Wayne State Men's Basketball Weekly Notes

2010-11 RECORDS:
Wayne State 10-2, 6-0 GLIAC
Hillsdale 13-0, 7-0 GLIAC
Findlay 12-1, 5-1 GLIAC

SERIES:
WSU leads Hillsdale 41-33
Findlay leads 21-14

LAST MEETINGS:
HC won 68-65 at WSU on Feb. 11, 2010
WSU won 91-68 at home vs. UF on Jan. 8, 2011

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* GAMES 13-14 STORYLINES

Wayne State, ranked 27th in the country, has a 10-2 overall mark and a 6-0 conference ledger heading into two road contests at nationally ranked opponents - Hillsdale (#4) and Findlay (#8).

WSU's start is the best since the 1998-99 squad began 16-2. 

* ALL-TIME SERIES

Wayne State leads Hillsdale, 41-33, in the all-time series despite losing the last three meetings.  WSU has lost eight straight at Philips Arena since a 68-65 win on Feb. 2, 2002.

The Warriors have a 3-15 all-time record at Croy Gymnasium vs. the Oilers.  WSU has lost 12 consecutive games at Findlay since a 69-63 victory on Jan. 20, 2000.

* WEEK 7 RECAP

Wayne State recorded a 91-68 triumph over top-ranked Findlay last Saturday at the Matthaei.

WSU began on an 8-0 run as the visiting Oilers had turnovers on their first three possessions followed by a missed jumper.  Jerry Oden scored the final four points of the opening spurt.

UF cut the deficit to seven (12-5) on a triple by Nathan Hyde, but the Warriors answered with a 9-0 run.  Oden and Mike Hollingsworth each scored from inside, Bryan Coleman drained a triple and Ike Udanoh concluded the spree with a lay-up.

Wayne State's lead remained between 13 and 18, until an Oden jumper at the 11:27 mark made it a 30-10 contest.  The teams traded buckets until a Hollingsworth jumper increased the lead to 24 (47-23) with 2:29 left before intermission.  Findlay ended the half on a 10-4 run to cut the Warrior lead to 18.

The Warriors shot 62 percent (23-of-37) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes while limiting Findlay to six made field goals (on 15 attempts for 40 percent).  Each team made three triples, but the Oilers went to the foul line 21 times as WSU was whistled for 15 fouls.

After a pair of UF free throws pulled the Oilers within 16 at 51-35, Hollingsworth tallied the next three points of the game pushing the lead to 19.

Wayne State's lead remained between 16 and 21 for the next nine minutes until Hollingsworth had an offensive rebound and put-back increasing the WSU margin to 22.  After Hyde missed a triple try, Udanoh scored from inside at the 8:51 mark giving the hosts a 73-49 lead.  WSU's margin was never less than 22 the rest of the contest.

Hollingsworth scored a game-high 24 points on 11-of-16 from the floor.  Bryan Smothers tallied 19 points and a game-best eight assists.

* ON THE BENCH

David Greer, just the ninth head coach in 93 years of WSU basketball, is in his 10th season at WSU with a 137-123 record.  He is the fifth-longest tenured coach at WSU.

Hillsdale's John Tharp has a 58-38 record in his fourth year with the Chargers.

Ron Niekamp is in his 26th season at Findlay and has compiled a 586-182 mark.

* SCOUTING HILLSDALE

The Chargers are ranked No. 4 in the nation in the NABC poll released on Jan. 11.

Hillsdale is winning by nearly 18 points a game this year.

Brent Eaton (16.4 points per game) leads a trio of HC players averaging in double figures.  Brad Guinane (13.5) and Tyler Gerber (11.6) are two-three in scoring and three-pointers made, 19 and 17, respectively behind Eaton's 35.

Guinane has a team-best 88 rebounds, while Tim Dezelski has 55.

Gerber leads the squad in both assists (80) and steals (31), while Nick Washburn has a team-high 11 blocked shots.

Seventeen different players have played this season for Hillsdale.

WSU-HC SERIES NOTES

• WSU leads 41-33 in the all-time series

• Wayne State has a 14-21 mark at Philips Arena

• Hillsdale has won the last three meetings overall, and the last eight meetings in Hillsdale

* SCOUTING FINDLAY

The Oilers are ranked No. 8 in the nation in the NABC poll released this week.

Findlay had won 12 straight until the setback at WSU last Saturday.

UF has four players averaging in double figures in Nathan Hyde (15.2), Kyle Caiola (13.7), Greg Kahlig (11.7) and Aaron Robinson (11.2).

Tyler Sparks leads the squad in field goal shooting at 58.5 percent (24-of-41).  Seven of the eight regulars are shooting at least 45 percent from the floor.

Hyde has made a team-best 24 three pointers, while Caiola is shooting 48 percent (15-of-31) from beyond the arc.  Robinson has a team-high 59 rebounds and leads a quintet of players averaging over four rebounds per contest.

Caiola and Hyde are 1-2 in both assists and steals.

WSU-UF SERIES NOTES

• WSU trails 21-14 in the all-time series

• Wayne State is 3-15 vs. the Oilers at Croy Gymnasium

• UF has won the last 12 meetings in Findlay

• WSU's last win at UF was 69-63 on Jan. 20, 2000