After defeating competitor Northern Kentucky 81-69, Cleveland State clinched the 2023-24 Horizon League Regular Season Championship for the first time in their program’s history capping off their regular season with an overall of 27-4 (.871) and a conference record of 18-2 (.900).
With 690 people in attendance, Cleveland State took on NKU at the Wolstein Center at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 3. The game had a positive start for the Vikings, winning the tip-off which was then followed by a handful of free throws.
The two teams tied twice in the first quarter with 11-11 with three minutes left to go. CSU quickly broke away from the tie, taking a 16-15 lead to end the first quarter.
Cleveland State would then go on to have an aggressive start to the second quarter, with a 8-0 run that would contribute to an 11 point lead. The Vikings had as much as a 14 point lead at the three minute mark before NKU cut the gap to within 10 points. CSU would maintain that lead to bring the half to a close with a score of 37-27.
Starting the second half NKU came out with a chip on their shoulder, going on somewhat of a run, which was maintained by the Vikings. Cleveland State senior Sara Guerreiro responded with a lay-up that would put CSU back into double-digits at the seven minute mark, with a score of 43-33. That lead would then be extended to 18 points with a score of 55-37, which resulted from back-to-back baskets from seniors Mickayla Perdue and Sara Guerrerio.
After the end of the third quarter, the Vikings would hold a 62-47 lead coming into the fourth. Within nine seconds of the quarter, Perdue made a three-pointer on the first possession to give the team all the momentum.
Following that, both teams would share in an exchange of three pointers that would give a 72-53 score at the eight minute mark. CSU would then maintain their lead for the remaining minutes to bring them to a 81-69 victory.
Leading the offense was Seniors Mickayla Perdue with 25 points and junior Colbi Maples with 18 points, while Sara Guerreiro recorded her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Overall, the team shot 56% from the floor and had a combined 12 assists.
It is key to note that the team went undefeated at home (16-0) and recorded a nine game winning streak.
Bravo to our Horizon League stars!
Diana Schoder