STORYLINES
After a nearly three-week holiday break, Wayne State returns to action with a pair of GLIAC contests, traveling to Ferris State on Thursday before hosting Lake Superior State on Saturday.  Wayne State will look to rebound after losing two of its last three contests.

THE SERIES
Wayne State is 31-38 all-time against Ferris State in a series that began on Feb. 2, 1976.   The Warriors won four straight between the 2012-13 season and the 2013-14 season.  The Bulldogs have since claimed four of the last five, including three straight. 

The Warriors are 34-39 against the Lakers.  Between the 1991-92 season and the 2009-10 season, LSSU claimed 25 of the 29 meetings, including 12 straight between the 1998-99 season and the 2006-07 season.  Since that run, however, WSU has won 11 of its last 12 against Lake Superior State, including both meetings last season.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Ferris State enters Thursday's contest second in the conference in scoring average, putting up 83.0 PPG.  The Bulldogs are grabbing a GLIAC-best 43.2 rebounds per outing, and sit second in the league in assists (19.2) and steals (13.5). Four players are averaging double figures in scoring:  Senior forward Rachel McInerney (16.9 PPG), Leah Humes (10.6 PPG), Riley Blair (10.5 PPG) and Kelsey Wyman (10.0 PPG).  McInerney leads the team in field goal percentage (51.2), blocks (1.7), and assists (3.0), and is averging a GLIAC-best 9.5 RPG.  Humes leads all Bulldogs with 2.0 steals per contest. 

LSSU is searching for its its first win of the 2017-18 campaign after falling in the first nine contests.  The Lakers are led by senior forward Tamara Novic, who has started all nine contests and leads the team and the conference in field goal perentage (62.0), while also posting team highs in scoring (13.9 PPG), and rebounding (7.2 RPG).  Junior Courtney Jacobsen leads the team with 31.6 MPG, scoring 9.4 PPG to go along with 1.3 APG and 0.8 SPG. 

LAST TIME OUT
Despite a 21-14 halftime lead, the Warriors couldn't overcome cold shooting in a 43-41 loss at Davenport on Dec. 16.

WSU connected on just one field goal in the third quarter, allowing the Panthers to take a seven-point lead (31-24) into the fourth quarter.  Despite a late push in the closing stages, DU never lost its advantage.

Sophomore Alex Matus led all scorers with 13 points, which included three triples and three assists. Senior  Payton Birchmeier and junior Ja'Nae Williams each had seven rebounds.

THE 500 CLUB
Sophomore Nastassja Chambers reached 500 career points after her five-point effort at Davenport on Dec. 16.  Chambers is the 64th player all time in WSU history to reach the mark and did so in just 39 games.  

FAMILIAR OPPONENTS
This weeks contests will feature opponents familar to those on the Wayne State roster.  Ferris State freshman guard Adrienne Anderson is a 2017 graduate of Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, joining WSU freshman Cydney Williams in the class.  Anderson and Williams were high school teammates of Warrior sophomore Nastassja Chambers.  Saturday's contest with LSSU will feature sibling opponents, as Wayne State junior Paige Villemure will face her sister Morgan, who is a sophomore forward for the Lakers. 

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK
The Warriors have reached the century mark twice this year, marking the first time since the 2002-03 season that WSU has accomplished this feat.  Prior to the current campaign, Wayne State had scored at least 100 points six times including the 2002-03 season.  The most recent time was a 111-106 double overtime setback at Ohio Dominican (Jan. 16, 2016).  Prior to that loss, WSU had won the five previous games (107-35 vs. Michigan-Dearborn on Nov. 18, 2014; 132-13 vs. Temple Baptist on Dec. 29, 2007; 102-73 vs. Mercyhurst on Feb. 28, 2004; 112-47 vs. Rochester on Jan. 30, 2003; and 102-73 vs. Madonna on Dec. 12, 2002).

DOUBLE UP
Junior guard Ja'Nae Williams recorded her second double-double of the season Dec. 2, scoring 15 points while dishing out 10 assists against Purdue Northwest.  Williams started the season with 24 points and 11 rebounds in an win against Findlay.

MODELS OF CONSISTENCY
Several Warriors have tallied stat categories in every single outing.  Senior Shannon Wilson has a triple and a field goal in all but one contest, adding at least one steal in 10 outings and one rebound in nine games.  Senior Payton Birchmeier has a rebound in every contest and a steal in 10 games.  Junior Ja'Nae Williams has a point in every contest despite coming off the bench four times, and has a rebound in every game.  Sophomore Nastassja Chambers has at least two field goals in every game, recorded a free throw in all but one competition and a rebound in 10 contests. 

HOLD THAT LEAD
Wayne State has led the entire game four different times this season (Oakland City, Wright State Lake, Michigan-Dearborn and Purdue Northwest).  The Warriors trailed by two against Lake Erie, but took the lead 1:12 into the contest and never fell behind again.  Against Tiffin, WSU trailed for 34 seconds early in the first quarter, but took the lead  for good with 7:28 to play in the opening period. 

WARRIOR ADVANTAGE
Wayne State has had the lead at least once in all 11 contests it has played this season.  The Warriors led by as much as four in the first half against Southern Indiana, held a two-point advantage in the final nine seconds against GVSU, and led by as many as five in the first period against top-ranked Ashland.

TRANSFERRING TALENT
Sophomore transfer Sadia Johnson joined the Warriors after spending 2016-17 as a major contributor at Adrian College.  Johnson was the only Bulldog to start all 24 games and led the team in points (16.0 PPG), free throws made (92) and attempted (123), and minutes played (26.2 per game). 

GARNERING GLIAC AWARDS
Senior guard Shannon Wilson was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week on Nov. 13.  Wilson tallied 35 points in the overtime win over Findlay on Nov. 11 and followed that with a 16-point performance in the triumph over Lak Erie Nov. 13 to average 25.5 points on the weekend.  She shot 55 percent (17-of-31) from the field, and 88 percent (14-of-16) from the foul line, while contributing 11 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and one block.

NEW FACES
The 2017-18 campaign features four new faces on this season's 16-player roster.  Freshmen Tori Perez, Anna Ruhstorfer and Cydney Williams will join redshirt freshman transfer Chavon Tiggs on the Warrior roster this season.  Additionally, redshirt freshman Amber Stephens will join the lineup after missing all of 2016-17 with a pre-season injury.

DON'T I KNOW YOU?
This season's roster includes two pairings of sisters, as twins Alex and Lyndsey Matus will be joined by Sara Ruhstorfer and her sister Anna.  Freshman Cydney Williams will team up with former high school teammate Nastassja Chambers, as the two won a state championship at Arbor Prep in 2016.

PRE-SEASON ACCOLADES
Senior Shannon Wilson was named to the Preseason All-GLIAC South Division Team before the start of the season.  It's the first time Wilson has received the honor. 

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
All  Wayne  State  home  women's  basketball  games  can  be  watched  via  Warrior All-Access for a $5.95 per game fee.  All 12 home contests during the 2017-18 season will be available on All-Access.  Monthly passes are available for $9.95, and year-long access is offered for $69.95.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Every women's basketball home game beginning in 2018 will be aired live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900.  Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action.