CSU's Klein named as Player of the Week

Cleveland State University is finding out what fans across North Central Illinois learned for four years at Hall High School — you just never know what Kailey Klein is going to do next.

The Lady Vikings sophomore guard was named Horizon League player of the Week for the first time in her short career. On Dec. 27, Klein hit a 17-foot jump shot that won the game for the Lady Vikings 65-63 over American University, and her teammates carried her off the floor.

The Cherry Comet finished the game with a game-high 21 points, shooting 7-15 from the field and making all seven free throw attempts. She also had six rebounds and four assists.

“We use a shot clock play when the clock is winding down, and I told the girls to get to their spot,” Cleveland State coach Kate Peterson Abiad said. “When Kailey took the hand-off, I didn’t think she had a good look, at all, with two defenders in her face, but Kailey doesn’t need much room to get a shot off.”

Klein has impressed not only her coaches at Cleveland State, but now she is making a name for herself around the country now.

She is leading the Horizon League in scoring during the 2007-08 season with 18.8 points per game and is ranked ninth in rebounding (6.2). She is also fourth in the nation in free throws attempted. She has hit 76-87 for a 87.3 percentage and has hit 18 consecutive from the charity stripe.

Klein kicked off the new year with her father, Mike, and uncle, Bob Walsh in attendance for Thursday’s Horizon League opener with Loyola. She scored 10 points in the Lady Vikings’ 75-58 win, their fourth in a row.

CSU hosts Illinois-Chicago at 4 p.m. today, Saturday. Klein will make a homecoming to Chicago on March 6 and 8 when CSU travels to UIC and Loyola.

• Closer to home, in Joliet, former St. Bede standout Katie Carls has also been enjoying success, starting all the St. Francis Saints 17 games this season. The sophomore point guard leads the Saints with 3.76 assists per game and is averaging 8.2 points and 2.2 rebounds.