PAINESVILLE, Ohio – The Wayne State University women's basketball team improved to 2-0 overall on Sunday with a 76-54 win over Lake Erie (1-1 overall) in the second GLIAC/G-MAC Challenge contest.

Sophomore Nastassja Chambers (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Arbor Prep) led all scorers with 23 points while adding five rebounds and three steals.  Senior Shannon Wilson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills) and junior Jessica Murphy (Oxford, Mich. / Oxford) chipped in 16 points apiece.  Wilson added six rebounds and four assists.

Wayne State trailed just twice – both in the first quarter and never by more than two points.  The Warriors fell behind 11-9 with 2:34 left in the first, but a 3-pointer by Wilson gave WSU a lead – and the team never trailed again.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The lead taken by the Warriors late in the first quarter sparked a 7-0 run spanning the first and second quarters, putting WSU up 17-11 with 8:18 to play in the period.  Later in the quarter, Lake Erie tied it 21-21, but on the ensuing possession Murphy hit as 3-pointer to give WSU the 24-21 advantage.

Wayne State took a four-point lead (33-29) into the half, with the final bucket coming off a layup from senior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich. / Corunna) with seven seconds on the clock.  More importantly, it was the start of a 17-2 run. By the 6:02 mark of the third, Wayne State found itself ahead 48-31.

Later in the quarter, the Storm hit two free throws to make it 48-33, but Wilson and Chambers each hit two free throws, and a layup by sophomore Sadia Johnson (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Central) turned it into a 53-33 game with 4:52 left in the third.

Lake Erie chipped away, closing the gap within 12 to end the third, but the Warriors went on another lengthy run – this time 12-4 – with Murphy hitting as 3 to make it 68-50 with 4:19 to play.  The lead was large enough for the Warriors to operate with comfort in the late stages of the contest.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will hit the road again on Thursday, taking on Oakland City for an 8 p.m. tipoff. The team will travel to Evansville, Ind. to take on Southern Indiana 7 p.m. Saturday.