Women's Basketball | 12/31/2014 12:54:00 PM

STORYLINES
Wayne State (7-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) resumes conference play this weekend as it hosts its Grand Valley State (7-1, 4-0 GLIAC) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Ferris State (5-2, 3-1 GLIAC) on Sunday at 1 p.m.  Due to the NCAA Dead period from Dec. 22-28, no games involving Division II schools were played during that seven-day period.  All 18 remaining regular-season contests for WSU will be league games.  

IN THE POLLS
WSU was ranked 11th in the Dec. 16th WBCA/USA Today National Poll, a week after the highest ranking (8th) in program history.  The Warriors are ranked 13th by the Massey Rankings and 21st in the D2SIDA poll.  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 SERIES
The Warriors trail Grand Valley State 25-41 in the all-time series.  WSU is 16-16 at home against the Lakers and 2-2 in the last four meetings with each squad going 1-1 at home.

Wayne State has a 30-35 all-time mark versus Ferris State, but the Warriors are 18-13 at the Matthaei against the Bulldogs.  WSU has won three straight at home and had a four-game series win streak snapped in the last meeting as FSU won 85-77 at home on Feb. 20, 2014.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State's Destiny Lavita-Stephens scored the first 12 points of the game and the Warriors led from start to finish in a 72-61 triumph over Bellarmine on Dec. 20th at the Matthaei.

Lavita-Stephens recorded two triples, a fast-break lay-up, a pair of free throws and a jumper with Shareta Brown assisting on all four field goals.

The Warriors advantage was down to four (32-28) late in the first half following an 11-5 run by the Knights.  After BU had pulled within five (36-31), Jackie Jones knocked down a three pointer, then had a defensive rebound followed by a lay-up before Bellarmine's Morgan Clemons completed the first half scoring with a lay-up.

Wayne State led 41-33 at the intermission with Brown and Lavita-Stephens each scoring 12 points.  Brown had earned her 54th career double-double at that point with 10 rebounds.  Destony Curry and Beth Bowers each had 10 points in the opening 20 minutes for the Knights.

WSU held a 10-point advantage (53-43) with just over 12 minutes remaining after a jumper by Jones, but BU went on a 10-3 run in the next 4:30 to pull within three (56-53) at the 7:23 mark.  The Warriors answered with nine consecutive points on a lay-up by Jones, a triple by Kristen Long, a jumper by Amber McCann followed by a lay-up from Brown to make it 65-53 with 5:05 left.

Bellarmine was never closer than nine points in the final five minutes.

Brown, who earned Tournament MVP honors, finished the game with 28 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and five steals to lead Wayne State.  Lavita-Stephens chipped in with 12 points, while Jones contributed 11 points, five assists and three steals.

Curry, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led Bellarmine with 15 points and three steals.  Mariah Gador had a team-best five rebounds for the Knights.

In Wayne State's two games in the WSU Holiday Classic Brown totaled 41 points, 25 rebounds, 10 assists, and seven steals to earn MVP accolades.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Grand Valley State began the year with seven consecutive victories until a 78-65 setback at Lewis University, the No. 2-ranked team in the nation on Dec. 21.  The Lakers have a trio of players averaging in double figures in junior guard Brionna Barnett (14.9 ppg), sophomore forward Kayla Dawson (14.2 ppg) and senior forward Kat Laprairie (13.9 ppg).  Barnett has a team-high 27 assists with Dawson adding a team-best 21 steals.  Laprairie has made a squad-leading 31 triples (out of 39 field goals made).  Freshman center Korynn Hincka and sophomore forward Piper Tucker are tied for the team lead in rebounding with 5.6 boards per contest.

The Bulldogs have won two straight after starting the year at 3-2.  FSU has won four games by a combined 24 points (the other win was by 26 points at Tiffin).  Ferris State is led in scoring by junior guard Katie Mavis (12.4 ppg), sophomore guard Ally Christman (11.9 ppg) and junior forward Christina Branch (11.1 ppg).  Branch leads the squad in rebounding (9.3 rpg), while Christman has made a team-best 17 triples.  Six different players have double-digit assist totals on the year.  Junior guard Dena Droste has a team-high 17 steals.  The Bulldogs average nearly 14 offensive rebounds per game heading into Friday's game at Findlay.

NATIONAL STATISTICS
In the Dec. 28th NCAA stats report, Wayne State was eighth in all of Division II in both team field goal percentage (47.4%), and rebounding margin (+10.9).  The Warriors are ranked 11th in scoring margin (+20.5), 15th in field goal percentage defense (34.3%), 17th in scoring defense (56.1 ppg), and 21st in fewest turnovers per game (13.8).

In terms of individual national statistics, Shareta Brown leads the nation in total rebounds per contest (15.6), while ranking second in defensive rebounds per game (11.0).  Brown is fourth in offensive rebounds per game (5.0), ninth in both field goal percentage (61.6) and double-doubles (7), and 11th in scoring (21.8 ppg).

In terms of active Division II players, Brown is first in career points (2,105), scoring average (19.9 ppg), rebounds (1,082), field goals made (725), free throws made (620) and attempted (845) as well as double-doubles (54).  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 now three more than Central Michigan's Crystal Bradford who has 51.  Brown ranks second in Division II in career field goal percentage (59.4%), fourth in games played (106 - 68 with Detroit and 38 at WSU), sixth in rebounding average (10.2 rpg), and eighth in field goals attempted (1,221).  Jackie Jones is eighth in assists average (3.80) and ninth in total assists (372).

Brown has 220 career assists, 74 blocked shots and 163 steals, while shooting 35.7 percent (35-of-98) from beyond the arc and 73.4percent from the charity stripe.

NEXT UP
Following this weekend's two GLIAC games, the Warriors will play six of their next seven contests on the road beginning with a Jan. 8th match at Hillsdale (6 p.m.), followed by games at Saginaw Valley State (Jan. 10th at 5 p.m.) and at Tiffin (Jan. 15th at 6 p.m.).

COMCAST/XFINITY/ALL-ACCESS
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.  Every home game will have a video webcast through WSUAthletics.com.  Both games this weekend will have Cliff Russell serving as the broadcaster.

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.