DETROIT – The Wayne State University women's basketball team (16-6 overall, 11-5 GLIAC) outscored visiting Purdue University Northwest (4-17 overall, 3-13 GLIAC) 41-20 combined in the first and fourth quarters, in earning a 73-51 win over the Pride on Sunday afternoon at the Matthaei.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors opened up a 9-1 lead in the first 3:15, with sophomore Nastassja Chambers (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Arbor Prep) scoring WSU's first seven points.  Midway through the period and the Warriors ahead 15-4, the Pride went on a 6-2 run to pull within seven, 17-10, with 2:26 left in the quarter. 

WSU countered with a 5-0 run of its own to close the stanza, getting a bucket from Chambers and a three-pointer from sophomore Sadia Johnson (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Central).  Chambers contributed 12 in the frame, and the Green & Gold concluded the first 10 minutes with a 22-10 lead.

It was more of the same for Wayne State in the second frame.  After PNW's Ellie Michalski hit a layup, the Warriors went on a 5-0 run, getting a triple from Johnson and two free throws from senior Shannon Wilson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills). 

With 8:00 to play before the half, WSU led 27-12.  The Pride's Danielle Nennig hit one free throw with 7:34 on the clock and Taylor Vauters added to PNW's score with a layup on the next possession, but Chambers nailed a three to swell the lead to 30-15 with 6:45 left in the half.  By that point, Chambers had scored as many points as the entire Pride roster.  The remainder of the half played out as a balanced contest, with the Warriors outscoring Purdue Northwest 10-9.  That left the score at 40-24 at the intermission.

Wayne State was played by a sluggish offensive effort coming out of the intermission, as the team was without a field goal for the first 5:41.  It gave the Pride a chance to make a run, going on a 10-1 spurt before senior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.) hit a layup to give WSU its first second half field goal.  Beyond that point in the third stanza, the Warriors outscored Purdue Northwest 11-7 and took a 54-41 lead going into the fourth.

After two free throws from Lanie Allen to start the fourth, Wayne State went on an 8-1 streak to open up a 62-44 lead with 7:09 to play.  That run ended PNW hopes of a comeback, allowing Wayne State to expand its rotation in the stretch run.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the floor, including 50 percent (10-of-20) from beyond the arc.  Purdue Northwest made 15 of its 53 field goal attempts (28.3 percent) and 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) from downtown.  PNW won the battle of the boards (40-32), but committed 22 turnovers to WSU's 16.  Each team had five blocks; Wayne State doubled the Pride's steal count (14-7).

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Chambers scored 21 points and had five steals.  Sophomore Alex Matus (Millbury, Ohio / Toledo Central Catholic) contributed 14 points with four three-pointers, while Wilson scored 10 points along with a game-high seven assists.

LEADING THE PRIDE
Lanie Allen led PNW with 13 points and nine rebounds.  Taylor Vauters had 11 points, and Ellie Michalski scored seven points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will return to the road again on Thursday, traveling to Saginaw Valley State on Thursday.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.