SPORTS

Women’s basketball team releases schedule full of challenges

Cancun trip and tough non-conference play, highlight this year’s slate of games

BY ZACH BAUGUESS

After last season’s strong third-place finish in the Horizon League, the Cleveland State University women’s basketball team looks to put forth another solid season against some even tougher opponents.

Last season the Vikings achieved the second-most wins in school history with a record of 19-13. Despite having four starters returning, this year’s schedule features a unique set of challenges, some of which have never been faced before by Cleveland State women’s basketball.

“We put together a very challenging schedule this season,” Peterson Abiad said. “With our veteran team, we felt it was necessary to do that in order to prepare us for the Horizon League.”

The season begins at home on Nov. 13 against Ohio, and is followed by an away game at Toledo on Nov. 15. From there the Vikings face Marshall at the Wolstein Center on Nov. 18 before traveling to play Big Ten conference member Wisconsin on Nov. 22 in Madison.

Instead of resting over the Thanksgiving break, the Vikings have decided to participate in the Caribbean Challenge, a two-day tournament held in Cancun, Mexico that features schools such as Duke, Marquette, Iona, Western Kentucky and Arkansas.

Cleveland State’s participation in this tournament marks the first time that a regular season game will be played on international ground.

Despite an exotic break early on, the Vikings will need to stay focused as Big Ten powerhouse Indiana University comes to town on Dec. 19. The last time the Hoosiers and Vikings squared off was 1999. Indiana leads the all-time series 2-0.

“Playing opponents from the Big Ten and Big East in the preseason will help prepare us for the competitiveness that we will face every night in the Horizon League,” Peterson Abiad said.

Horizon League play starts on Jan. 2 for the Vikings as the Green Bay Phoenix, the reigning conference champions, visit Cleveland in a match that is certain to be circled on their calendars.

The rest of Cleveland State’s conference play is highlighted by games against rivals Butler (Jan. 14 & Feb.13) and Valparaiso (Jan. 16 & Feb. 11.) Last season saw Cleveland State drop three out of four games to the Bulldogs and Crusaders.

This season the Lady Vikes will participate in three doubleheaders in which the CSU men’s basketball team plays immediately after.

The first will come on Dec. 19, when the Lady Vikes take on the Hoosiers, before the men host West Virginia at the Wolstein Center.

Over the past two seasons combined the Vikings have gone an impressive 38-22, winning the Horizon League Tournament during the 2008-2009 season and making the semifinal last season.