WSU Women's Basketball Game Notes (PDF)
GAME STORYLINES
The GLIAC-leading Warriors host Ferris State on Thursday, before returning to the road Saturday at Grand Valley. WSU has won three straight games and 13 of 14 overall as it continues its best start since the 1980-81 season. After wins over the other top two teams in the GLIAC North Division, the Warriors are in first place in the division and overall in the GLIAC at 11-1.
Wayne State has yet to lose at home this season, winning all seven contests.
WSU has been ranked for three straight weeks in the USA Today Sports Top 25 Coaches Poll. Wayne State was ranked No. 21 last week, but jumped three spots to No. 18 this week, as the poll was released Tuesday.
The Warriors lead the GLIAC in scoring (78.7 points per game) and field goal percentage (48.4 percent).
SCOUTING FERRIS STATE
The Bulldogs are coming off a week in which they lost in overtime, 90-82, at home to Northwood, but rebounded to earn a 74-71 home victory over Lake Superior to even their GLIAC record at 6-6.
Senior Sarah DeShone is fourth in the GLIAC in points per game (17.4) and second in the conference in assists per contest (4.6). She is shooting 44.9 percent from the field and shares the FSU lead in three-pointers made with sophomore Dena Droste at 29 apiece.
Sophomore Christina Branch averages 6.1 rebounds per game, while junior Hannah Hoffman is pulling down 5.4 boards per contest.
FSU head coach Colleen Lamoreaux-Tate is in her second season as head coach after recording more than 300 victories as a high school coach at both Grand Rapids Catholic Central and East Grand Rapids.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. FERRIS STATE
The Warriors have won the last three contests with the Bulldogs, with all three coming during the 2012-13 season. WSU won both regular season meetings, before defeating FSU 68-59 in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals. Wayne State is 17-13 at home and 29-34 all-time against Ferris State.
SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY
The Lakers have lost three of their last four games, with all three of the losses coming on the road. Last week, GVSU beat Lake Superior before falling at home to Northwood, 73-64. The Lakers are undefeated at home this season, however, winning all five games.
Sophomore Bailey Cairnduff leads the squad in scoring at 11.4 points per game, while senior Dani Crandall is averaging 10.8 points per game. Crandall also leads GVSU in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and assists with 50. Junior Kat LaPrairie leads the team with 28 three-pointers made.
Seventh-year head coach Janel Burgess has a 112-71 record at the helm of the Lakers.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. GRAND VALLEY
Wayne State is 24-40 against the Lakers in the all-time series, which began in 1975. WSU is 8-23 away from Detroit against Grand Valley. WSU split with GVSU last season, with each team winning on its home court. The Warriors are 1-3 against the Lakers under coach Lohr.
IN THE RANKINGS
Wayne State was ranked in the USA Today Sports Top 25 Coaches Poll for the third consecutive week on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The Warriors were also ranked No. 23 in the Bennett Rankings, up eight spots from 31st, and were No. 14 in the Massey Ratings, which takes into account strength of schedule, home court advantage, offensive and defensive statistics and other factors.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
WSU has won all seven games at home this season and the Warriors are 19-3 in their last two seasons when playing at the Matthaei Center. Wayne State is winning its home contests by an average of 12.5 points per game. Overall the past two seasons, WSU has a 15-game win streak on its home court.
GLIAC/NATIONAL LEADERS
The Warriors rank third in the nation in field goal percentage at 48.4 percent. The national leader is Adelphi at 48.6 percent. WSU is also 26th nationally in scoring offense (78.7 points per game) and 29th in rebounding margin (+6.9).
Individually,
Shareta Brown is second in the country in field goal percentage (65.5 percent). She also ranks eighth in rebounding (11.3 rpg), 18th in scoring (20.9 ppg) and 30th in steals (2.73 spg). She is first in the GLIAC in scoring and steals and only ranks behind national leader Megan Fogt of Hillsdale in rebounding.
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 Warriors took over first place in the GLIAC after earning a 75-72 home victory against Northern Michigan University on Saturday. Forward
Kayla Bridges had a career-best 27 points, 14 more than her previous career-high, for WSU in the victory.
The game was tightly contested throughout, and didn't come without theatrics at the end.
Bridges converted on a conventional three-point play to give the Warriors a five-point lead, 63-58, with 6:25 remaining. It marked the beginning of a stretch in which Bridges scored nine straight points for WSU, leading the Warriors to a 69-65 advantage with 3:19 left on the clock.
Following the final media timeout,
Shareta Brown sank two free throw attempts as Wayne State went up six points, 71-65, with 2:35 left in the game.
Northern Michigan made another late push, as a lay-up by NMU's Alyssa Colla with 1:21 on the clock, brought Northern Michigan to within one point, 73-72. Both teams missed on consecutive offensive possessions and after
Jackie Jones missed on the front end of a 1-and-1, NMU had the ball and a chance to win the game with 18 seconds on the clock.
The Wildcats missed on a two-point shot with six seconds left and WSU gained possession on a team rebound. Thomas was fouled with five seconds left and made both free throws to give WSU a three-point edge, 75-72. Northern Michigan had one last look at the rim as Colla had a decent three-point look at the buzzer, but the shot fell off the iron.
WSU had a slim rebounding advantage, 33-32. NMU was 10-for-24 (41.7 percent) on three-point attempts, while WSU was just 2-for-12 (16.7 percent). Wayne State shot 48.5 percent from the field. Northern Michgan had a 47.5-percent shooting clip and made 6-of-9 free throws.
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.
COMCAST/XFINITY
Six games will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 900 in 2013-14. WSU hosted Tiffin on Dec. 5, and Michigan Tech on Jan. 23 before the Ferris State contest 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, Joe Abramson and Kevin Brechmacher 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 is 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.
