three-pointers per game so far this year. Leo, who is shooting 41-percent from behind-the-arc on the year, also holds the CSU Career Record with 319 total three-pointers.
 
REISMA EFFICIENT FROM THE FIELD
Jordana Reisma continues to be one of the most efficient shooters among Division I players, continuing WNIT play with a .681 field goal percentage on the year. Reisma, who currently leads all Division I players in field goal percentage, is shooting 194-for-285 on the year, while she currently sits at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .606 clip (416-686) for her career.
 
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE BOARDS
The Vikings continue to be the top rebounding team in the Horizon League, averaging 37.6 boards per game through 34 games played. Cleveland State also holds a league-best +6.3 rebounding margin, and has outrebounded its opponent 25 times so far this year. Cleveland State's current rebounding margin of +6.3 ranks second in the Single-Season Record Book, while the Vikings' 966 defensive boards so far this season also ranks second.
 
VIKINGS FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Through 34 games played this season, the Vikings rank fifth nationally averaging 16.59 free throws made per game. For the season, Cleveland State has converted a league-best 564 free throws, including 20+ free throws during eight games this year. The 564 total free throws currently ranks second on the CSU Single-Season List, as one of just four teams all-time with 500+ made free throws in a campaign.
 
…AND FROM THE FIELD
As a team, Cleveland State has had one of the more efficient offenses this season, leading the Horizon League and ranking 11th among Division I teams with a .476 clip from the field on the year. The Vikings have shot 50-percent or better during 11 games so far this season. Cleveland State's .476 clip from the field, currently sits at the top of the CSU Single-Season Record Book, while the 75.2 points per game scoring average ranks fourth.
 
GUERREIRO NAMED TO #HLWBB ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
For the second straight season, graduate student Sara Guerreiro has earned a spot on the Horizon League All-Academic Team. Guerreiro, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mechanical Engineering last spring, is currently pursuing her master's degree in the same field, holding a 4.00 grade point average. Guerreiro was one of five #HLWBB players named to the team.
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of seventh-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who currently owns a career head coaching record of 566-185. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 150-69, 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 five 20-win seasons, including a program-record 30 wins during the 2023-24 campaign.