Big Rapids, Mich. -- The 2009-10 Wayne State University women's basketball season came to a close on Saturday afternoon with a 61-53 setback at Ferris State University (8-19 overall, 7-15 GLIAC).  The Warriors finished with an 8-19 overall record along with a 6-16 league ledger placing fifth in the GLIAC South Division and 10th overall in the GLIAC.

The host Bulldogs started strong scoring 13 of the game's first 15 points in the first five minutes.  Freshman Phaebre Colbert (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Northern) had WSU's only hoop on a jumper.

Classmate Tyler Hardy (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron) made two free throws at the 14:42 mark to start an 11-3 Warrior run which pulled Wayne State within three at 16-13.  Senior Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) had a bucket, two assists and a steal during the spurt.  A triple by FSU's Kelsey DeNoyelles at the 11:43 mark put the hosts in front 19-13.

Bowers jumper made it a four-point game at 19-15, but the Bulldogs answered with a 10-0 run, for a 29-15 lead, until a jumper by sophomore Kiara Smith (Detroit, Mich. / Renaissance) at the 5:07 mark.

WSU's deficit remained in double digits the rest of the first half.

FSU shot 44.8 percent (13-of-29) in the opening 20 minutes and had 10 assists to five turnovers.  Meanwhile, the Warriors shot 34.6 percent (9-of-26) with four assists to 10 turnovers.  Smith and Bowers each had six points for WSU.

Hardy scored the first five points of the second half on two foul shots and a triple to pull the Warriors within eight at 36-28.  Four consecutive points by Ferris were ended by a three-pointer from freshman Paige Sickmiller (Washington, Mich. / Romeo), who also scored the next two WSU points on a pair of free throws.

Six consecutive Bulldog points gave the hosts their largest lead of the second half (15) at 48-33 with 11:11 left.

WSU's deficit remained in double digits until a 9-0 run by the Warriors pulled the guests within six at 59-53 with 21 seconds left on a jumper by Bowers.

Hardy scored a team-high 14 points with Bowers contributing 11 points, along with team high totals of four assists and three steals.  Tricia Principe tallied a game-high 16 points for FSU.

Wayne State held a 16-8 advantage in points off turnovers, and shot 91.7 percent (11-of-12) from the charity stripe.

WSU improved by one game both overall and in the GLIAC despite having a roster featuring eight freshmen and two transfers along with just three returnees.  The lone senior on this year's squad, Brooke Bowers, finished her collegiate career eighth on WSU's all-time scoring list with 1,154 points.  Bowers also set the school all-time mark for three-pointers made with 195.

Next year's GLIAC schedule will have something new and something old.  The new is the addition of two new schools to the South Division -- Lake Erie College from Painesville, Ohio; and Ohio Dominican University from Columbus, Ohio.  The old is Northwood returning to the GLIAC North Division, along with a league schedule of just 19 games compared to the 22 played the last two seasons.

The conference portion of WSU's 2010-11 schedule will begin on Thursday, Dec. 2 as the Lake Erie Storm visit the Matthaei for its first-ever GLIAC contest.