Women's Basketball | 1/15/2015 12:31:00 PM
The sixth-ranked Wayne State (11-1 overall, 7-1 GLIAC) women's basketball squad has started the year 11-1 for the second consecutive season. This week the Warriors begin South Division play with a Thursday match-up at Tiffin (6 p.m.) followed by a home contest against Ohio Dominican on Saturday (1 p.m.). All 14 remaining regular-season games will be against South Division opponents. The top two starts to the year are 11-0 by the 1980-81 squad and a 13-1 beginning by the 1976-77 team.
IN THE POLLSWSU was ranked sixth in the Jan. 13th WBCA/USA Today National Poll, the highest ranking in program history. The Warriors are ranked eighth by the Massey Rankings and 11th in the D2SIDA poll. Wayne State was predicted to finish first in the South Division in the GLIAC Preseason Media Poll.
THE SERIESThe Warriors have won the last two meetings against Tiffin to pull even in the all-time series at seven wins each. Wayne State has a 4-3 mark at the Gillmor Student Center with two victories in the last three trips to Tiffin.
WSU is 6-0 all-time versus Ohio Dominican with a 3-0 mark at home against the Panthers. The average margin of victory in the three home contests is 12 points.
LAST TIME OUTThe eighth-ranked Wayne State Warriors won their seventh consecutive contest with a 76-73 road victory at Saginaw Valley State University (6-8 overall, 1-7 GLIAC) Saturday evening.
WSU raced out to an 11-1 advantage in the first five minutes as
Destiny Lavita-Stephens had five points,
Amber McCann added a pair of baskets, and
Shareta Brown made a pair from the charity stripe.
The Cardinals answered with a 14-2 run concluding on a triple by Jessica Alexander which gave the hosts a 15-13 lead just past the mid-point of the first half. SVSU had a couple of four-point leads (19-15 and 21-17) prior to back-to-back buckets by McCann in a span of 24 seconds to knot the game at 21.
Brittany Streetman, who had not connected from long range in 2015, drained a three-pointer with just under 3:30 remaining before intermission to put Wayne State ahead 24-23. It was WSU's first lead in over six minutes. The Warriors ended the opening 20 minutes on a 6-2 run in the final 90 seconds which included a conventional three-point play by Brown and another triple by Streetman. It marked third time this year Streetman had multiple three pointers in a contest.
Wayne State led 32-28 as McCann had a game-high 10 points at halftime on 5-of-7 shooting, with Brown grabbing a game-best seven boards. The Warriors shot 38 percent (13-of-34) from the floor with the Cardinals making 35 percent (10-of-29). Shelby Herrington led SVSU with eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
WSU extended its lead to seven early in the second half as
Jackie Jones and Brown each made field goals, and McCann split a pair from the foul line. Saginaw Valley State had a 5-0 run to pull within two (39-37) and moments later Cardinal Danielle Carriere connected from beyond the arc to cut Wayne State's lead to one at 41-40. However, back-to-back hoops by
Gabby Machado and
Ondrea Hughes pushed the lead to five. The 8-0 Warrior run concluded with two more free throws by Brown and a basket by Hughes.
SVSU's Emily Wendling ended the hosts field goal drought of 4:10 with a lay-up at the 12:08 mark. Later the Cardinals cut their deficit to five (62-57) with 5:02 left after Wendling made two foul shots. Wayne State
Shannon Wilson drained a triple on the ensuing possession to extend the lead to eight.
WSU had a 10-point advantage (71-61) with 1:38 to play after a lay-up by Brown but in the last 100 seconds, the Warriors were 0-for-1 from the field with a turnover, and just 5-of-9 from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Saginaw Valley State was 3-of-6 from the floor including a made triple by Carriere along with a 5-for-5 performance from the foul line. The Cardinals had the ball with 11 seconds left and trailing by three but were never able to get a shot off.
Brown notched another double-double with game-high totals of 20 points and 18 rebounds. McCann was the only other Warrior in double figures with 11 points, while Hughes contributed a career-best six assists. Samantha Zirzow led four Cardinals in double figures with 16 points as Carriere added 14 points. Both Wendling and Alexander chipped in 13 points apiece.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTSTiffin is 3-2 in its last five games, including a win over Michigan Tech (80-66) after starting the year at 1-8. Sophomore center Bre Nauman leads a trio of players averaging in double figures at 11.4 points per game. She also leads the Dragons in rebounding (6.7 rpg). Sophomore forward Anya Misko is second in scoring (10.6 ppg), but leads the squad in steals (20) and field goal percentage (47.7). Sophomore guard Kaylee Patton is at 10.4 ppg and has a team-best 29 triples. Sophomore guard Deidre McKay leads TU with 41 assists, while freshman center Shelby Cheston has a squad-high 16 blocked shots.
The Panthers have lost seven consecutive league contests heading into Thursday's game at home versus Findlay. ODU opened conference play with a 61-58 victory over Saginaw Valley State. Senior guard Kacee Hockenberry is averaging a team-best 17.2 points per game. She also leads the squad in triples (27). Junior forward Melissa Scherpenberg is second in scoring (11.2 ppg), but leads Ohio Dominican in rebounding (11.3 rpg) and field goal percentage (45.7). Sophomore forward Madi Rittinger has a team-high 26 blocked shots, while sophomore guard Lauren Bates leads ODU with 29 steals. Micaela Liddane, a senior guard, has a team-best 42 assists.
NATIONAL STATISTICSIn the Jan. 11th NCAA stats report, Wayne State was eighth in all of Division II in team field goal percentage (46.6%). The Warriors are 11th in scoring margin (+18.6), 15th in fewest turnovers per game (13.5), 16th in both rebounding margin (+8.4) and field goal percentage defense (35.2%) and 18th in winning percentage (91.7%). WSU is 27th in both scoring defense (58.5 ppg) and 25th in scoring offense (77.1 ppg).
In terms of individual national statistics,
Shareta Brown leads the nation in total rebounds per contest (16.2) and offensive rebounds per game (6.0). She is third nationally in defensive rebounds per game (10.0), double-doubles (11) and scoring (22.9 ppg). Brown is fourth in field goal percentage (65.1).
In terms of active Division II players, Brown is first in career points (2,206), scoring average (20.1 ppg), rebounds (1,151), field goals made (761), free throws made (648) and attempted (879) as well as double-doubles (58). Her free throws made and attempted totals plus rebounding mark are first among all active NCAA players (Divisions I, II and III combined), while her double-doubles total leads all current Division I and Division II players. Brown ranks second in field goal percentage (59.87%), fourth in games played (110 - 68 with Detroit and 42 at WSU), fifth in rebounding average (10.46 rpg) and eighth in field goals attempted (1,271).
Jackie Jones is ninth in total assists (383) and 10th in assists average (3.75).
Brown has 229 career assists, 76 blocked shots and 173 steals, while shooting 35.3 percent (36-of-102) from beyond the arc and 73.7 percent from the charity stripe.
RECORD BREAKERShareta Brown broke the school record for single-game field goal percentage last Thursday at Hillsdale by making 12-of-13 (92%).
NEXT UPWSU begins another three-game road swing with contests at Lake Erie (Jan. 22) and Ashland (Jan. 24).
COMCAST/XFINITY/ALL-ACCESSBeginning on Jan. 31st 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.
ALL-NEW MATTHAEIThe 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.
