Nov. 21, 2011


GAME STORYLINES
Off to its best start (2-0) since 1994, the Wayne State University women's basketball team visits Malone University (1-3) today at 5:30 p.m. for its first road test of the season. Tonight's contest will be the first meeting between the schools.

Fresh off its first opening night win since 2008 and head coach Carrie Lohr's first career win at Wayne State, the Warriors improved to 2-0 following its 70-67 comeback victory over Lake Superior State in a non-conference bout on Saturday afternoon.


ON THE BENCH
Lohr is 2-0 as the head mentor of the women's basketball program. Lohr earned her first career win at WSU on Nov. 11 against Rochester College.

She was named the 12th head coach on May 11 after serving as the head coach at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) in Port Huron for the last nine seasons (2002-11).  She also spent two years (1997-99) as an assistant coach at Oakland University as it transitioned from Division II to Division I. Lohr was selected as the 2009-10 BCAM (Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan) Junior College Coach of the Year after earning the MCCAA Eastern Conference Coach of the Year award. She also won the BCAM Junior College Coach of the Year award following the 2003-04 campaign. She had a record of 166-106 (.610) in her nine years with the Skippers along with an MCCAA mark of 93-50 (.650), as SC4 always finished in the top half of the conference standings.

First-year head coach Jason Mishler returned to his alma mater where he was a three-year starter at point guard for the Pioneers this past spring. After graduating from Malone, Mishler worked for two seasons as the assistant varsity boys basketball coach and the head junior varsity boys basketball coach at Hiland High School, leading the JV program to a 28-12 record during that time. 

He then worked two seasons for Tiffin University as an assistant coach for the Dragons' women's basketball program as the institution was transitioning to NCAA Div. II.  In the fall of 2009, Mishler returned to serve as the assistant varsity boys basketball coach at Hiland for the past two seasons. In four seasons, Mishler helped the program to a record of 73-18 and two appearances in the state final four, including a state title in 2011 (final record of 27-1).


LAKE SUPERIOR RECAP
It was an afternoon of firsts in the Wayne State University women's basketball team's thrilling 70-67 comeback victory over Lake Superior State University (2-2) on Saturday. Along with starting 2-0 for the first time since 1994, the Warriors won their third in a row over the Lakers for the first time since WSU won five straight spanning from 1983-1985.

In the final minute, junior forward Maria Blazejewski gave the Lakers a one-point lead with 43 seconds left. However, junior Deanna Crumpton answered right back burying a bucket from inside the key with 28 seconds remaining

From there, Sarah Cubr's two, three-point attempts hit iron, and Crumpton came up with the second missed shot and was fouled. She proceeded to make both shots from the free-throw line and Cubr's desperation heave fell short as time expired.

Crumpton finished with 11 points and six rebounds, while fellow junior forward Phaebre Colbert posted team-high totals in points (16) and rebounds (7). Point guard Stefani Munro tallied 13 points and two assists, while freshman guard Deiona Rogers was a spark off the bench chipping in nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

Down 47-36, five minutes into the second half, the Warriors turned up the defensive pressure holding the Lakers to one field goal over the next  5:57 as the WSU offense piled up 20 points to take a six-point lead (56-50) following a jumper from Crumpton with 9:14 to go. After trading baskets over the next 4:51, seven of Lake Superior's ensuing nine points would come from the charity stripe giving the Warriors a one-point lead (66-65) with 1:54 left.


SCOUTING MALONE
Opening the season with three straight losses, Malone handed Indiana Tech its first defeat of the season with a 66-48 triumph over the Warriors in Huntington, Ind. on Saturday.

Freshman forward Lindsey Snyder and junior guard Lauren Myers led the Pioneers with 21 points each, while Snyder collected a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Sydnee Penn added seven points and six rebounds and Caitlin Sharp chipped in six points on 3-of-4 shooting. 

Along with being the squads' leading scorer averaging 16.3 points per game, Myers grabs 4.0 rebounds per game. She shoots 42.4 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent (12-of-33) from behind the three-point line.

Snyder is second on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and is the Pioneers' leading rebounder (9.0 rpg). Through four games, she is shooting 67.7 percent (22-of-33) from the field and 80.0 percent (12-of-15) from the free-throw line.

Freshman guard Selana Reale tallies 9.0 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Penn averages 8.8 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game.


SERIES HISTORY
This is the first meeting between Wayne State and Malone.


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was picked to finish fifth by the media in the GLIAC South Division and Colbert was named to the South Division Preseason All-GLIAC Second Team in voting by the conference coaches.