Boxscore

DETROIT -- The 35th-ranked Wayne State University men's basketball team (4-1 overall, 3-0 GLIAC) won its fourth consecutive contest with an 83-52 triumph over visiting Ashland University (2-3 overall, 1-2 GLIAC) Wednesday evening at the Matthaei in game televised live on Xfinity Channel 900.

AU had a few early leads (3-0, 10-8, 14-11) in the first 6:10 of the contest, but the Warriors went on a 13-1 run over the next 4:30 and the lead was never fewer than seven the rest of the game.

Senior forward Ian Larkin (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) drained a triple then had an offensive rebound and put back to start the 8-0 spurt.  Junior guard Chene Phillips (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) also connected from beyond the arc.

After Eagle Evan Yates hit a pair from the foul line to cut the WSU lead to seven (24-17 at the 7:41 mark), the Warriors responded with a 10-0 which included triples by Phillips and junior forward Bryan Coleman (Southfield, Mich./Lathrup), a dunk by junior center Michael Martin (West Bloomfield, Mich.) and a basket by Coleman.

Wayne State shot 54 percent (15-of-28) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes including 8-of-16 on three-pointers with five different players making shots from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Ashland shot 26 percent (7-of-27) and was just 1-of-11 from three-point range.

A 6-0 run by the Eagles early in the second half reduced the Warrior lead to 17 (44-27) at the 16:46 mark, but WSU answered with an 11-2 run to open a 26-point advantage on a jumper by junior guard Mike Hollingsworth (Utica, Mich.).

Wayne State improved its shooting in the second half connecting on 64 percent (18-of-28) of its shots, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.  AU also improved to 44 percent (10-of-23).

Coleman led five Warriors in double figures with a season-best 17 points which included four triples.  Hollingsworth added 14 and a game-best six assists.  Senior guard Cole Prophet (Sandusky, Ohio) had 11 points and three steals, while Larkin and junior forward Gerald Williams-Taylor () chipped in with 10 points apiece, with Williams-Taylor tying Yates for game-high rebound total with nine.

Yates was the lone Eagle in double figures with 18 points.

Wayne State limited Ashland to six second-chance points, while outscoring the visitors in every specialty category:  24-22 for points in the paint, 21-11 for points off turnovers, 10-6 for second-chance points, 4-0 for fast break points and 29-12 in bench scoring.

Freshmen Gavin Toma (Troy, Mich. / Southfield Christian) and Rob Andrews (Detroit, Mich. / Chandler Park Academy) each scored their first collegiate points.

Wayne State continues its homestand on Sunday with a 2 p.m. contest against GLIAC rival Lake Erie College.