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Women's Basketball 3/5/2020 11:00:00 AM Cameron Weidenthaler, Assistant Media Relations Director

Women's Basketball Meets No. 4 GVSU in GLIAC Semifinal

Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Saturday in Ashland, Ohio.

DETROIT -- The sixth-seeded Wayne State University women's basketball team (16-13 overall) will play for a trip to the GLIAC Championship game on Saturday against fourth-ranked and second-seeded Grand Valley State (27-2 overall). Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in Ashland, Ohio.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will will be making its first appearance in the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals since 2014. The sixth-seeded Warriors will face second-seeded Grand Valley State at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 7th, at Ashland's Kates Gymnasium.

THE SERIES
WSU trails 26-52 against Grand Valley State in the all-time series that began in 1974. In the first meeting this season, the Green and Gold suffered a 67-41 home loss to No. 3-GVSU. On February 6th, Wayne State fell 74-55 at the third-ranked Lakers in Allendale.

The Warriors and Grand Valley State have only met twice in the post-season. The first-ever meeting between the teams was in the 1974 SMAIAW Tournament where the Green and Gold fell 61-44. The teams met in post-season play for just the second time in 45 years in the 2019 GLIAC Quarterfinals, where WSU lost 73-50 at No. 7-GVSU.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS
Fourth-ranked Grand Valley State went 18-2 in regular-season league contests to secure second place in the GLIAC. Its only losses this year were against the first-seeded Ashland Eagles, who are currently ranked second in the nation. Head coach Mike Williams has led the Lakers to an overall record of 132-31 and an 84-19 league record in his five years at the helm of the program. GVSU has qualified for both the GLIAC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first four years.

Senior Cassidy Boensch serves as a key player for the Lakers. Boensch leads the conference in both rebounding (9.2 RPG) and blocked shots (3.2 BPG), is second in scoring (20.1 PPG), and third in field goal percentage (.582). Classmate Maddie Dailey also averages in double figures with 11.9 points per game. Senior Victoria Hedemark, the reigning GLIAC Player of the Week, is fourth in the league with a .468 three-point percentage and 2.1 steals per contest. Classmate Jenn DeBoer's average of 4.9 assists places her third in the GLIAC.

Wayne State is tied-for-first with Grand Valley State in the league at 40.9 rebounds per game. GVSU also leads the conference with 6.3 blocks per contest.

LAST GAME RECAP
Sixth-seeded Wayne State pulled off an upset notching a 78-76 victory over third-seeded Ferris State in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals on March 3rd. In a back-and-forth game, which included 15 lead changes, the biggest scoring deficit was in the fourth quarter when the Warriors trailed by six points with 4:30 remaining. The contest was finally knotted at 76-76 with 40 seconds left. Following a turnover by the Bulldogs and a Green and Gold timeout, freshman Rebecca Fugate drove but her shot didn't fall, however, sophomore Sam Cherney grabbed the rebound and calmly put in a left-handed shot with three seconds remaining giving the Warriors a 78-76 advantage. FSU's three-point attempt by Mallory McCartney just before the buzzer was well short.

Wayne State shot 46 percent (27-of-59) from the field, compared to 41 percent (26-of-64) for the Bulldogs. WSU was 9-of-24 (38 percent) from beyond the arc, with Ferris State making 33 percent (5-of-15) of its three-point attempts. Both teams were solid at the foul line with WSU shooting 79 percent (15-of-19), while FSU was 19-of-23 (83 percent). Ferris State had a 39-34 edge in rebounding, but WSU had six blocks to FSU's one.

Senior Nastassja Chambers scored a team-high 17 points to lead four Warriors in double figures. Classmate Sadia Johnson chipped in with 16 points, while senior Alex Matus had 14 points and a game-best five assists. Cherney contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.

GLIAC RANKINGS
Sophomore Sam Cherney is second in the league in the rebounding categories at 8.9 rebounds per game and 257 total boards, while ranking third in blocked shots (2.1 BPG). Classmate Grace George is third in the conference with 8.8 rebounds per contest and 255 total boards.

Senior Sadia Johnson is fifth in the conference (min. 70 made) with an .833 free throw percentage (85-of-102), followed by classmate Nastassja Chambers in sixth (.824 // 70-of-85).

Wayne State is tied-for-first in the GLIAC with 40.9 rebounds per game, while ranking second in blocks per game (4.9), and fourth in field-goal percentage defense (.400).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Three players recorded their first career double-doubles this season, including sophomores Sam Cherney and Grace George, and junior Tori Perez.

George has tallied 10 double-doubles this season. Her first nine were vs. Tiffin (11/26) with 11 points and 11 rebounds; at Ferris State (12/5) with 18 points and 12 boards; at Fairmont State (12/18) with 13 points and a career-best 18 rebounds; vs. Cedarville with a season-high 22 points and 16 boards; at Michigan Tech (1/2) with 13 points and 14 rebounds; against Davenport (1/9) with 15 points and 11 boards; at Parkside (1/16) with 20 points and 18 rebounds; at Purdue Northwest (1/18) with 14 points and 11 boards; and at DU (2/8) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Her most recent double-double was vs. PNW (2/13) with 10 points and a game-best 15 boards.

Cherney has five double-doubles. She notched her first four against Central State (11/13) with 10 points and 11 rebounds; vs. Saginaw Valley State (1/23) with 11 boards and 10 points; versus Northwood (1/25) with 12 rebounds and a season-best 13 points; and vs. Parkside (2/15) with 13 points and a game-best 10 rebounds. Her most recent double-double was in the regular-season finale against Ashland (2/27) with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Perez recorded her lone double-double versus Tiffin (11/26) with 12 points and 10 boards.

BUILDING BLOCKS TO SEASON HIGHS
On January 18, 2020, Wayne State had a season-high 10 blocks at Purdue Northwest.

The 2019-20 team is currently first in single-season history with 4.9 blocked shots per contest, leading the 2012-13 squad that averaged 4.3 blocks per game. This season, Wayne State has tallied 143 blocks, which eclipsed the previous school record of 134 set by the 2012-13 squad.

REACHING MILESTONES
Many Warriors are moving up in both the WSU single-season and career rankings.

In single-season records, sophomore Sam Cherney has grabbed 257 rebounds this year which is 13th, followed by classmate Grace George in 14th with 255 boards. Cherney leads the squad in blocks with a school record 61, which eclipsed the previous mark of 50 set by Trena Sanders in 1989-90. Cherney is also currently first in blocked shots per game (2.1) for a single season, passing Trena Sanders' previous record of 1.9 blocks per contest (1989-90).

As for WSU career records, in less than two seasons Cherney has already broken the WSU career mark with 91 blocked shots. Jessica King (2000-03) had the previous school record with 82 blocks in three seasons for the Green and Gold.

Senior Alex Matus is seventh with 137 made triples. Classmate Nastassja Chambers has moved into second in career scoring (1,385 points), third in minutes played (3,245), tied-for-fourth in games played (112), and tied-for-sixth in contests started (91).

BEYOND THE ARC
Senior co-captain Alex Matus became the 13th player in Wayne State history with 100 made three-pointers vs. Wright State-Lake on Nov. 21, 2019. Matus is currently seventh in three-point field goals made (137) and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.330 / 137-of-415 - min. 60 made).

By draining nine triples vs. Lake Superior State on Jan. 30, 2020, Matus tied the school record for three-point field goals made in a game. The only other time that a Warrior women's basketball player recorded nine long-distance baskets during a game was by Brooke Bowers in January 2008 vs. Mercyhurst. Matus' 32 points was a career high, with her previous career best at 18 points. The last WSU player to score at least 32 points in a game was Brittany Streetman on February 1, 2016, at Findlay, when she scored 40 points.

LIVE ON WDTK
Kevin Brechmacher will call Saturday's contest live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM). Fans can also stream the action online at PatriotDetroit.com.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Nastassja Chambers: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#13 Sam Cherney: F; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#4 Becca Fugate: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

#32 Grace George: F; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#14 Sadia Johnson: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#11 Alex Matus: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#44 Tori Perez: F; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#3 Nastassja Chambers
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#13 Sam Cherney
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: F

#4 Becca Fugate
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G

#32 Grace George
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: F

#14 Sadia Johnson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#11 Alex Matus
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#44 Tori Perez
: 5' 10"; Junior
: F