Post-Game Interview with Ian Larkin.

Post-Game Interview with Assistant Coach E.J. Haralson.

Boxscore

Houghton, Mich. -- The 26th-ranked Wayne State University men's basketball team, playing its first road game in nearly a month, showed little ill effects from the 13-hour trip to Houghton in handing the Michigan Tech Huskies a 70-59 defeat Thursday evening at the MTU Student Development Complex Gymnasium.

The Warriors improve to 11-2 overall and 10-0 in the GLIAC, while the 40th-ranked Huskies fall to 10-5 overall and 7-4 in the GLIAC.

Head coach David Greer became WSU's all-time leader in GLIAC regular-season victories with his 120th surpassing Ron Hammye's 119 mark.

Senior forward Ian Larkin (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) scored Wayne State's first 10 points of the contest on 4-of-4 shooting (including two triples) in just the first four minutes of the match.

"With (Mike) Hollingsworth not feeling well we asked some other guys to step up and Ian did just that early on," stated coach Greer after the game.  "

The Warriors hot shooting from long distance continued as junior forward Bryan Coleman (Southfield, Mich./Lathrup) sandwiched two three-pointers around a shot from beyond the arc by senior guard Cole Prophet (Sandusky, Ohio) in a 90-second span midway through the first half pushing the WSU lead from 14-10 to 23-14.

Michigan Tech was able to mount a come back as a 9-2 differential in fouls during the opening 20 minutes caught up with the Warriors.  The Huskies went to the foul line eight times in the first period compared to two for WSU.

After MTU had taken a 27-26 lead on a pair of Ben Stelzer free throws with just under four minutes remaining, defenses took center stage with the teams knotted at 30 at intermission.  The squads combined to miss seven shots (field goals and free throws) in the waning minutes.

Larkin scored six of the game's first eight second half points to help Wayne State grab a 36-32 lead.  A Stelzer three-pointer made it a one-point game (38-37) at the 16:00 minute mark, but the Warriors responded with a 12-3 run to open a 10-point advantage (50-40).  Coleman and junior guard Chene Phillips (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) each knocked down triples while Phillips and junior forward Jamar Ragland (Detroit, Mich./Loyola) also scored from inside.

Reigning GLIAC Player of the Year Ali Haidar made a pair of free throws cutting the WSU lead to eight (50-42) with just over 11 minutes left, but that would be as close as the Huskies would be the rest of the game.

Haidar, who had 18 points and nine rebounds at halftime, finished with game-high totals of 31 points and 10 rebounds to lead Michigan Tech.  Take away Haidar's 11-of-20 from the field, the rest of the Huskies were of 11-of-26 on field goals.

After being out-rebounded 17-14 in the first half, the Warriors improved their glass efforts with 17-13 edge over the final 20 minutes.

Wayne State also won the points off turnovers battle (17-0) as well as the second-chance points category (14-8) by virtue of a 9-4 margin in offensive rebounds.

Larkin led four Warriors in double figures with 18 points in only 21 minutes of action.  Prophet contributed 15 points and six assists to no turnovers, while Phillips chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Junior guard Mike Hollingsworth (Utica, Mich.) played 28 minutes despite being ill and tallied eight points.  Coleman helped WSU hold a 15-2 edge in bench points by recording 11 points in 19 minutes.

"We struggled with Ali (Haidar) all night and it got them (MTU) into the bonus in the first half," added Greer.  "In the second we were able to get in the bonus and Michael Martin gave us some great minutes defensively on their big guy.

"This is a heck of a team win in a tough environment, our guys battled hard and we pulled out the W."

The victory was WSU's third consecutive at SDC and fifth overall in the series.

Wayne State continues its road trip with an 11:00 a.m. tip-off on Saturday morning at Northern Michigan's Berry Events Center.  Listen to all the action 1400 AM The Patriot or online at wdtkam.com.