Women's Basketball | 12/3/2014 3:14:00 PM

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (2-0, 0-0 GLIAC) begins GLIAC play this week with a pair of home games starting with a 5:30 p.m. tilt on Thursday against Lake Superior State.  The Lakers are 3-0 under first-year head coach Kristen Rogers, a former player and assistant coach for the Warriors.  WSU entertains Northwood on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a game moved back one day since Wayne State Winter Commencement is in the Matthaei on Saturday.  The Warriors won the 2013-14 GLIAC regular-season title with a 17-5 mark despite a 2-4 record in the final six league games.  WSU's only setback during a 15-1 conference start was a 77-65 defeat in Midland.

STORYLINES
Wayne State begins GLIAC play this week with a pair of home games starting with a 5:30 p.m. tilt on Thursday against Lake Superior State.  The Lakers are 3-0 under first-year head coach Kristen Rogers, a former player and assistant coach for the Warriors.  WSU entertains Northwood on Sunday at 2 p.m. in a game moved back one day since Wayne State Winter Commencement is in the Matthaei on Saturday.  The Warriors won the 2013-14 GLIAC regular-season title with a 17-5 mark despite a 2-4 record in the final six league games.  WSU's only setback during a 15-1 conference start was a 77-65 defeat in Midland.

IN THE POLLS
WSU is ranked 11th this week in the WBCA/USA Today National Poll, 10th in the D2SIDA poll and 15th by the Massey Rankings.  Wayne State was predicted to finish first in the South Division in the GLIAC Preseason Media Poll.  Returning All-American Shareta Brown was voted to the All-GLIAC South Division First Team in balloting conducted by the league's head coaches.  Junior Destiny Lavita-Stephens earned a spot on the South Division Second Team. The Warriors totaled 121 points including nine first-place votes to edge Ashland.  

THE SERIES
The Warriors have won the last eight meetings against Lake Superior State to pull within 31-38 in the all-time series.  Prior to the current win streak, WSU had lost 15 of 16 vs. the Lakers from Nov. 21, 1998, through Jan. 16, 2010.  Wayne State has an 18-15 record at home versus LSSU in a series that began in 1975.

Wayne State holds a 27-23 advantage in the all-time series vs. Northwood.  The Warriors have won three of the last four meetings, including the last two at the Matthaei after four consecutive road wins by the Timberwovles.  WSU has a 17-8 record in Detroit vs. NU dating back to Dec. 18, 1980.

LAST TIME OUT
WSU improved to 2-0 overall with a 107-35 home court victory over Michigan-Dearborn (2-4 overall) on Nov. 18.  The Wolverines knotted the game at two on a jumper by Andrea Collins, before a pair of free throws by Shareta Brown started a 14-1 run to open a 13-point margin at 16-3.  After UMD cut its deficit to 11 (18-7), WSU went on a 23-4 spurt over the next 7:30 to put the game out of reach at 41-13.  Wayne State led at halftime 57-20 based on a 48-8 edge in points in the paint.  Ondrea Hughes had 14 points in the first 20 minutes, while Brown contributed 10 points and six rebounds with Amber McCann chipping in with 10 rebounds and seven points.  Brown finished with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds for her 49th career double-double.  McCann totaled a game-best 15 rebounds and tallied 13 points for her first career double-double.  Hughes contributed 21 points and five boards, while Gabby Machado recorded 15 points and eight rebounds.  Destiny Lavita-Stephens added 10 points, with Jackie Jones chipping in with nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds, along with a game-high four steals.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Lake Superior State has won three straight non-league games to start the season after winning just five contests (all in the GLIAC) a year ago.  Senior Stephanie Fisher is averaging 20.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GLIAC, while classmate Kandace Crittendon is averaging 10.3 points per contest.  Fisher has made 12 of the team's 22 triples this year with Crittendon and junior April LaCross tied for the team lead with 22 rebounds each.  Junior Megan Mannien has a team-high eight assists, while Crittendon and sophomore Crishauna Harper each have seven helpers.

Northwood is 2-2 heading into Thursday's contest at Findlay.  The Timberwolves are led in scoring by a pair of upperclassmen in senior Gabrielle Rivette and junior Lauren Robak.  Each are averaging 12.5 points per game.  Robak has made eight of the team's 19 three pointers this season, while Rivette has a team-best six steals.  Sophomore Jordyn Nurenberg is averaging 9.8 ppg coming off the bench along with 4.8 rebounds per contest.  Seniors Kaitlin Susan (4-20-24) and Aleigha Wylie (6-14-20) lead NU in rebounds (6-14) with Susan having a team-high six blocked shots.

NATIONAL STATISTICS
Wayne State leads all of Division II in team field goal percentage (57.1) and scoring margin (+45.0), along with being tied with 37 other schools at 1.000 winning percentage.  The Warriors are ranked second in rebounding margin (+22.5), scoring offense (92.0 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (28.0%), third in both assist/turnover ratio (+1.81) and scoring defense (47.0 ppg), and fourth in fewest turnovers per game (10.5) .

In terms of individual national statistics, Shareta Brown is third in defensive rebounds per game (12.0) and fifth in total rebounds per contest (13.5).  Destiny Lavita-Stephens is third in three-point field goal percentage (71.4), while Amber McCann is second in offensive rebounds per game (6.0).  WSU has four players ranked in the top 35 natinally in field goal percentage with Lavita-Stephens fourth (66.7), Gabby Machado 14th (61.9), Brown 31st (59.3) and Ondrea Hughes 34th (58.8).

In terms of active Division II players, Brown is first in career points (1,967), scoring average (19.7 ppg), rebounds (984), field goals made (680), free throws made (573) and attempted (788) as well as double-doubles (49).  Both her free throws made and attempted totals are first among all active NCAA players (Divisions I, II and III combined), while her double-doubles total is second to Central Michigan's Crystal Bradford who has 50.  Brown ranks second in Division II in career field goal percentage (59.2%), sixth in rebounding average (9.8 rpg), seventh in field goals attempted (1,149) and ninth in games played (100 - 68 with Detroit and 32 at WSU).

Brown has 203 career assists, 70 blocked shots and 148 steals, while shooting 37.4 percent (34-of-91) from beyond the arc and 72.7 percent from the charity stripe.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Beginning on Jan. 17th every women's and men's basketball home game will be broadcast live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN900.  Sean Baligian, Ryan Ermanni, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will bring you the action.

ALL-NEW MATTHAEI
The Matthaei has received a face lift over the course of the past decade. In January of 2014, a new scoreboard and video board were installed which features live action and replays. During the offseason, the Warriors added a new parquet floor and the sub-floor (circa 1965) was replaced. And finally a new basketball office expansion was completed in the fall on the northwest corner of the Matthaei. The new expansion includes six coaches offices, a theater-style film room and a reception area.

NEXT UP
After hosting Northwood on Sunday, the Warriors will travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to face two of the North Division's top teams in Michigan Tech (Saturday, Dec. 13) and Northern Michigan (Dec. 15).