The Vikings advance to play Horizon League rival Purdue Fort Wayne in the ‘Great 8’ on Monday.
In a Women’s National Invitation Tournament game, Filippa Goula made a crucial 3-pointer in the final 32 seconds for Cleveland State, helping them secure a close 55-52 win against Duquesne at the Wolstein Center.
Despite scoring only eight points and struggling with her shooting, Goula’s clutch shot was pivotal in the Vikings’ consecutive narrow victories in the WNIT. Cleveland State, with a record of 26-9, will face Purdue Fort Wayne in the next round.
Cleveland State was led in scoring by Destiny Leo, Sara Guerreiro, and Mickayla Perdue, each contributing 12 points. Leo grabbed nine rebounds, while Guerreiro added seven rebounds and five assists. The Vikings shot 32.8% from the field as a team, slightly lower than Duquesne’s 33.9%.
Jerni Kiaku had a game-high 15 points and nine rebounds for Duquesne (21-13), which led by as many as 13 in the second half. However, CSU stormed back, going ahead on Jordana Reisma’s free throws midway through the fourth quarter.
Amid a back-and-forth battle, Kiaku tied the game at 52 with 43 seconds to play before Goula hit her go-ahead 3. As time wound down, the Dukes had three opportunities to send things to overtime, but Mackenzie Blackford missed twice and Megan McConnell once from long range.
This is Cleveland State’s first appearance in the WNIT since 2015, with the tournament since being relegated to third-their status in the women’s college basketball postseason pyramid. The Vikings went 1-2 in their prior matchups with the Mastodons this year, including an 83-65 loss in the Horizon League semifinals.
Tipoff for Monday’s game is set for 7 p.m. in Fort Wayne.
