Women's Basketball | 11/3/2016 10:45:00 PM

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad played its lone exhibition contest of the 2016-17 season at the University of Michigan Thursday evening and fell 93-41 to the Wolverines.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After falling behind 5-0 in the first 45 seconds, senior Christina Green (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup) put the Warriors on the scoreboard with a shot from the paint.  After Green's second bucket at the 6:09 mark, WSU went over three minutes without making a field goal as the lone points came on a pair of free throws by sophomore Ja'Nae Williams (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King).  UM had an 8-2 run to open a 12-point advantage at 19-7.  Wayne State trailed 26-11 after the first stanza due to shooting just 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from the floor, including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.

For the first six minutes of the second period, the Warriors were outscored 7-4, but the Wolverines went on a 13-5 scoring spree to end the opening half.  WSU shot 50 percent (4-of-8) on field goals in the second quarter, but nine turnovers led to 12 Michigan points.  Sophomore Paige Villemure (Flat Rock, Mich.) led Wayne State with five second stanza points, while junior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.) contributed three defensive rebounds.  The Warriors trailed 46-20 at intermission.

Twenty-four points were scored in the first five minutes of the third quarter with Michigan having a 15-9 margin in points to open a 61-29 lead at the media timeout.  WSU shot just 27.3 percent (3-of-11) in the third period compared to 55.6 percent (10-of-18) for the Wolverines.  Green had a team-best four points in the stanza.

The fourth quarter saw Wayne State record its highest point total of the contest with 12 points on two two-point field goals, two triples and two free throws.  Junior Daejia Hill (Muskegon, Mich. / Orchard View) totaled four points, while sophomore Jessica Murphy (Oxford, Mich.) drained a triple.

TEAM STATS

Michigan shot 46.4 percent (32-of-69) from the floor compared to 27.8 percent (15-of-54) for the Warriors.  The Wolverines were 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from behind the arc, with WSU making just 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) triple tries.  Wayne State was solid from the charity stripe making 8-of-9 (88.9 percent), while UM was 20-of-36 (55.6 percent).  The Warriors had 20 turnovers and were out-rebounded 53-28.  Michigan had a 16-0 edge in fast-break points, along with a 27-3 advantage in points off turnovers.

WARRIOR LEADERS

Green had a team-high nine points, while Villemure chipped in with seven.  Birchmeier grabbed a team-best five rebounds, while also recording half of the squad's assists with three.

UM LEADERS

Katelynn Flaherty led four Wolverines in double figures with 17 points.  Jillian Dunston contributed a game-high 12 rebounds, along with eight points, while Siera Thompson dished out eight assists.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will begin regular-season play at the Ferris State Classic on Friday, Nov. 11 with an in-region match-up against Ursuline.