SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will continue postseason play on Monday, March 10, traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. for a semifinal matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne in the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship. Entering Monday's game, CSU stands at 24-8 overall this year and is playing as the No. 3 seed in this year's tournament, while Purdue Fort Wayne is currently 24-7 on the year and will be playing as the No. 2 seed.
 
A WIN ON MONDAY WOULD…
Put the Vikings into the championship game of the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championships…Make the Vikings 13-5 in #HLWBB Tournament play under head coach Chris Kielsmeier…Give Cleveland State its fourth straight #HLWBB Championship appearance.
 
THE CLEVELAND STATE/PURDUE FORT WAYNE SERIES
Monday's game will mark the 19th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 16-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Vikings have won 12 out of the last 13 matchups against the Mastodons, with the two teams splitting the regular season series this year. This will mark the first time that the two teams are meeting in #HLWBB Tournament play.
 
2025 BARBASOL HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
This year's #HLWBB Tournament began with three First Round games on Tuesday, March 4 and four Quarterfinal games on Thursday, March 6 with the winners advancing to Monday's Semifinals - No. 1 Green Bay, No. 2 Purdue Fort Wayne, No. 3 Cleveland State, and No. 4 RMU. The winners of Monday's semifinal matchups between Cleveland State/Purdue Fort Wayne and Green Bay/RMU will advance to Tuesday's Championship game. Both the semifinals and championship game will be held at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, Ind. and will be carried on the ESPN Network.
 
…VIKINGS IN #HLWBB PLAY
Cleveland State entered the #HLWBB Tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular season with a 14-6 mark against league opponents. The 14 wins marks the fourth straight year that Cleveland State has finished with 14+ league wins during regular season play.
 
…VIKINGS IN THE #HLWBB TOURNAMENT
Under head coach Chris Kielsmeier the Vikings own a 12-5 record in the Horizon League Tournament, and have advanced to the semifinals for the sixth straight season. Cleveland State, who is the only team to reach the semifinals in each of the last six seasons, has now earned a spot in the #HLWBB semifinals 12 times in program history. The Vikings have made five appearances in the championship game, capturing the #HLWBB Tournament title during the 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2023-24 seasons.
 
…VIKINGS AS THE No. 3 SEED
This marks the first time during head coach Chris Kielsmeier's tenure that the Vikings are playing as the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League Tournament. Cleveland State is playing as a top-three seed for the third straight season, while the Vikings have now been a top-four seed 12 times in program history.
 
#HLWBB QUARTERFINAL RECAP
For the fourth straight season the Vikings hosted a Quarterfinal matchup to begin #HLWBB tournament play, picking up a 92-61 victory over No. 6 seed Detroit Mercy. Five Vikings finished in double-figure points, led by Mickayla Perdue with 24 and Jordana Reisma with 18. As a team, the Vikings shot 57-percent from the field, and combined for 19 total assists. Defensively, Cleveland State recorded 12 steals and forced Detroit Mercy into 21 turnovers, turning those 21 miscues into 22 points.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Monday's #HLWBB semifinal game will mark the 18th road game for the Vikings this season, as they enter the contest with an 11-6 record when playing away from home. Through 17 games played on the road, Cleveland State has traveled 10,600+ miles, covering eight states and Puerto Rico. In neutral site games, the Vikings own a perfect 4-0 record on the year.
 
CSU CONTINUES #HLWBB TOURNAMENT PLAY WITH 24 WINS
After securing their fourth straight 20-win season with a 79-58 victory over Oakland earlier this year, Cleveland State continues #HLWBB Tournament play with 24 wins - the third most wins in a single-season in program history. The 24 wins marks the fifth 20-win campaign for Cleveland State over the last six years, while it also makes the Vikings one of three Horizon League teams with 20+ wins on the year.
 
LEO & REISMA REACH MILESTONE GAMES
Throughout regular season play, Destiny Leo and Jordana Reisma both played in milestone games, as Reisma played in her 100th game as a Viking and Leo appeared in the starting lineup for the 100th time at CSU. Reisma's 100th game in the Green & White came against Wright State (2/26), while Leo's 100th start came against RMU (2/22). Entering Monday's semifinal, Leo ranks fifth with 125 games played and sixth with 103 starts in the CSU Career Record Book.
 
PERDUE NAMED #HLWBB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Last week 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 19.7 points and 3.3 assists per game, and has recorded a league-high 17 20-point performances on the year, including a 24-point effort in Thursday's quarterfinal contest against Detroit Mercy. For the season, Perdue has 630 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.
 
REISMA EFFICIENT FROM THE FIELD
Jordana Reisma continues to be one of the most efficient shooters among Division I players, entering Monday's semifinal with a .672 field goal percentage on the year. Reisma, who currently ranks third among all Division I players in field goal percentage, is shooting 182-for-271 on the year, while she currently sits at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .601 clip (404-672) for her career.
 
PERDUE ON SINGLE-SEASON SCORING LIST
After finishing with 24 points against Detroit Mercy last time out, Mickayla Perdue reached 630 points for the season, entering Monday's matchup ranked fourth on the CSU Single-Season Scoring List with 630 points. Perdue is one of three players to hold multiple spots on the top-10 list after finishing sixth with her 607 points that she combined for last season, while she is one of just two Vikings all-time to record multiple 600-point seasons (Kailey Klein).
 
LEO ON THE CAREER SCORING LIST
With 11 points on a trio of three-pointers last time out, Destiny Leo eclipsed the 1,900-point mark for her career, entering Monday's semifinal contest with 1,909 total points. After moving into second place on the CSU Scoring List earlier this season, Leo is now one of just two Vikings all-time with 1,900+ points on their career. So far this season, Leo is averaging 11.0 points per game, ranking 15th among #HLWBB players.
 
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE BOARDS
The Vikings continue to be the top rebounding team in the league, averaging 37.9 boards per game through 32 games played. Cleveland State also holds a league-best +6.9 rebounding margin, and has outrebounded its opponent 25 times so far this year. Cleveland State's current rebounding margin of +6.9 sits at the top of the Single-Season Record Book, while the Vikings' 915 defensive boards so far this season ranks third.
 
VIKINGS FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Through 32 games played this season, the Vikings rank fourth nationally averaging 16.91 free throws made per game. For the season, Cleveland State has converted a league-best 541 free throws, including 20+ free throws during eight games this year. The 541 total free throws currently ranks fourth 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 ninth among Division I teams with a .478 clip from the field on the year. The Vikings have shot 50-percent or better during 11 games so far this season, including against Detroit Mercy in Thursday's quarterfinal matchup (.571). Cleveland State's .478 clip from the field, currently sits at the top of the CSU Single-Season Record Book, while the 75.6 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 565-184. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 149-68, 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.