Men's Basketball | 1/20/2016 9:12:00 AM

DETROIT -- After winning two GLIAC games to close out 2015 over Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech, WSU has lost six straight in 2016.  The Warriors are in the midst of playing six home games in a seven-game span.  Wayne State (2-11, 2-8 GLIAC) hosts Lake Erie (7-9, 4-6 GLIAC) on Thursday night before #23 Ashland (13-3, 7-3 GLIAC) visits the Matthaei on Saturday afternoon.  Wayne State had played the sixth toughest schedule in the country as WSU's past opponents (as of Jan. 8th) recorded a .676 winning percentage.  As GLIAC South Division play continues this week, the winning percentage of the South Division opponents drops to .462 (215th toughest schedule in DII).

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads the all-time series against Lake Erie 7-1.  The teams began playing in 2010 and the Warriors won the first six meetings.  The Storm finally broke through last season, 72-67, in Painesville, Ohio.  WSU avenged that road loss with a 76-67 win on Feb. 12, 2015, in Detroit.  The Green & Gold have never lost at home to LEC.

WSU leads the all-time series against Ashland 29-22, including a 21-15 advantage in GLIAC matchups.  The Warriors have protected their home court in the series, winning 19 of the 27 meetings inside the Matthaei.  The series dates back to 1922 and AU won six of the first nine games.  Recently, the teams have traded three game winning streaks as WSU won three straight from Dec. 3, 2011, until Dec. 5, 2012, and AU won the last three meetings, including an overtime battle in Ashland on Dec. 18, 2013.  Coach Greer is 16-10 against the Eagles in his time at WSU, including a 9-4 ledger at home.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Lake Erie is 7-9 overall and 4-6 in league games.  The Storm had won two straight before Saturday's loss at Walsh.  Head coach Cliff Hunt is in his 10th season leading LEC and carries a 137-148 career record.  Andy Bosley is the team's leading scorer (15.6 PPG) and rebounder (5.9 RPG).  Trey Howard is scoring 12.4 points per night, while Sean Howard is averaging 10.9 points per contest.  Lake Erie leads the GLIAC with 9.7 three-pointers made per game and also averages 7.8 steals per night, which ranks third in the league.  LEC is scoring 73.4 points per game (12th in the league) and is allowing 74.6 points per contest (13th in the league).

Ashland enters this week ranked 23rd in the NABC DII Coaches Poll carrying an overall record of 13-3 and a 7-3 league mark.  John Ellenwood is in his seventh season and enters this week with a 97-80 record with the Eagles.  AU has won three of its last four games, suffering only a two-point loss vs. Walsh on Jan. 14th before rebounding with a two-point victory at Malone on Jan. 16th.  Wendell Davis and Boo Osborne have combined for three GLIAC South Division Player of the Week honors.  Davis, a 6-6 junior forward, is averaging 19.9 points (ranks fourth in the GLIAC) and 7.7 rebounds per contest (ranks seventh in the GLIAC).  Davis also leads the team with 3.7 assists per contest. Marsalis Hamilton is the team's second-leading scorer at 13.3 points per night, while Osborne is averaging 11.3 points per game.  AU boasts the second best defense in the league, allowing just 65.6 points per contest.

LAST WEEK'S RECAP
The Warriors dropped Thursday's contest, 61-55, against Tiffin.  WSU was outscored by 15 points in the second half after leading 27-18 at halftime.  After scoring just 18 points in 78 minutes coming into the game, Tristan Wilson totaled a career-high 17 points in 21 minutes with five rebounds.  Wayne State shot 28 percent (11-of-39) in the second half to finish at 31 percent (21-of-68) for the game.  TU shot 56 percent in the second half (14-of-25) to finish at 43 percent (21-of-49).  Michael Lewis notched his second career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  Lewis finished with another double-double on Saturday as WSU fell, 88-64, at Ohio Dominican.  Lewis and Ronald Booth both scored 19 points, while Lewis posted his third career double-double with 10 boards.  Ohio Dominican drained 10-of 22 (45.5. percent) triple tries, while Wayne State made 35 percent (5-of-14) beyond the arc.

IN THE POLLS
The GLIAC released its preseason coaches poll on Oct. 28 and Wayne State was predicted to finish fourth in the South Division.  Clark Bishop was voted to the All-GLIAC South Division Second Team in balloting conducted by the league's head coaches.  The Warriors totaled 99 points, behind Ashland, Findlay and Walsh.

NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS
The Green & Gold rank 23rd nationally (sixth in the GLIAC) in fewest turnovers (175) and 24th (first in the GLIAC) with 14.3 offensive rebounds per game.

UDANOH EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Former Wayne State University basketball standout Ike Udanoh, currently with Bisons Loimaa, was selected as the Finnish League's Player of the Week, for the period ending Jan. 8th.  He had a double-double of 30 points and 15 rebounds, while his team beat Lapua (#9, 6-14) 89-78.  Udanoh was a three-year letterwinner (2009-12) for WSU after transferring from Long Island.  He finished 17th in career scoring with 996 points, seventh in field goal percentage (55.1 - min. 150 made), ninth in blocked shots (63) and 12th in rebounds (584).

SCORING IN BUNCHES
First-year Warrior Ronald Booth is WSU's leading scorer averaging 16.6 points per game (18.8 per GLIAC contest).  He has scored at least 20 points on five occasions, including a career-high 29 at Northwood (12/3).

REBOUNDING ADVANTAGE
WSU has won the rebounding battle in seven of the 13 games this season, including a decisive 41-18 advantage over Michigan Tech.  WSU grabbed 15 offensive boards in that contest on Dec. 13th.  Those offensive rebounds led to 21 second-chance points.  WSU out-rebounded Ferris State 43 to 41, leading to 18 second-chance points.  WSU hauled in 44 rebounds against Hillsdale and won that rebounding battle 44-42.  The Warriors collected their second-largest rebounding margin against Tiffin, winning the rebounding battle 47-33 (+14).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Joel Ndondo collected the first WSU double-double of the season at Ferris State on Jan. 3rd with career-highs in points (14) and rebounds (10).  The last Warrior to accomplish the feat was Jamar Ragland (11 points/11 rebounds) on Feb. 22, 2014, vs. Grand Valley State.  Michael Lewis collected his second and third career double-doubles last week.  He totaled 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds vs. Tiffin on Thursday and 19 points and 10 boards at Ohio Dominican on Saturday.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Every men's basketball home game in 2016 will be broadcast live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900.  Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action. 

UP NEXT
The home stand concludes on Jan. 28th against Malone before WSU travels to Walsh on Jan. 30th.