Boxscore

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team earned its seventh straight victory Thursday, beating Michigan Tech University, 55-53, in a battle of the top two GLIAC North Division squads. With the victory, the Warriors (16-5, 14-3 GLIAC) set a new school record for the most conference wins in a season.

WSU also ended Michigan Tech's nine-game winning streak against the Warriors. Wayne State's last win over the Huskies before Thursday was on Jan. 18, 2007.

Wayne State senior Juanita Cochran (Saginaw, Mich. / Arthur Hill) had 18 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Warriors. Fellow senior Phaebre Colbert (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Northern) also had a double-double, tallying 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Cochran and Colbert also combined for 14 of WSU's 22 offensive rebounds.

The Warriors used a strong defensive effort to limit Michigan Tech (15-7, 13-5 GLIAC) to just 15 points in the opening half. Wayne State took a 17-9 lead with 9:40 remaining in opening session when freshman Stephanie Lock (White Lake, Mich. / Lakeland) knocked down a jumper. WSU would lead by as much as 10 points in the first half. Colbert knocked down two free throws at the 5:11 mark to give WSU a 21-11 lead and the Warriors again had a double-digit advantage when Cochran sank a pair from the line to give WSU a 23-13 lead with 2:01 left before the break.

Cochran nearly recorded a double-double in the first half, posting eight points and 10 rebounds. Wayne State held Michigan Tech to just 17.6 percent (6-for-34) shooting from the field in the opening half.

The Huskies scored the first five points in the second half to pull to within three points, 23-20. MTU's Sam Hoyt scored all of her game-high 27 points in the second half, including the first five after the break for Michigan Tech. Hoyt also scored 27 of Michigan Tech's 38 second-half points.

WSU would respond to the strong MTU start in the second half, scoring 14 of the next 18 points to take a 37-24 lead with 12:46 remaining in the game.

The Huskies chipped away at the Wayne State lead, however, pulling to within one point five times in the second half, but never tying or taking the lead.

Wayne State had a four-point lead, 54-50, with 30 seconds left as senior Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Loy Norrix) connected on a free throw. MTU's Emma Veach followed with a three-pointer from the top of the key with 20 seconds left to cut the WSU lead to one point, 54-53.

Following a WSU timeout, Veach fouled Bridges to send her to the line with 16 seconds left. Bridges missed both free throw shots, but Colbert grabbed an offensive rebound. Colbert was fouled and made the second of two free throws to give WSU a 55-53 advantage with 14 seconds remaining. Michigan Tech took the ball down the court for a final shot at tying or winning the game, but Bridges stole the ball with four seconds left and ran up the court to run out the clock and clinch the victory.

WSU had a 55-37 rebound advantage, which included 22 offensive boards. The Warriors were 21-for-40 from the free throw line, while the Huskies were 11-for-20 from the stripe.

Bridges finished with eight points. Freshman Kristen Long (Corunna, Mich. / Durand) tallied seven points off the bench for WSU. Veach was the only other player to score more than five points for Michigan Tech, notching 11 points.

The Warriors host Northern Michigan on Saturday in a 3 p.m. contest at the Matthaei.