DETROIT -- After two defeats to begin the GLIAC season, the Wayne State University men's basketball program (3-3 overall, 0-2 GLIAC) will travel to Ohio to complete the 2019 calender year at Ashland (6-2 overall, 0-2 GLIAC) on Saturday night.

STORYLINES
Wayne State continues its eight-game road trip at Ashland on Saturday night.  The Warriors are looking to return to the win column after dropping their first two GLIAC games to Ferris State (96-86) and Lake Superior State (67-63).  WSU had double-digit leads in both of those games, but were unable to hold off late charges. The three road wins this season surpasses the total from last season (2) and is one shy of the 2017-18 road win total (4).

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads 31-27 (11-17 on the road) in the all-time series vs. Ashland that began in 1922.  Head coach David Greer is 18-15 (8-9 on the road) in his time at Wayne State.  The Eagles have controlled the matchups of late, winning eight of the last 10 meetings.  AU won both meetings last season (63-61 in Detroit and 70-63 at Ashland).  The Warriors last beat the Eagles on Feb. 1, 2018, 69-60, in Detroit.  The last road win for the Green & Gold was in 2016 (61-56) and WSU is 1-5 in its last six trips to Ashland.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Ashland enters Saturday's tilt at 6-2 overall after dropping its first two GLIAC games to Lake Superior State (69-99) and Ferris State (70-94).  The Eagles fell out of this week's top 25 poll.  Head coach John Ellenwood is in his 11th season leading the program.

The Eagles are led by one of the better big men in the region as senior center Drew Noble is averaging 18.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting nearly 58 percent from the floor.  Redshirt junior guard Aaron Thompson is contributing 14.4 points and a team-best seven boards per night.  Senior guard Rodrick Caldwell (13.4 PPG) and freshman guard Ethan Conley (10.0) are also averaging at least 10 points per contest.  Sophomore guard Dylan Beaugard leads the team in assists with 3.9 helpers per game.  As a team, AU is averaging 83.9 points per game and allowing 74.5 points per contest.

LAST TIME OUT
The Warriors led by as many as 12 (12:19 mark of first half) at Lake Superior State on Saturday and an early three-pointer from James Gordon IV in the second half put WSU up by 10.  However, the Lakers would take advantage of the visitor's short bench and foul trouble and take their first lead of the day with 12:28 remaining in the game.  A triple from Antonio Marshall trimmed LSSU's lead to 65-63 with four seconds to play.  Two successful free throws would be the nail in the coffin for the Warriors as they lost 67-63.

All five starters scored in double figures for the first time this season.  Brailen Neely finished with a team-best 16 points powered by four three-pointers.  Gordon tallied 13 points, while Marshall, Karim Murray and Nate Talbot all chipped in 10 points each.  Karim Murray grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

WHAT A WEEK FOR #11
Senior guard Brailen Neely had an impressive week shooting the basketball.  On Dc. 5th at Ferris State, he connected on 8-of-11 three-point attempts and finished with 33 points.  Those eight triples is the third most in school history and the most since Kris Krzyminski made 11 three-pointers on Nov. 30, 2006, against Gannon.  Neely just missed a triple-double, dishing out nine assists to go with seven rebounds.

WSU nearly shot its way to victory against the Bulldogs, going 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from behind the arc, but lost steam during the final minutes.  The 12 three-pointers is tied for the third most in program history.

Neely made four more treys at LSSU on Dec. 7th to increase his season total to 23, which ranks fifth in the league.  He enters the Ashland contest shooting 50 percent from behind the arc, which ranks seventh in the GLIAC.

SECOND HALF MISCUES
In each of the three losses this season, WSU has led in the second half.  Wayne State led 81-78 with 1:07 to play versus Ohio Dominican and held onto a 72-71 advantage at the 7:24 mark at Ferris State.  The Warriors surrendered the lead with 12:48 remaining in the second stanza at Lake Superior State.

DOUBLE-OVERTIME THRILLER
Wayne State and Ohio Dominican started the season in style on Nov. 8th.  The Warriors fell 87-86 in double overtime.  It was the first overtime game to begin a season for WSU since the 2001-02 season when the Warriors lost to Northwood in one overtime.

GREER BACK FOR 19TH SEASON
Head coach David Greer is in his 19th season as the top man on the Warriors' bench.  He equaled the school record for years as head men's basketball coach last season, joining Newman Ertell (1929-48) and Joel Mason (1948-66) at 18 years on the WSU bench.

The win at Hillsdale on Nov. 27, 2019, was his 250th at Wayne State.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Karim Murray notched his sixth career double-double at Lewis on Nov. 16th with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  He had four last season, including a 23-point and 13-rebound performance vs. Ferris State on Nov. 29, 2018. 
 
Nate Talbot posted WSU's second double-double of the year at Hillsdale with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  

James Gordon became the third Warrior to accomplish the feat at FSU with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Murray did it for a second time this season at Lake Superior on Dec. 7th with 10 points and 10 boards for his seventh career double-double.

NEW BASKETBALL ARENA 
In May of 2019, it was announced that WSU Athletics and the Detroit Pistons would be partnering to construct a $25 million basketball arena on the west side of the athletic campus.

The approved plan includes construction of a 70,000 square-foot arena near the intersection of Warren and Trumbull avenues with seating capacity for approximately 3,000 fans, office space and locker room areas for both WSU's men's and women's basketball teams, a concessions area and other ancillary spaces.  The arena will be ready for play in the 2021-2022 basketball season.

The Pistons G-League team will also call the new facility home.

LOCKER ROOM REPORT
Check WSUAthletics.com every week to watch David Greer's weekly locker room report.  He will recap the week's previous games and preview upcoming opponents.

LIVE ON WDTK
Kevin Brechmacher will call every contest live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM).  Former Warrior standout Mike Lewis will serve as an analyst for home broadcasts during the 2019-20 season.  Fans can also stream the action online at PatriotDetroit.com.