TIFFIN, Ohio – The Wayne State University women's basketball team (15-5 overall, 10-4 GLIAC) earned its eighth win in nine contests Saturday, defeating host Tiffin (7-15 overall, 3-11 GLIAC) 66-59.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a game of runs in the first 10 minutes.  Wayne State scored the first four points of the contest, as sophomore Alex Matus (Millbury, Ohio / Toledo Central Catholic) hit a three-pointer moments after the tip and sophomore Nastassja Chambers (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Arbor Prep) hit one free throw on the ensuing possession.  The Dragons countered with a 12-2 run, taking a 12-6 lead with 3:58 to play in the first.

The Green & Gold closed out the first frame on a 12-3 run of its own, including scoring the quarter's final six points.  After TU's run, Chambers and senior Shannon Wilson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills) each hit buckets, followed by two free throws from Wilson. With the game knotted at 12-12 with 2:28 on the clock, Annie Santucci nailed a triple.  Junior Paige Villemure (Flat Rock, Mich.) countered with a layup to shrink the Dragon lead to 15-14.  Junior Ja'Nae Williams (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King) and Chambers each hit field goals to end the first with an 18-15 Warrior advantage.

Runs dictated pace in the second quarter as well.  TU scored the first four points in the frame, but Williams hit buckets on back-to-back possessions to set the game at 22-19.  Chambers capped a 6-0 run in WSU's favor with a jumper, making it 24-19 Warriors with 7:39 left in the half.

It was Tiffin's turn again after the WSU run.  The Dragons scored six straight thanks to triples from Victoria Burdo and Kiley May, putting Tiffin ahead 25-24.  After a free throw from Ja'Nae Williams and a jumper from freshman Cydney Williams (Canton, Mich. / Arbor Prep), Ali Schirmer hit another Dragon three-ball.  With 3:26 to play before halftime, Tiffin held a 28-27 lead.

Matus continued to show her hot hand from beyond the arc later in the quarter.  With 1:52 left and TU now up 30-27, Matus hit a three-pointer to tie the contest.  A minute later, she hit one of two free throws to give WSU the 31-30 advantage at the half.

The triple by Matus sparked a run that carried through the break, as the Green & Gold ran off the first nine points in the third quarter.  The run, which totaled 13-0 in favor of Wayne State, included the first four points of the second half from Matus.  She hit a layup and then made two free throws to make it 35-30.  Wilson hit a three, and senior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.) debuted on the scoreboard with a jumper.  That made it 40-30 with 6:47 left in quarter No. 3.

Tiffin was up next to make a run.  This time, a layup and a three-pointer made it 40-35 at the 5:12 mark.  Wayne State then scored the next nine points, thanks to a layup and a free throw from Chambers, as well as back-to-back triples from Wilson and Matus.  By that point, it was 49-35 with 2:33 left in the third stanza.  At quarter's end, WSU racked up 21 points in the 10-minute frame and held a 52-40 lead.

Once again, it was a Tiffin run to counter the Warrior streak.  TU started the final period on a 5-0 run, including another three from Santucci.  With the score at 52-45 and a scoring drought for both teams that lasted nearly two minutes, Birchmeier got Wayne State on the board in the fourth with a three-pointer of her own.  With 7:36 to play, WSU led 55-45.

After Chambers hit a jumper, TU had one more run left in it – a 6-0 streak that got the Dragons within six (57-51) with 3:35 to play –  but Warriors will able to counter any Dragon effort in the closing stages.  WSU outscored Tififn 6-5 in the next three minutes, and despite a three from Schirmer with 37 seconds left, the Dragons were forced to foul the Warriors late down 64-59.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 43.4 percent from the field (23-of-53) and 31.6 percent from beyond the arc (6-of-19).  The Warriors went 14-of-23 from the free throw line (60.9 percent).

Tiffin shot 41.7 percent (25-of-60) and hit nine of its 28 attempts from behind the three-point line (32.1 percent).  The Dragons did not shoot a single free throw.

WSU won the rebound battle 36-33, but TU had more assists (12-8).  Wayne State dominated steals (8-1), and there were no blocks in the contest.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Chambers led all scorers with 18 points and seven rebounds.  Matus added a career-best 16 points, including three three-pointers.  Ja'Nae Williams and Wilson each had double-doubles; Williams scored 11 with 10 rebounds, while Wilson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

LEADING THE DRAGONS
Schirmer had 17 points, including three triples.  Aida Santana Martin had nine points, six rebounds and three assists.  Jensen Hiegel led the Dragons with seven rebounds.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will conclude its brief two-game road swing on Thursday, traveling to Grand Valley State.  The 8 p.m. tip-off will be played away from GVSU's campus and will commence from the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids.