DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (8-20 overall, 5-16 GLIAC) closed out its 2016-17 campaign in a similar fashion to most of the games falling in a tightly contested game 77-70 to visiting Saginaw Valley State University (21-6 overall, 17-4 GLIAC) Thursday evening.  Ten of WSU's losses this year were by seven points or less, or in overtime.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Warriors led 14-12 after the opening quarter with each team making five field goals, including one triple.  Wayne State had the largest lead of the stanza at five points (10-5) following a free throw by junior Shannon Wilson (W. Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills).  Sophomore Ja'Nae Williams (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King) tallied WSU's first five points on a lay-up and a triple, before junior Sara Ruhstorfer (Grand Blanc, Mich. / Flint Powers Catholic) made two foul shots prior to another bucket by Williams.  SVSU recorded seven of the next nine points to knot the game at 12-12, but sophomore India Hawkins (Detroit, Mich. / Edison Public School Academy) scored on a driving lay-up giving the Warriors the advantage.

There were three ties in the second stanza with Wayne State opening a six-point margin in the first four minutes of the period.  Hawkins started the quarter with a triple and after a lay-up by junior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.), freshman Nastassja Chambers (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Arbor Prep) scored five consecutive WSU points for the 24-18 advantage.   An 11-2 run by the Cardinals put the guests ahead 29-26.  A conventional three-point play by senior Christina Green (Southfield, Mich. / Lathrup) tied the contest at 31-31.  Two late free throws by SVSU's Katelyn Carriere put the Cardinals in front 33-31 at halftime.  Chambers totaled nine of WSU's 17 points in the second period.

There were three ties in the third quarter including at the end as Birchmeier drained a three-pointer to knot the scored at 49-49 in the final minute.  Even though the Warriors were just 5-of-16 from the floor in the stanza, WSU did convert 7-of-8 at the charity stripe.

The game was tied four more times in the first 5:10 of the fourth quarter with neither team leading by more than two in the early part of the stanza.  After a Chambers lay-up tied the game at 59-59, Saginaw Valley State scored the next four points before Wilson made a pair of foul shots.  Williams answered a jumper by SVSU's Emily Wendling with one of her own before a 5-0 spurt by the Cardinals gave the visitors a seven point lead (70-63) with the final minute.  Wayne State had three turnovers and a missed triple try as the deficit expanded.

TEAM STATS

Wayne State shot 40 percent (23-of-58) from the floor, while SVSU was 23-of-55 (42 percent).  WSU connected on 5-of-18 three pointers (28 percent) compared to 3-of-7 (43 percent) for the Cardinals.  The Warriors were 19-of-23 (83 percent) from the charity stripe, with Saginaw Valley State making 28-of-35 (80 percent) free throw attempts.  WSU held a slim 37-35 edge in rebounding.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Chambers scored a team-best 22 points, while Williams notched her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.  HAwkins contributed 14 points.  The 358 scored by Chambers equals the second-highest freshman total in school history matching Tiffany Grubaugh's mark in 2000-01.  Julie Filpus holds the freshman scoring mark with 405 points in 1990-91.

LEADING THE CARDINALS

Wendling had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Carriere chipped in with 20 points.