WSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY GAME NOTES

2011-12 RECORDS:
Wayne State 12-14, 7-12 GLIAC
Lewis 8-20, 5-13 GLVC

SERIES:
Lewis leads Wayne State 5-1

* OPENING WEEK STORYLINES
The Warriors open their 2012-13 women's basketball season Saturday with a matchup against Lewis University at the Matthaei. WSU returns its top four scorers from a squad that finished 12-14 overall last year.
    
Seniors Phaebre Colbert (12.0 ppg), Juanita Cochran (11.3 ppg), Paige Sickmiller (11.3 ppg) and Deanna Crumpton (10.1 ppg) all return for the Warriors. The quartet all started at least 18 games for WSU a year ago. Junior Lena Thomas also started 10 games last year for Wayne State.
    
The Warriors were selected to finish fifth in the GLIAC North Division by the media. Cochran and Sickmiller were named to the North Division Preseason All-GLIAC Second Team.

* SEASON OPENER HISTORY
Wayne State won its only season-opener under second-year head coach Carrie Lohr, defeating Rochester College in 2011, 76-51. Colbert scored a game-high 21 points and Sickmiller added 17 points in the victory.
    
WSU is 2-9 in season openers in the past 11 years.

* SERIES HISTORY
Lewis leads 5-1 in the all-time series against Wayne State. The Flyers have won the last four games against the Warriors, including a 77-64 victory in the most recent meeting on Nov. 19, 2010. WSU's lone victory against Lewis, however, did come at home in 1985.

* ON THE BENCH
Carrie Lohr returns to the bench for her second season as head coach of the WSU women's basketball program. Lohr had a 12-14 record (7-12 GLIAC) in her first season.
    
Lisa Carlsen is in her sixth season as the head coach for the Lewis women's basketball squad.

* RETURNING WARRIORS
The Warriors return five players that started at least 10 games in 2011-12 and six letterwinners overall. Five of the six letterwinners returning are seniors. The 2012-13 roster features six seniors and nine upperclassmen.

* FRESH FACES
WSU welcomes three freshmen, a redshirt freshman transfer and a senior transfer to the squad.

* EXHIBITION RECAP
The Warriors began their season with three road exhibition contests against Mid-American Conference opponents in Western Michigan, Toledo and Eastern Michigan.
    
WSU jump-started its exhibition season off on a winning note by defeating Western Michigan, 66-57. The Warriors held a 26-25 advantage at halftime and pulled away late in the second half when WSU used a 13-2 run to go up 63-51 with 2:13 remaining in the game. Sickmiller scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting. She also connected on five three-pointers. Cochran and Crumpton each added 11 points for Wayne State.
    
In its second exhibition game, Wayne State fell behind early, trailing 33-17 at halftime to Toledo. Wayne State would score 30 points in the second half against the Rockets, but ultimately fell 73-47. Sickmiller again led Wayne State in scoring with 10 points and also added three assists. Cochran notched seven points and Talisha Bridges scored six points for the Warriors.
    
Wayne State fell in its final exhibition tune-up, losing at Eastern Michigan,  77-57. WSU did pull down 50 rebounds in the contest, just one shy of Eastern Michigan's rebound total for the game. Freshman guard Kristen Long paced the WSU attack with 11 points and three assists. Brittany Streetman, Cochran and Talisha Bridges all added nine points for the Warriors. Cochran and Bridges each pulled down seven rebounds, with Cochran recording five blocks.

* SCOUTING LEWIS
The Flyers kicked off their 2012-13 season with a pair of road victories over GLIAC foes in Saginaw Valley and Northwood. Lewis defeated Saginaw Valley, 70-60, before topping Northwood the following day, 91-77. Sophomore forward Jess Reinhart is averaging 22.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game in her first two 2012-13 contests for Lewis. She was also named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 12.

Nikki Nellen (12.0 ppg), Kristen Itschner (11.0 ppg), Labrenthia Murdock (10.5 ppg) and Sam Rinehart (10.0 ppg) are also averaging in double figures for LU. Lewis is coming off a 2011-12 campaign in which the Flyers went 8-20 and 5-13 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.