DETROIT – The Wayne State University women's basketball team (5-2 overall, 1-2 GLIAC) hosted its first league game of the season against Northern Michigan (2-5, 1-2 GLIAC) on Thursday night inside the Matthaei. The Warriors overcame a seven-point deficit in the final quarter to win 61-58 and notch their first GLIAC victory of the season.
WSU's second half defense led the way and held NMU without a field goal from the 4:40 mark of the third quarter until the 52-second point of the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED- A triple from
Shannon Wilson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills) three minutes into the contest started the scoring. NMU took its first lead of the night (10-7) after a three-pointer from Emily Schramek with 4:25 left in the opening quarter.
Nina Foster (Lansing, Mich. / Everett) split a pair of free throws to trim the Wildcats' lead to 12-10 to end the first stanza.
-
Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.) connected on a jumper to begin the second quarter to tie the game at 12-12. After a Bre Gaspervich trey,
Ashley Wilson (Portage, Mich. / Northern) answered with a triple of her own to tie the game at 15-15 at the nine-minute mark. Birchmeier kept the momentum rolling as WSU regained the lead, 18-15, with a three-pointer one minute later. Back-to-back jumpers from
Kristen Long (Durand, Mich.) and
Christina Green (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup) extended the home lead to 22-17 at the 6:33 mark of the second period.
Ashley Wilson drilled another triple to keep the Warriors five-point lead intact. With just under two minutes before halftime, Green's lay-up put WSU on top by a game-high seven points. The Wildcats cut the deficit to two, 29-27, after a quick 5-0 run. A buzzer-beater from Birchmeier to end the half slowed NMU's run and gave the Warriors a 32-27 lead at the break.
- An
Ashley Wilson bucket at the 7:25 mark of the third quarter returned the Warriors to a seven-point lead, 36-29. However, a 7-0 run by the Wildcats would tie the game at 36-36 with 5:28 to play in the period. The NMU run reached 12-0 as NMU sprinted out to a 41-36 advantage. WSU weathered the storm and pulled within two, 45-43, with 1:12 left in the quarter on a jumper by Birchmeier. The final seven NMU points of the period came at the free throw line and the Wildcats led 48-43 after 30 minutes.
- NMU would continue to make its living at the charity stripe, adding two more to begin the final stanza to take a 50-43 lead. A lay-up from
Ashley Wilson with 4:54 left to play pulled the Warriors within three (52-49) and started the comeback. A conventional three-point play from Green tied the game at 52-52 with 3:56 on the clock. WSU's defense continued to get the stops it needed and a triple from Long gave WSU its first lead since the 5:56 mark of the third quarter. Back-to-back lay-ups from
Brittany Streetman (Warren, Mich. / Lincoln) extended the lead to seven, 59-52, with 1:48 remaining. Gaspervich connected on a 12-foot jumper to trim the deficit to three, 59-56, at the 52-second mark. The jumper was NMU's first field goal in over 13 minutes. Gaspervich followed with a lay-up to pull the Wildcats within two, 60-58, with 12 seconds to play. Streetman knocked down one of two free throws and a game-tying three-pointer from Tess Weatherly rimmed out as time expired.
LEADING THE WARRIORS-
Ashley Wilson paced WSU's offense with 16 points. Streetman finished with 13 points, while Green tallied 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Birchmeier chipped in 10 points.
Shannon Wilson led the Warriors with four helpers.
TEAM NOTES- NMU converted 26-of-28 free throws while WSU made six of its nine attempts.
- The Wildcats also held a distinct advantage on the glass, out-rebounding the Warriors 56 to 32.
- NMU tallied 21 second-chance points on 24 offensive rebounds, while WSU finished with 24 points in the paint compared to NMU's 10.
TELEVISION- Comcast/CN 900 will replay the game five times over the next three weeks (1) Dec. 16 at 8 p.m., (2) Dec. 19 at 1 p.m., (3) Dec. 20 at noon, (4) Dec. 24 at 9 a.m., and (5) Dec. 30 at 9 p.m.
UP NEXT- Wayne State concludes the weekend set on Sunday when Michigan Tech visits for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
