WSU Women's Basketball Game Notes (PDF)
GAME STORYLINES
The Warriors matched their longest win streak since the 2002-03 season, earning a 10th straight victory with an 86-80 win Saturday at Findlay. WSU is just two wins shy of the school record of 12 straight, set in 1977. The Warriors won all eight games against the GLIAC South Division and are just one of two teams (Michigan Tech) in the GLIAC to open 8-0 in league play. In the four weeks of crossover games, the GLIAC North Division went 44-20 against the South Division.
WSU opens GLIAC North Division action at Northwood on Thursday before traveling to Saginaw Valley on Saturday. Wayne State was ranked No. 20 in the USA Today Sports Top 25 Coaches' Poll on Tuesday, which is the first time the Warriors have earned a Top 25 ranking since the polls inception.
SCOUTING NORTHWOOD
Three players average in double figures for Northwood, which finished games against GLIAC South opponents at 4-4. Sophomore Lauren Robak leads the team at 16.6 points per game, while junior Sarah Susan averages 14.2 ppg. Junior Gabrielle Rivette (13.1 ppg) also averages in double figures, while junior Kaitlin Susan leads the Timberwolves and is fourth in the GLIAC in rebounding at 8.1 rebounds per contest.
Jeff Curtis is in his 10th season as head coach of the Timberwolves. He has 123 victories during his NU coaching career, which is the most in program history.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NORTHWOOD
The Warriors are 26-22 in the all-time series against Northwood, including 2-1 under coach
Carrie Lohr. WSU won both meetings last season versus NU, including a 67-65 overtime win at Northwood on Feb. 7, 2013. Overall, Wayne State is 10-14 on the road against the Timberwolves.
SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY
The Cardinals finished competition against the GLIAC South at 4-4 after dropping their last two games on the road to Findlay and Hillsdale. Entering Thursday's matchup at Lake Superior, Saginaw Valley is second in the league in scoring (76.4 ppg) and first in the league in three-point shooting (42.9 percent).
SVSU is led in scoring by senior Kristen Greene, who averages 17.7 points per game. That mark is also good for fifth in the GLIAC. She is tied for first in the GLIAC, making 50 percent of her three-point attempts (29-for-58). Greene also averages 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior Kayla Womack (14.5 ppg), sophomore Katelyn Carriere (13.2 ppg) and junior Samantha Zirzow (11.3 ppg) also average in double figures.
SVSU head coach Jamie Pewinski enters her third season after leading the Cardinals to the GLIAC Tournament in her second season in 2012-13. Prior to her hiring at Saginaw Valley, Pewinski coached at Lake Superior.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SAGINAW VALLEY
The Warriors have won seven of their last eight games against SVSU, including winning three straight contests. WSU earned a 68-58 victory at Saginaw Valley on Feb. 9, 2013, in their last meeting. Overall, Wayne State is 29-34 in the all-time series with the Cardinals and 13-19 in games played on the road against SVSU. Coach Lohr is 3-0 all-time against SVSU.
GLIAC/NATIONAL LEADERS
The Warriors as a team are first in the GLIAC and fifth in the country in field goal percentage at 48.9 percent. Individually,
Shareta Brown is nationally in the top 20 in four different statistical categories. Brown ranks fifth in field goal percentage (64.7), 13th in points per game (21.7), 17th in rebounds per contest (10.6) and 19th in steals per game (3.0).
Jackie Jones is second in the GLIAC in assists per game (4.0), while
Imari Redfield is fifth in the conference in shooting percentage (57.7).
Kristen Long is fourth in the league in free throw shooting (90.9).
PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Shareta Brown earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week honors on Jan. 13, one week after teammate
Imari Redfield also was the recipient of the weekly conference award. Brown averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and shot 70 percent from the field in helping lead the Warriors to victories at Hillsdale and Findlay.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wayne State University women's basketball team (11-1, 8-0 GLIAC) extended its winning streak to 10 games, two shy of the school record set in 1977, by recording an 86-80 triumph at Findlay (6-6, 3-5 GLIAC).
There were three ties in the first half and five lead changes in the opening 20 minutes with the Oilers taking their final lead of the game at 26-25 on a triple by Karli Bonar at the 8:36 mark. On the ensuing possession,
Imari Redfield took a feed from
Jackie Jones and scored on a jumper. Redfield added a lay-up on the next trip up the court to start an 8-0 run by the Warriors.
After the third media timeout, senior
Lena Thomas hit a three-pointer before Redfield tallied the final seven points of the first half for WSU. Margaret Wuebker had UF's final six points before intermission. WSU led 44-35 at the break.
Wayne State began the second half on a 12-7 run to open a 14-point advantage with just under 14 minutes remaining. WSU led by 10 (61-51) with 11:22 left before the Oilers started to chip away at the deficit. A 9-3 spurt by Findlay over the next 2:15 made it a four point game (64-60) with just over nine minutes remaining.
Destiny Lavita-Stephens sank two free throws in a double bonus situation at the 8:43 mark but UF's Ashley Andrews answered with a jumper.
A fast-break lay-up by
Brittany Streetman pushed the margin to six, before a 5-0 run by Findlay made it a one-point game (68-67) with 6:45 left. Wayne State responded with a 9-2 run over the next 2:30 to increase its lead to eight at 77-69.
Ondrea Hughes started the spurt with a lay-up and ended it with a fast-break hoop.
UF's Ciara Geiger hit a three pointer, before Jones split a pair from the charity stripe.
WSU's lead was back up to six as
Shareta Brown converted on a conventional three-point play with 1:37 left making it 82-76. UF's Ashley Andrews made a lay-up with 64 seconds remaining.
Following a Warrior turnover, Oiler Nikki Gunning hit a jumper with 32.5 seconds left to make it a two-point game at 82-80. Brown made both in a double bonus situation at the 29.9 mark. Findlay took three triple tries in a span of 15 seconds before Brown grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled. With 7.3 seconds remaining Brown made both foul shots to complete the scoring.
COACH LOHR
Carrie Lohr, who was named the 12th head coach in the history of women's basketball at WSU on May 11, 2011, is in her third season guiding the Warrior program. She was voted the 2012-13 GLIAC Coach of the Year by her peers after leading Wayne State to a share of the GLIAC North Division regular-season title, the first for the WSU women's basketball program since the 1980-81 season. Lohr also guided the Warriors to their first NCAA tournament victory (63-58 over Findlay) as well as the school's inaugural appearance in the NCAA Regional Championship game.
She recorded her 200th collegiate coaching victory on March 16, 2013, with WSU's 70-60 triumph over Wisconsin-Parkside in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. BCAM selected Lohr as the 2012-13 Women's College Coach of the Year.
2012-13 RECAP
The Warriors won a share of the GLIAC North Division title, advanced to the GLIAC tournament semifinals for the second time in school history and secured an NCAA tournament berth for the second time in program history. WSU won its first two ever NCAA tournament contests and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before falling at eventual national champion Ashland, 72-63, in a game which WSU led 61-60 with 4:34 remaining.
Last season, the Warriors went 22-9 overall and 17-5 in GLIAC play while winning a share of the GLIAC North Division title. The 22 wins were one shy of the program record achieved in 1980-81 while the 17 conference wins were the most all-time.
COMCAST/XFINITY
Six games will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 900 in 2013-14. WSU entertains Tiffin on Dec. 5, Michigan Tech on Jan. 23 and Ferris State on Jan. 30. There are three televised dates in February with Wayne State hosting Northwood (Feb. 6), Saginaw Valley (Feb. 8) and Grand Valley (Feb. 22). Ryan Ermanni, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action this season. The games will also be replayed the week following the live event.
ON THE CALL
Former Tartar great Shay Lewis will handle play-by-play duties for home games on Warrior All-Access, a live video webcast of every contest from the Matthaei. Lewis scored 991 points for the Green and Gold while starting all 78 games in her three seasons (1995-98) in Detroit. She also totaled 449 rebounds, 191 assists and 139 steals.
WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
The 2013-14 school year will mark the fourth season of Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com. Not only will all home WSU basketball, football and volleyball games be available for viewing by a world-wide audience on a pay-per-view basis, but also the Warrior Daily ~ a video each weekday, available for free on WSUAthletics.com featuring interviews with WSU coaches, staff and student-athletes.
Fans wanting to watch Wayne State home events via Warrior All-Access will need a high-speed internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 or higher. Games will be sold on an individual basis with special viewing packages also available. Warrior All-Access will also feature On-Demand Audio and Video with the stored archived video and audio on WSUAthletics.com.
