Findlay, Ohio - The Wayne State women's basketball team held Findlay 12 points below its season average and had its second-best shooting performance of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Oilers defeated the Warriors 62-53 Thursday night at Findlay.

Wayne State (2-10, 0-7 GLIAC) went 22-for-53 (41.5 percent) from the floor while forcing 17 turnovers and accumulating six blocks in the narrow defeat. WSU also scored 30 points in the paint.

Freshman forward Chelsea Davis (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem) had team-bests of 10 points and six rebounds. Fellow freshman forward Deanna Crumpton (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) swatted four shots to set a team season-high and sophomore guard Kiara Smith (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) came off the bench to score nine points and dish out four assists. Senior guard Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) also chipped in nine points.

The Warriors opened the game with four consecutive points as sophomore guard Felicia Thomas (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central) and Chelsea Davis both delivered buckets to give WSU an early lead over the host Oilers (10-2, 5-2 GLIAC). However, as would be the case the entire first half, Findlay stayed in the game thanks to three-pointers as the Oilers knocked down two of its five first-half threeís in a row early on to take their first lead of the night at 6-4.

The back-and-forth play continued with WSU firing off four more points quickly only to see Findlay go on a 7-0 run of its own before junior guard Chelsea Kouri (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) and Chelsea Davis hit back-to-back baskets to end the run and pull within one point (13-12).

WSU was never able to regain the lead, but the Warriors shot 45.8 percent from the floor in the first period while keeping the high-scoring Oiler offense in check with three blocks and six forced turnovers to keep the game close throughout the remainder of the half.

When the dust had settled in the first period, the lead had changed hands three times with two ties and Findlay headed into the break leading 31-23.

Chelsea Davis led WSU with six points in the first half while Thomas and Crumpton each added four points.

After a quick basket by Bowers to begin the second stanza, UF proceeded to fire off a 15-3 run to extend its lead to 17 points with 12:42 left to play.

WSU was poised to make a run of its own and would do just that in the form of an 11-1 spurt that included seven straight points by the Warriors. The scoring barrage was led by Smith who scored three of her career-best nine points during the stretch. Smith was assisted by Bowers, Chelsea Davis and freshman guard Amelia Davis (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) who all added baskets as well. Just like that, Wayne State had cut the 17-point deficit down to just eight points (47-39) with under nine minutes to play.

The Warriors and Oilers traded baskets through the remainder of the game, but WSU was unable to dig further into the Findlay lead. The Oilers held off WSU to win 62-53.

Findlay was led by Laura Bardall who scored a game-high 22 points.

Wayne State will be back on the road on Saturday when the Warriors travel to Hillsdale for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Chargers.