The Warriors will host a senior day ceremony on Feb. 26.

Women's Basketball 2/23/2022 11:00:00 AM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball Returns Home For Final Regular Season Games

The Warriors fell to GVSU and defeated Davenport earlier this season.

STORYLINES
Wayne State enters the final week of the regular season tied for second in the GLIAC. The Warriors' opponent on Feb. 24th, Grand Valley State, has locked up the GLIAC title and home court advantage throughout the league tournament.

The Green and Gold are coming off a 2-1 stretch in the U.P., with wins over Lake Superior State (80-44) and Northern Michigan (61-37), while falling at Michigan Tech in overtime (69-72). GVSU has ripped off 18 victories in a row and is the No. 2 ranked team in the nation.

Davenport is on the opposite end of the league standings, as the Panthers have one league win and will miss the GLIAC Tournament. The Warriors have secured a spot in the league tournament, but seeds will fluctuate based on this weekend's results. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal games on March 2nd, with the top remaining seed hosting the semifinals and finals on March 5-6.

SERIES HISTORY
Grand Valley State has found success against the Warriors lately having won the last 14 meetings. The overall series favors the Lakers, 56-26. The last time WSU defeated GVSU was on Jan. 2, 2015, as the Green and Gold collected an 89-63 home court victory over the 17th-ranked Lakers.

WSU and Davenport have played nine games all-time, with the Warriors leading the series 6-3. The Green and Gold split a pair of games in Grand Rapids last season, while the Warriors took the first match-up this season, 58-50, at DU.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Lakers don't really wow you with eye-popping numbers on the offensive end, but they make their calling on the defensive end of the floor. They rank in the top three of the GLIAC in points allowed per game (1st), opponent field goal percentage (1st), opponent three-point field goal percentage (1st), blocks per game (1st) and steals per game (3rd).

Individually, GVSU has a trio of players to watch out for in Emily Spitzley, Rylie Bisballe and Ellie Droste. Spitzley and Bisballe serve as the top-two scorers on the team, each averaging better than 12 points per contest. Furthermore, the two have each won GLIAC Player of the Week once.

In terms of Droste, she is one of the premier shooters from beyond the arc, ranking third in the conference at 42.9 percent.
Davenport ranks in the top half of the league in just two categories, which are offensive rebounds (12.0) and steals per game (7.3), which means the Warriors will have to be careful with the ball and strong on the glass.

Toni Grace is the only Panther averaging in double figures at 12.5 PPG, although Loni Sales and Scout Nelson are each averaging just over eight points per contest.

Lillee Gustafson will be a player to watch on the glass, as she is one of the better rebounders in the conference. She averages 8.0 per game, including 3.2 on the offensive end.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State was unable to complete the Upper Peninsula sweep falling 72-69 in overtime at Michigan Tech on Feb. 19.

The Huskies scored the first seven points of the game before a lay-up by senior Grace George just over 3:30 into the contest put the Warriors on the board. WSU trailed by 10 (14-4) with just under four minutes remaining in the opening stanza, before back-to-back lay-ups by Maxine Moore and George cut the deficit to six. After an MTU bucket, George connected from long distance to start a 7-0 Wayne State run, which included lay-ups by George and Shea Tripp. Each team scored two points in the final 30 seconds of the period giving Michigan Tech an 18-17 edge after 10 minutes.

Two free throws by Sam Cherney 74 seconds into the second period gave WSU its first lead of the game at 19-18. Alexis Miller drained a triple 30 seconds later, and following a conventional three-point play by Michigan Tech, Becca Fugate dialed in from beyond the arc. Another triple by Fugate just before the mid-point of the quarter extended the Warrior advantage to 29-23. Four consecutive points by senior Kate Sherwood pushed the lead to seven (33-26) with just under three minutes left before halftime. The Huskies scored the only two points the rest of the half.

Wayne State's scoring drought continued into the second half, lasting over 4:40. Lay-ups by Cherney and George gave the Warriors a 37-32 lead at the 7:37 mark, but MTU answered with 10 consecutive points by Sara Dax, including two triples. WSU pulled even at 42-42 with 4:10 left on a three-pointer by Fugate. The contest was tied at 44 and 46, before the Huskies tallied the final five points of the stanza to lead 51-46 after 30 minutes.

The Warriors deficit grew to nine (55-46) as Dax and Isabella Lenz made baskets to start the fourth period scoring. Fugate and Kate McArthur drained triples sandwiched around a three-pointer by MTU's Ellie Mackay. A McArthur lay-up moments later pulled Wayne State within four at 58-54. A Sherwood lay-up preceded a triple by Mackay. Trailing by seven (63-56) with just over three minutes remaining, the WSU defense held the Huskies scoreless, while a three-pointer by Miller and a bucket by George made it a two-point contest. George's twisting lay-up with 16 seconds left knotted the game at 63-63.

Neither team scored for nearly the first two minutes of the extra session before Dax connected from behind the arc. A Mackay jumper made it 68-63 with just over two minutes remaining. Fugate split a pair at the charity stripe, before George made two foul shots cutting the margin to two (68-66). Two free throws by Mackay extended the hosts lead to four, before George sank a triple try with four seconds left. Huskie Alex Rondorf made two foul shots to conclude the scoring.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Entering this week, WSU was first in defensive rebounds per game (31.1), 14th in rebounding margin (+8.6), 19th in field goal percentage defense (.353), 22nd in rebounds per game (42.7), 25th in blocked shots per game (4.7), 29th in total blocks (107), 30th in three point field goal percentage (.347), and 49th in fewest fouls (354).

The Warriors currently lead the GLIAC in rebounds per game, along with rebounding margin and defensive rebounds per game.

Individually, Sam Cherney is ninth in rebounds per game (11.8), 11th in blocks per game (2.65), 12th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), 13th in total rebounds (271), 16th in blocked shots (61), 33rd in offensive rebounds per game (3.7), and 41st in double-doubles (10).

Additionally, Grace George is 13th nationally in free throw percentage (.885 / 46-52), while Kate Sherwood is 37th (.855 / 65-76).

In terms of single game totals, Cherney's 21 rebounds against Ferris State (1/6/22) are tied for 14th most in a game this season.

Among all active D2 players, Cherney is ninth in rebounding average (9.6), tied-for-10th in blocks (206), 12th in blocks per game (2.00), 17th in career total rebounds, and tied-for-42nd in double-doubles (23).

GEORGE CONTINUES SCORING IN BUNCHES
Senior Grace George broke the school record for points in a quarter with 18 vs. Ferris State on January 29th on 5-of-7 shooting, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, and 6-of-6 at the charity stripe. Brittany Streetman had a 16-point fourth quarter on February 1, 2016, at Findlay in the first year the women's collegiate game went to quarters from halves.

A double digit quarter is nothing new for George. She had three in just six games last year before suffering a season-ending injury in game six. She had an 11-point outburst in the first game at Davenport, totaled 13 points in a quarter in game one vs. Northwood, and tallied 11 points the next day vs. the Timberwolves before being injured. In the Feb. 7th win at Northwood, George contributed 15 points in the third period.

George finished the FSU contest with 34 points, which is tied-for-10th most in program history, and is the most since Shannon Wilson scored 35 vs. Findlay on November 11, 2017. The six made triples is tied-for-10th most in school history, as is the .667 percentage from beyond the arc.

She followed up those strong performances with another prolific scoring outburst against Purdue Northwest on Feb. 12. George poured in 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field, including three triples.

George then had a game-high 24-points against Michigan Tech on Feb. 19. She was 9-of-17 from the field.

STINGY DEFENSE
The Warrior defense has been outstanding so far through 23 games.

In fact, this year's squad is on pace to have the lowest opponent field goal percentage in program history. WSU is currently allowing opponents to shoot 35.3 percent from the floor. The school record is 35.9 percent by the 1977-78 team.

1: .353 / 2021-22
2: .359 / 1977-78
3: .368 / 2012-13
4: .384 / 2014-15
5: .386 / 1980-81

TABBED FOR THIRD
In the GLIAC Preseason poll, the Warriors were picked to finish third in the South Division behind Grand Valley State and Northwood. Both of those teams received first-place votes.

Michigan Tech and Ferris State were the top two teams in the North Division. Both of those squads received first-place votes.

CHERNEY MAKES HISTORY
In the loss at Ashland on Nov. 28, Sam Cherney collected a game-high 14 rebounds, which made her WSU's all-time leading rebounder. Cherney currently has 981 career rebounds passing former Warrior great Shareta Brown, who totaled 769 rebounds in her two seasons at WSU (2013-15).

NON-CONFERENCE NOTES
The Warriors started the season 4-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign and lost its first game of the season at sixth-ranked Ashland on Nov. 28.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every home basketball game this season will be streamed at WSUAthletics.com/watch with Warrior broadcaster Kevin Brechmacher calling the action.

WARRIOR COACHES
Assistant coach Karen Lafata, who holds three degrees from Wayne State, has been with head coach Carrie Lohr for all 10-plus seasons.

Assistant coach Christina Green joined the coaching staff in the summer of 2019 as a graduate assistant coach and was elevated to a full-time assistant coach this past spring. Green played basketball for the Warriors between 2013 and 2017 scoring in double figures 19 times.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#30 Kate McArthur: G; 5' 8"; Junior

#10 Alexis Miller: G; 5' 7"; Graduate Student

#42 Maxine Moore: F; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#21 Kate Sherwood: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#23 Shea Tripp: F; 5' 10"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

#30 Kate McArthur
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G

#10 Alexis Miller
: 5' 7"; Graduate Student
: G

#42 Maxine Moore
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#21 Kate Sherwood
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#23 Shea Tripp
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: F