DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (10-16 overall, 9-10 GLIAC) concluded its 2010-11 campaign with an exciting 76-75 triumph over Hillsdale College (16-9 overall, 10-9 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Lena Thomas (Bloomfield Twp., Mich. / Bloomfield Hills Andover) hit a baseline jumper that fell with 4.6 seconds left giving WSU the lead.  Thomas received a feed from sophomore Amelia Davis (Temperance, Mich. / Bedford) after she grabbed an offensive rebound.

The Chargers had a chance to win but Lea Jones' baseline jumper hit the rim and sophomore guard Paige Sickmiller (Romeo, Mich.) grabbed the rebound to seal the win.

The contest featured eight lead changes in each half, plus a total of seven ties.

The Warriors started "Senior Day" with an 8-0 run as Sickmiller drained a triple, sophomore forward Phaebre Colbert (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Northern) scored on a fast-break, and senior guard Chelsea Kouri (Clarkston, Mich.) made a three-pointer.

HC responded with 10-2 run to knot the game at 10 on a triple by Chelsea Harrison.  WSU answered with four straight points but Hillsdale scored five consecutive points to take their first lead of the game at 15-14.

The game was tied four times in a two-minute span, and the lead changed hands as the Warriors went on 7-0 run to take a 32-26 lead with 5:48 left before intermission.

Wayne State closed the first half on an 11-7 run to take a 43-33 lead into halftime.  WSU shot 59 percent (16-of-27) from the field in the opening 20 minutes compared to 38 percent (11-of-29) for HC.  The Chargers had nine offensive rebounds in the first half but converted only eight second-chance points.  Colbert had a stellar first half by scoring 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-4 FT) and grabbing a game-high five boards.

The Warriors lead remained between seven and 10 for the first two minutes until Sickmiller nailed a triple giving the hosts an 11-point advantage (48-37).  After a Hillsdale bucket, Sickmiller hit another shot from beyond the arc.

Following another Charger hoop, Sickmiller hit a jumper as the teams continued to trade baskets.  Kouri answered a HC lay-up with a triple at the 12:27 mark extended WSU's lead to 13 (59-46).

Over the next 6:20, Wayne State's only points would come on a conventional three-point play by Davis.  Hillsdale scored 14 points during the stretch to pull within two at 62-60.  Back-to-back Warrior hoops by Colbert and sophomore forward Deanna Crumpton (Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood) restored a six point lead.

The Chargers tallied the next seven points to regain the lead (67-66), but a pair of Sickmiller foul shots gave WSU a 68-67 lead with 3:57 remaining.

Hillsdale's Laura Barczak recorded a conventional three-point play to give the visitors a two point lead (70-68) with just under three minutes left.

Back-to-back Warrior hoops from Crumpton and Colbert, both off assists from Davis, put Wayne State in front 72-70.  HC's Katie Bildner hit a three-pointer with about 80 seconds left putting the Chargers ahead 73-72.  Cumpton answered with a jumper, but Barczak scored from inside with 39.6 seconds left setting up the wild finish.

Each team had a turnover in the final 22 seconds, preceeding Sickmiller's triple try.

Colbert scored a game-high 20 points to lead four Warriors in double figures.  She also had a team-best six rebounds.  Sickmiller tallied 17 points, while Crumpton and Kouri each finished with 12. Daveis had a team-best seven assists, while Thomas had a game-high five steals.

Barczak led Hillsdale with 17 points, with Bildner adding 16 and Harrison contributing 15.  Marissa DeMott scored 13 points off the Charger bench.  Jones had a game-high seven rebounds along with a game-best nine assists.

Wayne State tied Tiffin for the eighth and final playoff spot, but the Dragons earned the post-season bid based on the tie-breaker vs. Findlay (WSU 0-2, TU 1-1).