Wayne State Game Notes

2009-10 RECORDS:
Wayne State 6-3, 4-1 GLIAC
Northwood 6-3, 3-2 GLIAC

SERIES:
WSU leads Northwood 34-24

LAST MEETINGS:
NU won 94-85 (2-ot) at NU on 12/19/09
NU won 59-58 at NU on 1/3/09

RADIO: WDTK (1400 AM)

ONLINE AUDIO: wdtkam.com
LIVE STATS:  livestats.prestosports.com/waynestate/
VIDEO: B2 via wsuathletics.com

* GAME 10 STORYLINES

Wayne State won its final two games of 2009 to pull into a tie for the GLIAC lead at 4-1.

The Warriors will try to avenge their only league setback this Saturday as the Northwood Timberwolves visit the Matthaei. All 17 WSU games in 2010 are league matches.

* NORTHERN MICHIGAN RECAP

Wayne State ended a two-game losing streak with a 65-48 triumph over visiting Northern Michigan on Dec. 17.

Bryan Wright had three triples and 13 points in the first half as the Warriors held a 28-21 lead at intermission. WSU limited the Wildcats to 31 percent (9-of-29) from the floor. All six lead changes occurred in the opening 20 minutes.

Wayne State started the second half on a 6-0 run to push the lead to 13. Three times Northern Michigan was able to cut the deficit to 11, but after the final time (41-30), the Warriors had a 10-2 spurt to seal the victory.

Wright led all scorers with 20 points, while Jerry Oden added 16 points and Ike Udanoh contributed 15 points.

WSU's defense forced NMU into 20 turnovers and held the visitors to 35 percent (20-of-57) from the floor in the contest.

* MICHIGAN TECH RECAP

Wayne State concluded the 2009 portion of its schedule with a 67-58 GLIAC triumph over visiting Michigan Tech on Dec. 19.

Bryan Smothers drained a triple at the 16:45 mark of the first half and the Warriors never trailed the rest of the game. An MTU basket made it a 5-4 game, but WSU responded with a 5-0 run. A three-point bucket by the Huskies at the 12:22 mark cut Wayne State's lead to three at 12-9, but the Warriors answered with a 15-0 run over the next five minutes.

Wright led all scorers at intermission with nine points, but Michigan Tech had 14 turnovers which led to 20 Warrior points.

MTU's bucket on the opening possession of the second half pulled the visitors within eight (34-26) but Wayne State responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes.

Michigan Tech had an 11-1 run to cut the deficit to 11 (49-38) at the mid-point of the second half. WSU's lead remained in double digits until a triple by the Huskies at the 4:33 mark pulled the guests within nine (56-47). After an MTU jumper cut the WSU lead to eight (62-54) with 70 seconds remaining, Larry Edwards made 3-of-4 from the foul line and Smothers added two more free throws to seal the win.

* ON THE BENCH

David Greer, just the ninth head coach in school history, is in his ninth season at WSU with a record of 119-111.  He is the fifth-longest tenured coach in 92 seasons of WSU basketball.

Northwood's Bob Taylor has a 163-172 mark in his 13th year with the Timberwolves.

Greer is 4-2 at home vs. Northwood and 7-6 overall with three of the setbacks coming in overtime.

* SCOUTING NORTHWOOD

The Timberwolves have lost two straight (81-72 vs. Northern Michigan and 72-58 at Eastern Michigan) following a four-game winning streak.

Lionel Sullivan is averaging a team-best 19.7 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per contest, while shooting 50.4 percent from the floor.

Dorian Pierce is averaging 18.8 ppg, while making a team-high 18 triples to go along with his NU-best 50 assists.

Chris Johnson is second in rebounding (7.7) and first in both steals (20) and blocked shots (14).

* LAST TIME VS. NORTHWOOD

The Warriors lost in double overtime on Dec. 9 in Midland.

WSU led by as many as 11 in the first half and held a three-point advantage (37-34) at halftime despite the fact Northwood made just seven field goals in the first half (NU shot 22 free throws).

The score was tied four times in the second half plus each team twice took the lead, but it was a Dorian Pierce triple with two seconds left in regulation that knotted the score at 64.

Five Warriors fouled out even though Northwood had 26 turnovers to 11 for WSU.  The Timberwolves were sent to the foul line 48 times.  Pierce had a game-high 35 points plus nine turnovers