The Warriors split the regular season series with the Rangers.

Women's Basketball 3/1/2022 4:00:00 PM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball Set for GLIAC Quarterfinal Against Parkside

The Warriors beat Parkside 85-84 back in January.

STORYLINES
Wayne State enters the GLIAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed after compiling a 17-8 overall record and a 13-7 GLIAC mark. The Green and Gold finished in a tie-for-second in the conference with Ferris State, but the Bulldogs received the No. 2 seed. The Warriors have reached the GLIAC semifinals five times (2003, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2020), but have never advanced to the championship game.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State has a 7-6 advantage in the all-time series against Parkside after winning four of the last five meetings. The Warriors ended a three-game losing streak in Kenosha with an 85-84 victory in January. However, the Green and Gold fell to the Rangers, 64-55, in mid-February at the Wayne State Fieldhouse.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Parkside has a dynamic duo in Alyssa Nelson and Hannah Plockelman, as they lead the team in just about every statistical category. Nelson is the league's leading scorer, averaging more than 20 points per contest. Plockelman is scoring just under 14 points per game.

Rebounding wise, Plockelman is grabbing 6.6 boards a night, while Nelson chips in 5.4 rebounds per contest. The pair also leads the team in steals, combining for 65 this season. Shooting wise, it's hard to be more efficient than these two. Nelson is currently a member of the 50/40/90 club, as she is shooting 52 percent from the field, 42 percent from three-point range and 91 percent from the charity stripe.

Plockelman is also a strong shooter, hitting 47 percent of her shots from the field, 34 percent of her looks from beyond the arc and 83 percent of her free throws.

As a team, the Rangers average more than 70 points per contest and rank in the top five of the league in field goal percentage (.433). However, one area where Parkside struggles is on the glass. The Rangers are grabbing just over 32 rebounds per game and hold a -3.7 rebounding margin this season.

LAST TIME OUT
On a day where the program honored outgoing seniors, Wayne State (17-8 overall, 13-7 GLIAC) cruised by Davenport (2-26 overall, 1-19 GLIAC), 74-35, on Feb. 26 inside the Wayne State Fieldhouse.

The Warriors honored Sam Cherney, Grace George, Alexis Miller, Tori Perez, Anna Ruhstorfer and Kate Sherwood after the game.
The Warriors blitzed the Panthers, scoring the game's first six points, thanks to buckets by Cherney and George, along with free throws by Miller. Davenport got on the board with a three at the 7:19 mark of the period, but the Green and Gold responded with eight points in a row to push its lead to 14-3 with just under five minutes to play in the stanza. George nailed two three's, while Cherney added another two-point bucket. Down the stretch of the frame, a Cherney three-point play was sandwiched between two Panthers buckets, giving WSU a 17-8 lead heading in to the second period.

After Cherney split a pair of free throws, Emma Anderson put the Warriors in front by 12 (20-8) with a lay-up at the 8:51 mark of the stanza. The two squads traded buckets before Miller drained a three to extend the Warriors' advantage to 25-10 with just over five minutes to play before halftime. After a Davenport basket, the Warriors closed the period on a 13-2 run, making the score 38-14 at the half.

Cherney and George provided the first four points of the third period, as the Green and Gold extended its lead to 42-14. A Miller three later in the period would push the Warriors lead to 31 (47-16). A quick seven-point run by the Panthers would bring the score to 47-23 with just under five minutes to play in the stanza. WSU responded with an 8-0 run, as Becca Fugate and Miller drained three's, while George connect on a two-point basket. Fugate would add another three late in the frame, while Shea Tripp scored with 12 seconds left in the period to give the Warriors a 60-27 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

Neither team could find much scoring in the opening minutes of the fourth period, but Halle Barnett finally got the Warriors on the board with a lay-up at the 7:18 mark of the frame. Ally Shagena added a bucket moments later. After a Sherwood lay-up with 4:02 remaining in the game, the seniors checked out for the final time. Down the stretch, Tripp added a pair of baskets, while Barnett and Alyssa Leister each split a pair of free throws. The Warriors ended the game with a 74-35 victory.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Entering this week, WSU was second in defensive rebounds per game (31.5), 12th in rebounding margin (+8.9), 13th in field goal percentage defense (.344), 17th in rebounds per game (43.4), 20th in blocks per game (4.8), 27th in blocked shots (119), and 31st in three-point field goal percentage (.344).

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

Individually, Sam Cherney is ninth in rebounds per contest (11.9), 10th in blocks per game (2.68), 12th in total rebounds (298), 15th in both blocked shots (67) and defensive rebounds per game (8.0), 25th in offensive rebounds per game (3.9), and 31st in double-doubles (12),

Additionally, Kate Sherwood is 23rd nationally in free-throw percentage (.864 / 70-81).

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 (9.7), 10th in blocks (212), tied-for-13th in blocks per game (2.02), 17th in career total rebounds (1,008), and tied-for-38th in double-doubles (25).

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 25 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 34.4 percent from the floor. The school record is 35.9 percent by the 1977-78 team.

1: .344 / 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 1,008 career rebounds passing former Warrior great Shareta Brown, who totaled 769 rebounds in her two seasons at WSU (2013-15).

Against Davenport (2/26) Cherney became the third Warrior and first female player to surpass 1,000 career rebounds.

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

#22 Emma Anderson: F; 6' 2"; Freshman

#24 Halle Barnett: C; 6' 1"; Sophomore

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

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

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

#2 Alyssa Leister: G; 5' 10"; Freshman

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

#44 Tori Perez: F; 5' 10"; Graduate Student

#35 Anna Ruhstorfer: G; 5' 6"; Redshirt Senior

#14 Ally Shagena: F; 5' 11"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#22 Emma Anderson
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: F

#24 Halle Barnett
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: C

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

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

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

#2 Alyssa Leister
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: G

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

#44 Tori Perez
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student
: F

#35 Anna Ruhstorfer
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#14 Ally Shagena
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: F