Ritchie and Winton Sign Professional Contracts

Green Bay’s Adrian Ritchie and Cleveland State’s Shalonda Winton, who were both First-Team All-Horizon League performers last season in women’s basketball, inked professional contracts this past week to continue their careers in Europe.

Ritchie signed with the Nottingham Wildcats of the English Basketball League, while Winton will play for the Musel Pikes (Luxembourg) of the Diekirch League.

Ritchie finished her impressive collegiate career as one of the most decorated players in Green Bay history. A 2012-13 All-Horizon League First-Team and All-Defensive Team selection, her 1,360 career points rank 11th on the team’s all-time scoring list. She also owns the program career records 3-point field goals made (196) and attempted (538). During the 2012-13 campaign, she led the Phoenix in scoring (456, 14.3 ppg), rebounds (162, 5.1 rpg), free throws (71-84, 84.5%), blocks (19) and steals (84, 2.6 spg). She also set the program record for 3-point field goals made in a single season with 71 while shooting 37.6 percent from long range.

After wrapping up her playing career at Green Bay, she traveled to China in May as part of the NetScouts Team USA women’s basketball All-Star squad that competed against the national teams of China, Australia and Brazil. Ritchie and former Phoenix teammate Stephanie Sension helped the U.S. to a 7-2 record and the tournament championship after a nail-biting 66-61 victory over China in the final contest of the 15-day, three-city tour.

Winton, who averaged 22.0 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game last season with the Vikings, will be joining a strong offensive team at Musel Pikes, as they posted a +13.7 scoring margin and had our players who averaged double-digit points throughout the year.

Winton, a two-time Horizon League First Team honoree and 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year, finished her Cleveland State career last season, re-writing the CSU record book in the process. Winton owns the top mark in career rebounds (1,086), career offensive rebounds (380) and career starts (117), while also ranking in the top-5 in eight other categories.

During the 2012-13 season Winton led the Vikings in all five major statistical categories; points (659), rebounds (323), assists (114), steals (66) and blocks (41), and was one of just three Division I players nationwide to post two triple-doubles. Her 659 points scored last year also marked a CSU single season record.

Winton is the first Viking to ink a professional contract since 2010, when Kailey Klein (2006-10) did so following her Cleveland State career.