Women's Basketball | 1/3/2017 4:23:00 PM

STORYLINES
Wayne State will play its final two games against GLIAC South Division opponents this week with a Thursday match-up at Walsh (5:30 p.m.), followed by a Saturday contest at Findlay (1 p.m.).  The Warriors are 2-3 vs. GLIAC South Division foes this season.  The final 14 regular-season games will be against the seven GLIAC North Division rivals.

THE SERIES
Wayne State has a 4-3 edge in the all-time series against Walsh.  The Warriors won both meetings in 2016 (72-66 at Walsh on Jan. 30, and 79-75 in Detroit on Feb. 20).  Last year's triumph in North Canton was WSU's first after close losses in 2013 (61-60) and 2015 (89-83).

The Wayne State vs. Findlay series is even at 20 wins apiece.  The Warriors have won five of the last six meetings with the only setback coming at UF on Feb. 1, 2016, by an 87-80 score depite 40 points by Brittany Streetman.  WSU is 7-12 all-time at Croy Gymnasium.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Walsh enters Thursday's game following a 74-66 setback at home to Malone.  Senior guard Brooklyn Wooten leads the squad in both scoring (13.3 points per game) and assists (43) and is tied-for-second in steals (17).  Junior forward Brittni Clopton has team-high marks of 6.4 rpg and 12 blocks, while ranking third in scoring (11.5 ppg).  Senior guard Jalynn Graham is first in both triples (17) and steals (33), and second in rebounding (5.2 rpg).  Junior forward Alex Hochstedler is second in both triples (14) and assists (29) for first-year head coach Kate Bruce.

Findaly enters 2017 on a high note after posting a pair of home wins last week (107-47 over Michigan-Dearborn and 62-46 against St. Joseph's) to even its overall record at 7-7.  Junior guard Lynsey Englebrecht, despite not having started a game all season, leads UF in scoring at 9.1 points per game and in triples (32).  Junior guard Haley Horstman is second in scoring (8.9 ppg), tied-for-first in steals (17) and second in assists (27).  Sophomore guard Allie Thobe has a team-best 28 assists heading into Thursday's contest vs. Saginaw Valley State.  Sophomore forward Anna Hintz leads the squad in both rebounds (5.7 rpg) and blocks (12), while senior guard Karli Bonar, who set the school record for career three's (223) is second on the team with 29 triples.

LAST WEEK'S RECAP
After a 10-day break for the holidays, Wayne State snapped its four-game losing streak with a 77-59 non-league triumph over visiting Cedarville University on Dec. 30 at the Matthaei.

After falling behind 11-4 in the first 5:10, the Warriors responded with a 14-4 run to end the opening stanza.  The seven point lead by CU would be its largest of the game.  

Payton Birchmeier and India Hawkins each hit triples sandwiched around a bucket by Yellow Jacket Breanne Watterworth.  Shannon Wilson followed with back-to-back steals and fast-break lay-ups to give WSU its first lead of the contest at 14-13.  A basket by Watterworth with 2:21 left would be the final points of the period for CU.  A baseline jumper by Ajai Meeks and spin move between two defenders and hoop by Ja'Nae Williams completed the first quarter scoring.

Wayne State scored of the first 10 points of the second period to open a seven-point advantage (24-17) with 8:16 left before intermission.  Twice Cedarville cut its deficit to three, but both times the Warriors responded first with a triple by Wilson, then a basketball by Christina Green.  After a Yellow Jacket field goal by Taylor Buckley, Birchmeier concluded the first half scoring just before the buzzer with an offensive rebound and put back giving the Warriors a four-point margin (33-29).

Nastassja Chambers scored the first four points of the third quarter pushing the WSU advantage to eight (37-29).  After CU its deficit to six (39-33) on a bucket by Watterworth, the Warriors tallied the next six points on a basket by Green, a free throw by Chambers and a three-pointer by Sara Ruhstorfer.

WSU's lead would be under double digits, just once more at 45-37.  Immediately after Watterworth's lay-up at the 4:13 mark, Wilson hit a shot from beyond the arc and made the ensuing foul shot for a four-point play.  Less than 90 seconds later, Ruhstorfer connected from long distance and Wilson ended the stanza with a fast-break lay-up that followed a blocked shot by Daejia Hill and a defensive rebound by Chambers.

After trading hoops in the first 2:20 of the fourth period, Wayne State went on a 6-0 run as Chambers made two field goal after Wilson started the spurt with a bucket.  The Warrior lead was never fewer than 15 the rest of the contest.

Wayne State shot 46 percent (30-of-65) from the field, compared to 44 percent (23-of-52) for CU.  The Warriors shot a season-best 44 percent (7-of-16) from three-point range, with Cedarville connecting on 20 percent (2-of-10) from beyond the arc.  Both teams struggled at the charity stripe as WSU shot 56 percent (10-of-18) with the Yellow Jackets making 61 percent (11-of-18) from the foul line.  CU held a 38-33 edge in rebounds, but WSU led 24-7 in points off turnovers as the Warrior defense forced the Yellow Jackets into 26 miscues.

Wilson tallied a team-best 19 points on 8-of-10 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from long range.  Chambers scored in double figures for the 11th straight contest totaling 14 points and a game-high six steals.  Birchmeier grabbed a team-best six rebounds.
Freshman Lyndsey Matus tallied her first collegiate point with a free throw late in the contest.  Tyesha Hood made her Warrior debut playing five minutes and grabbing four rebounds (three offensive) along with an assist and a blocked shot.

IN THE POLLS
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced its women's basketball preseason poll and Wayne State was predicted to finish sixth in the GLIAC North Division with 17 points.  Grand Valley State was selected as the top team in the North Division, while Ashland was named the preseason favorite in the South Division.

CHAMBERS CONTRIBUTING ALL-AROUND THE COURT
Freshman Nastassja Chambers has made an impact in her first 11 collegiate contests.  She is leading the squad in points (175), field goal percentage (.533 / 64-of-120), free throw percentage (.772 / 44-of-57), assists (28), steals (20) and minutes played per game (30.1 per game).  Chambers also leads the team in field goals made (64) and free throws made (44).

WILSON LEADING THE SCORING PARADE
Junior Shannon Wilson, who was last year's leading scorer, has picked up this year where she left off last season.  She has led WSU in scoring four times this year, notching double figure totals in eight of the 10 games she has played (and nine points in one other game).  Dating back to last season, Wilson has scored in double figures in 11 of 13 contests.  She has made a three-pointer in 13 of her last 16 contests.  In addition, Wilson was selected the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for her performance in the non-conference victory over Cedarville on Dec. 30.

WILLIAMS MAKING MOST OF HER OPPORTUNITY
After playing just 68 minutes last year at IUPUI, sophomore Ja'Nae Williams has started nine times this season and is averaging nearly 23 minutes a contest.  She has scored in double figures four times with another two games of nine points each.  Williams has had at least one assist in every game but two, including a career-best three helpers at Lewis.

HAWKINS HEATING UP FROM LONG DISTANCE
Sophomore India Hawkins made 16 triples as a freshman and shot 30.8 percent from beyond the arc.  She has already made 16 three-pointers this season and is shooting 41.0 percent from long-range.  After beginning the year 9-of-27 from three-point range, Hawkins has connected on 7-of-12 over the last three games.

RUHSTORFER SETTING CAREER HIGHS
Junior Sara Ruhstorfer has taken advantage of increased playing time this season and has already made more triples this year (11) than she did in her first two seasons combined (9).  She has nearly matched her first two-year totals in rebounds (28) and steals (14) with 26 and 11, respectively this season.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Every women's basketball home game beginning in 2017 will be aired live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900.  Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action.