Men's Basketball | 1/6/2016 9:15:00 AM

DETROIT -- After winning two GLIAC games to close out 2015 over Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (2-7, 2-4 GLIAC) opened the new year with a defeat at Grand Valley State (74-58) and a three-point loss at Ferris State (71-68).  The Warriors will play six of their next seven games inside the Matthaei beginning with Hillsdale (8-2, 4-2 GLIAC) on Thursday and Saginaw Valley State (9-2, 6-0 GLIAC) on Saturday..  Head coach David Greer won his 200th game last season at Wayne State and is nine victories shy of matching Ron Hammye's (1988-01) program record of 212 wins.

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads the all-time series versus Hillsdale, which dates back to 1932,  45-37 (41-34 GLIAC).  WSU is 30-13 at home in the series.  However, the Chargers have won four of the previous five meetings.  The Warriors topped HC (79-62) in the 2011 GLIAC Quarterfinals in Detroit.  Coach Greer is 11-15 against Hillsdale including a 9-4 mark at the Matthaei.

WSU and Saginaw Valley State began playing in 1976 and the Warriors trail in the series 34-35 (30-33 GLIAC).  However, WSU is 18-14 at home against SVSU.  The Cardinals have won three of the previous four meetings and Coach Greer is 12-9 versus SVSU in his career (6-3 at home).  The longest winning streak belongs to WSU, which won six straight from January of 1986 to February of 1988.   The Warriors captured the only postseason meeting in 1999 (79-61) at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Mich.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Hillsdale enters the second week of 2016 with an 8-2 overall record including a 4-2 conference mark, which is tied for the second best record in the North Division.  The Chargers are 5-0 at home this season having won the last three over Lawrence Tech, Walsh and Malone.  Hillsdale has split its four road games this season.  Head coach John Tharp is in his ninth season leading the squad and carries a 163-94 record at HC.  Kyle Cooper leads the league in scoring at 23.9 points per game, while pulling down the second most rebounds per game at 9.7.  Three other Chargers are averaging at least 10 points per game led by Stedman Lowry's 13.6 points per night.  Hillsdale is shooting 49.5 percent from the field to lead the GLIAC, while ranking first in both free throws made per game (19.0) and fewest turnovers per game (10.1), and third in assists per game (16.5).

Saginaw Valley State has won eight straight games entering this weekend's action.  At 9-2 overall and unbeaten in six GLIAC games, the Cardinals are tied for the top spot with Lake Superior State in the North Division.  SVSU's only defeats have come on the road - an exhibition at Dayton and GLVC defeats versus Bellarmine and Lewis.  In his fourth season at the helm, Randy Baruth carries a 51-41 record into this week's schedule.  C.J. Turnage is the team's leading scorer (17.1 points per night) and rebounder (6.1 boards per contest).  Damon Bozeman is scoring 13.4 points per game, while Garrett Hall is averaging 10.7 points a night.  SVSU tops the league in field goals made per game at 31.5, while scoring 85.8 points per contest (ranking second in the league).  In addition, the Cards are shooting 38.9 percent from behind the arc, which is the second best clip in the conference.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State fell in a tightly contested game, 71-68, at Ferris State (10-2, 4-2 GLIAC) on Jan. 3.  The teams were tied at 27-27 after 20 minutes of action, but FSU was three points better in the second half.  The Bulldogs took a four-point lead (31-27) all from Jared Stolicker to start the second half.  Clark Bishop connected on two free throws to push the Warriors ahead by two (33-31) at the 17-minute mark.  After five minutes of play in the second half, Bishop drained a jumper to tie the score at 35-35.  FSU regained the lead (39-35) after four points scored from Peter Firlik.  Michael Lewis tied the game at 41 with a bucket at the 12-minute mark.  The Bulldogs went on a 17-8 run over the next five minutes to take a seven-point lead (54-47).  Marcus Moore drained a jumper to trim FSU's lead to two (62-60) with three minutes left to play.  FSU held off a late charge by the Green & Gold to secure the victory.  Joel Ndondo recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds (both career-highs), while Ronald Booth added 13 points.

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
According to the NCAA, WSU has played the sixth toughest schedule in the NCAA through the games of Jan. 3rd as Warrior opponents have combined for a .671 winning percentage.  The future appears to be a bit more forgiving as its future opponents have a .500 winning percentage, which equates to the 171st toughest schedule in the country.  In total, WSU opponents have a .582 winning percentage through last weekend's games (18th in DII).

The Green & Gold rank 24th nationally (fourth in the GLIAC) in fewest turnovers (120) and 29th (first in the GLIAC) with 14.2 offensive rebounds per game.  Michael Lewis ranks 45th in the country and second in the GLIAC with 3.1 offensive boards per contest.

REBOUNDING ADVANTAGE
WSU has won the rebounding battle in five of the nine 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.  On Sunday, WSU out-rebounded Ferris State 43 to 41, leading to 18 second-chance points.

THE KEY WARRIOR
If there was Sixth Man of the Year award in the GLIAC, Chuck Key would be the early season favorite.  Coming off the bench in eight of the nine games this season, Key is averaging 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.  In the win over MTU, he notched career-highs in points (18), rebounds (9) and field goals made (9) in just 19 minutes of action. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Joel Ndondo collected the first WSU double-double of the season at Ferris State on Sunday 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.

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.  A replay of the Hillsdale game can be seen on Jan. 13th at 8 p.m., the Saginaw Valley State contest on Jan. 14th at 11 a.m. and the Tiffin match-up on Jan. 16th at 5 p.m.

UP NEXT
Wayne State continues its stretch of six home games in seven dates by hosting Tiffin on Jan. 14th at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to Ohio Dominican on Jan. 16th for a 3 p.m. tip-off.