Cleveland State Captures 2023 Barbasol #HLWBB Championship
#2 Cleveland State 73, #1 Green Bay 61
For the third time in school history, the Cleveland State Vikings are Horizon League champions. Cleveland State won the 2023 Barbasol Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship Tuesday afternoon with a 73-61 win over top seed Green Bay.
CSU won the League title in 2008 and 2010 and avenged a title game loss last year at the hands of IUPUI. The Vikings now await their NCAA Tournament assignment. The women’s selection show is Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ET.
“I guess it was Cleveland State’s day. We’ve chased this for five years. You have that belief, you have that chase, and there are no guarantees you can even get to Indy,” Cleveland State head coach Chris Kielsmeier said. “You have to believe and work hard. I’m so proud of our staff and players - they deserve this. It’s a great day for Cleveland State University.”
Gabriella Smith hit 5-for-7 from 3-point range and led all scorers with 19 points. She scored five points in a key stretch in the fourth quarter. Brittni Moore posted 14 points and 10 rebounds and Destiny Leo added 13 points and was named Championship MVP for CSU, which goes to the NCAA bracket with a 30-4 record.
The Vikings shot a blazing 13-for-27 from long range and made 22 of their 23 free throws. Smith had a premonition that Cleveland State could have its moment, and Leo suggested it to her before the game.
“I played well in this building last year and so I knew it was my time and my team’s time,” Smith said.
“I told her that on the bus,” Leo joked. “Green Bay really sinks in on defense and we were able to kick it out and take some open 3s,” Leo added. “Today was just a matter of making those shots.”
Green Bay (27-5) defeated Cleveland State twice during the regular season by an average margin of 16 points, but the third time was the charm for CSU. The Vikings outscored Green Bay in three of the game’s four quarters after trailing 16-15 following the first period. CSU led 49-39 after three quarters and blew the game open with an 11-0 run that saw four different players score.
Green Bay put on a furious late rally to get the CSU lead to 67-55 in the final minutes but Moore and Leo iced the game at the foul line.
“I’m proud of our kids, they played hard and congratulations to Cleveland State. They played a perfect game in my opinion,” head coach Kevin Borseth said.
2023 Barbasol Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team
Destiny Leo, Cleveland State (MVP)
Brittni Moore, Cleveland State
Gabriella Smith, Cleveland State
Cassie Schiltz, Green Bay
Lindsey Duvall, Northern Kentucky