Boxscore

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (19-7 overall, 17-5 GLIAC) ended a two-game losing streak with an 80-66 triumph at Lake Superior State University (5-21 overall, 4-18 GLIAC) and claimed a share of the GLIAC North Division title.  WSU earns the No. 3 seed for the league tournament winning the tiebreaker over Michigan Tech (better record vs. Northern Michigan).  The Warriors will host the sixth-seeded Ferris State Bulldogs at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Matthaei.

The game was tight in the early going with three ties in the first five minutes, before LSSU went on a 6-0 run to take a 12-7 advantage with 13:47 left on a jumper by Maria Blazejewski.  The Warriors answered with a 6-0 run that started with a jumper by freshman guard Kristen Long (Corunna, Mich./Durand).   A steal by senior forward Deanna Crumpton (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) led to a fast-break lay-up by freshman guard Brittany Streetman (Warren, Mich./Lincoln).  After another Laker turnover, their third in less than a minute, senior forward Talisha Bridges (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix) had an offensive rebound and bucket putting WSU ahead 13-12.
 
The lead changed hands three times in the next 90 seconds, with Lake Superior taking its final lead, 16-15, on a pair of free throws by Blazejewski, who finished 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
 
Senior center Juanita Cochran (Saginaw, Mich./Arthur Hill) split a pair from the foul line to knot the game at 16 and ignite a 10-2 Warrior run.  Cochran's jumper from just inside the three-point line put Wayne State in front for good.  On the ensuing WSU possession, Long drained a triple then Crumpton answered a Laker bucket with one of her own.  Another hoop by Long put the Warriors in front 25-18.
 
The teams traded baskets for the next two-plus minutes, until back-to-back field goals by freshman forward Stephanie Lock (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland) and Talisha Bridges, along with a pair of foul shots by junior Imari Redfield (Detroit, Mich./Country Day) preceded back-to-back three-pointers by Talisha Bridges and Redfield to complete a 12-0 spurt.
 
LSSU scored the final basket of the first half to pull within 15 (41-26).  WSU shot 46 percent (15-of-33) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes compared to 29 percent (8-of-26) for the Lakers.  Lake Superior was 10-of-10 from the foul line as five different players were 2-of-2 each.  Talisha Bridges led all players with 15 points at the break.
 
The Lakers scored five of the first eight points in the second half to cut the WSU lead to 13 (44-31), but the Warriors responded with a 9-4 run to open an 18-point advantage at 53-35.
 
Wayne State led 69-51 with just under seven minutes left, but Lake Superior went on a 13-1 run to pull within six (70-64) with just over three minutes left.  Kandace Crittendon scored seven points for LSSU, while Blazejewski added six.
 
A lay-up by senior Phaebre Colbert (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) with 2:37 left, her only field goal of the game, ended the run.  After LSSU split a pair from the charity stripe, WSU made six consecutive free throws, two each by Cochran, Talisha Bridges and Redfield to open a 13-point advantage in the final 40 seconds.
 
Talisha Bridges led WSU with 21 points, while Cochran garnered a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Long totaled a career-high 17 points off the bench, with Redfield adding 12 points.
 
Blazejewski had a game-high 22 points, with Crittendon adding 15.
 
The home playoff game on Wednesday will be the first the women's basketball program since 2003.