When you’re on the lookout for a workforce poised to bust some brackets subsequent month, take a look at Cleveland State. By Wednesday, the Vikings are 26-3 and 16-2 within the Horizon League, going into Thursday night time’s showdown at Inexperienced Bay (23-4, 16-2) that can probably resolve the common season title. The Vikings have been within the ‘Additionally Receiving Votes’ class of the nationwide rankings.

“We play a special model,” fifth-year CSU head coach Chris Kielsmeier stated. “I don’t suppose there are too many groups within the nation who play like us. Most nights, we play near 40 minutes of zone. It’s a very aggressive zone. We actually wish to power the motion with it, and we’re in a position to generate numerous offense off of that. I feel it may be an actual problem once you haven’t gone in opposition to a zone for months. A few of these groups are in leagues the place they don’t even play a zone. We at all times imagine that if we get right into a match setting, we’re going to be arduous to arrange for as a result of we play in a different way.”

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The Vikings opened the season with a tricky loss to then-No. 8 Iowa State, 87-54. Two days later, CSU earned the spotlight of its spectacular resume, battling DePaul to a 90-83 additional time victory in Chicago. Regardless of 42 factors and 15 rebounds from Aneesah Morrow – probably the greatest gamers within the nation – CSU outshot DePaul 68 p.c to 55 p.c and went 9-of-19 from downtown whereas holding the Blue Demons to 4-of-24 past the arc.

A 16-game successful streak resulted in a 17-point house loss to Inexperienced Bay on January 14 however the Vikings responded with a dominant 103-72 efficiency at Wright State. They dropped a four-point resolution at Northern Kentucky, then rattled off nine-consecutive wins. Whereas Inexperienced Bay is holding groups to a Horizon League-low 53 factors per recreation, the Vikings are boasting a 19.7-point scoring margin.

“We all know as a program, we have to be in step with each side of the sport,” Kielsmeier added. “That begins with our effort, how arduous we play, and the way good we play. We’re simply centered on what Cleveland State must do.”

The Vikings’ balanced offensive assault

A couple of 20-minute drive to the east of campus is Willowick, Ohio – the hometown of Future Leo. The 5’10 junior guard is main the Horizon League with greater than 18 factors per recreation. She additionally leads the league in three-pointers and free throw proportion. After all, this success is nothing new as she recorded 18.7 factors per recreation as an All-Horizon League sophomore final season. The Ohio Ms. Basketball runner-up’s household comes to each recreation.

“There are numerous issues that basically encourage me,” Leo stated. “Getting higher every single day motivates me, however typically I really feel like when that motivation just isn’t there, self-discipline actually comes into line. I feel that with our workforce, numerous us are fairly disciplined. That provides you the power to return in and get what must be carried out with out being motivated by one thing.”

The sports activities administration main aspires to play professionally after graduating. Later, she stated she wish to pursue a training profession.

“She’s been actually invaluable to this system since she walked on campus,” Kielsmeier stated of Leo. “She’s an area child who wished to play for her hometown faculty, which is admittedly particular and actually helps with recruiting. She’s grown as an individual. She has change into way more assured in herself, extra comfy in herself in facets off the courtroom. She by no means wanted confidence on the courtroom. She believes in her potential on each ends of the ground. For me, the factor that excites me about teaching her is – she’s by no means glad. She at all times desires extra and expects extra from herself. What extra would you need as a coach? She has the will to get it carried out in life – not on the courtroom – in life, and he or she actually exhibits that.”

Senior ahead Brittni Moore provides 12 factors per recreation, whereas senior ahead Amele Ngwafang provides 10 factors and a team-best 7.5 rebounds. Ngwafang performed on the Radford workforce that misplaced to Maryland within the 2019 NCAA Event, and Moore transferred from UT Martin. Freshman Jordana Reisma affords a activate the bench on protection with 36 blocks on the season.

“Jordana hasn’t acted like a freshman all season,” Kielsmeier stated. “She understands the system as an skilled participant. Her confidence has grown. She’s been in a position to speak extra as she’s gotten older. Jordana actually desires to be a greater basketball participant. She places the work in, she listens, and works arduous. These are the kinds of gamers who actually take off and have an opportunity to succeed in their potential.”

Waiting for the Horizon League Championships

The Horizon League Event will start at campus websites on March 2, with the semifinals and the ultimate scheduled for March 6 and seven in Indianapolis.

“As we’ve gone by means of convention season, each win we’ve got has been actually thrilling,” Leo added. “We positively discovered how (Inexperienced Bay) goes to play us. There are issues we’re going to make changes to, and it’s as much as us to place them into play. It could imply all the things (to make it to the NCAA Event). That’s what we play basketball for – to win championships. That’s our objective we set originally of the 12 months, and we simply want to complete it off.”

Final 12 months, the workforce was 23-9 (14-6), misplaced to IUPUI within the Horizon League ultimate, then to St. Mary’s within the ultimate of the Girls’s Basketball Invitational- an occasion it received in 2021. Coach Kielsmeier talked about that the WBI produced invaluable expertise most groups don’t have. This system has two NCAA bids, each as No. 15 seeds in 2008 and 2010.