WSU and GVSU have never met in the NCAA Tournament

Women's Basketball 3/9/2022 4:30:00 PM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball Ready for NCAA Tournament Test Against Grand Valley State

This is the fifth NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

STORYLINES
Wayne State earned its fifth NCAA Tournament berth in program history, as the Warriors secured an at-large bid into the 64-team field as announced by the NCAA on March 6th. WSU was seeded seventh in the Midwest Region and will face the No. 2-seeded Grand Valley State Lakers at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Ashland, the Region's top seed, will host the quarterfinals (March 11th), semifinals (March 12th) and regional championship game (Sweet Sixteen) on March 14th. The winner of the WSU-GVSU contest will face the winner of third-seeded Drury and No. 6-seeded Missouri-Louis at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The other half of the bracket has Ashland playing eighth-seeded Ferris State on Friday, followed by the No. 4 vs. No. 5 match-up between Walsh and Southern Indiana. The winners of those two contests will play in the second semifinal on March 12th.

The Midwest Region boasts three of the top-six teams in the nation according to this week's WBCA National Coaches Poll. Ashland is ranked second, followed by Drury (fifth) and GVSU (sixth). Walsh was voted 18th, while USI (T-32nd) and UMSL (T-35th) also received votes.

Carrie Lohr, the all-time winningest coach in program history, has guided WSU to a 5-3 NCAA Tournament record, including Sweet Sixteen appearances in 2013 and 2014, and a regional semifinal berth in 2015. All three of those appearances were as the No. 6 seed. Wayne State's first NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2003 as the No. 8 seed with the Warriors falling 91-83 at top-seeded Indianapolis.

SERIES HISTORY
Against GVSU, the Warriors haven't found much success as of late, losing the last 15 meetings. All-time, the Green and Gold trail 26-57. Additionally, WSU is 0-5 all-time on a neutral court against the Lakers.

WSU and Drury have squared off twice all-time with the two squads splitting the contests. Both match-ups came in the NCAA Tournament, as WSU defeated the Panthers 75-61 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015, while DU upended the Warriors 99-63 in the Sweet 16 in 2014.

The Green and Gold has only seen Missouri-St. Louis one time in its history, collecting a 79-69 home win back in 2012.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
GVSU has a solid trio of scorers and utilize a team-style of basketball to shut teams down. Emily Spitzley leads the way with 12.6 points per contest, while Rylie Bisballe and Ellie Droste are just under 12 points a game. Spitzley and Droste both shoot around 40 percent from beyond the arc. Bisballe has missed the last three contests.

As a team, the Lakers' bread and butter is defense, as they hold opponents to 48.2 points per game. They are top three in the league in blocks, steals, opponents field goal percentage and opponents three-point field goal percentage.

Drury boasts a prolific offense, ranking top 10 in the country in points per game (80.9 PPG). The Panthers are led by a three-headed monster of Paige Robinson, Alana Findley and Kaylee DaMitz. Robinson averages 21.5 points per game, Findley chips in 14.5 PPG and DaMitz scores 13.9 a night.

Defensively, DU likes to apply the pressure. Nine players have more than 20 steals on the season. As a team, the Panthers collected 476 steals throughout the season.

Like GVSU, UMSL is another solid defensive team, holding opponents to less than 54 points per game. That is good for top-five in the country. Leading the way on offense for the Tritons is Kiara Stewart, who tallies 13.8 points per game. Alongside her, Alex LaPorta averages 11.7 points, 7.3 boards and just under four assists per contest. Defensively, UMSL has more than 200 steals, with six players having 20 or more takeaways.

LAST TIME OUT
Though Wayne State led Ferris State by 15 at halftime (35-20), the Warriors could not keep the momentum in the second half, eventually falling 62-60 in a GLIAC Semifinal contest at Grand Valley State on March 5th.

After falling behind 3-0 early in the contest, seniors Grace George and Sam Cherney posted back-to-back buckets to put the Warriors in front 4-3 in the opening three minutes of the period. The offenses started clicking later in the period, with the two teams knotted at 9-9 midway through the stanza. Alexis Miller broke that tie with a triple at the 4:35 mark of the quarter, and the Warriors' defense locked in. FSU made only one basket the rest of the frame. Cherney added a lay-up giving the Warriors a 14-9 advantage with 3:28 left to play in the quarter and Kate Sherwood provided another basket at the 1:38 mark of the stanza. The Green and Gold led 16-11 after the first 10 minutes.

Freshman Shea Tripp opened the second stanza with a triple extending the Warriors lead to 19-11. The Bulldogs tallied five straight points to cut the WSU advantage to three, but a Miller triple pushed the Green and Gold's advantage back to six (22-16) with 7:52 to play in the first half. Cherney drained a pair of free throws moments later to help WSU go back in front by eight (24-16). After two Bulldogs free throws, Tripp and George scored on back-to-back possessions putting the Warriors in front by 10 (28-18) midway through the period. Following a media timeout, junior Becca Fugate found the bottom of the net on a triple, pushing the Green and Gold's advantage to 31-18 with just over four minutes left in the half. The offense kept rolling into the later stages of the half, as Tripp notched her third bucket of the game, giving the Warriors a 33-18 lead. Adrienne Anderson eventually halted the Green and Gold's run with a lay-up for the Bulldogs at the 1:44 mark of the frame. The lead would move back to 15 (35-20), thanks to a pair of Sherwood free throws. The Warriors out-scored the Bulldogs 19-9 in the second period, and carried that 15-point advantage into the break.

FSU scored the first 10 points of the frame, forcing WSU to call a timeout with a 35-30 lead at the 7:52 mark of the period. The Warriors scoring drought reached five minutes, and the Bulldogs continued to cut into the Wayne State's lead. WSU led 35-32 at the media timeout, which came with just under five minutes to play in the quarter. After a Warrior turnover out of the timeout, the Bulldogs connected on a pair of free throws to pull within one (35-34). FSU tied the game 35-35 on its next possession. Cherney finally provided the Green and Gold with some offense, as she split a pair of free throws, putting the Warriors back in front 36-35. George buried two free throws on the Warriors next possession to push that lead to three (38-35) with just over two minutes remaining in the stanza. Fugate followed that with a triple, helping the Warriors build a six-point advantage (41-35) late in the third period. Maxine Moore kept the offense rolling with a lay-up to make the score 43-35 in favor of WSU. The Green and Gold carried a 45-39 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.

Fugate continued her hot shooting from deep, burying a triple to open the scoring in the final frame. The Warriors led 48-39 early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs tallied the next eight points to pull within one (48-47) with 6:27 to play. Sherwood halted the run by connecting on a triple, but FSU had an answer on the other end, staying within one (51-50). After a Warriors miss, Kadyn Blanchard put the Bulldogs up 52-51 with just under five minutes to play in the contest. Tripp answered right back with a bucket of her own, giving the Warriors the lead back (53-52). FSU scored the next four points to build a three-point advantage (56-53), but Kate McArthur knotted the game at 56-56 with her first bucket of the game at the 1:41 mark of the stanza. As time was winding down, Mallory McCartney banked in a three pointer as the shot clock was expiring giving the Bulldogs a 59-56 lead, and forcing a WSU timeout with 19 seconds to play. Out of the timeout, Cherney made a lay-up to pull within one (59-58) with 13 seconds left in the contest. FSU would make a pair of free throws to regain its three-point lead (61-58), giving WSU the ball back with three seconds remaining. After a timeout, Cherney again made a lay-up to keep the Warriors within one (61-60). However, the Bulldogs would split a pair of free throws and go on to defeat the Warriors, 62-60.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Entering this weekend, WSU was first in defensive rebounds per game (31.6), 11th in both field goal percentage defense (.344) and rebounding margin (+8.8), 20th in rebounds per game (43.3), 25th in blocks per game (4.6), 26th in blocked shots (124), 33rd in three-point field goal percentage (.344) and 47th in rebounds (1,165).

Individually, Sam Cherney is ninth in both rebounds (320) and rebounds per game (11.9), 17th in defensive rebounds per game (7.9), 18th in blocks per game (2.5), 19th in blocked shots (67), 24th in offensive rebounds per game (3.9) and 37th in double-doubles (12).

Additionally, Kate Sherwood is 33rd nationally in free-throw percentage (.856 / 77-90).

Among all active D2 players, Cherney is ninth in rebounding average (9.7), 11th in blocks (212), 16th in blocks per game (2.0), 17th in career total rebounds (1,030), and tied-for-40th in double-doubles (25).

ALL-GLIAC TOURNAMENT HONORS
After her strong performance throughout the GLIAC Tournament, Becca Fugate was selected as part of the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.

In WSU'S two GLIAC Tournament games against Parkside and Ferris State, Fugate scored 28 points, including a team-high 13 points against the Bulldogs in the GLIAC Semifinals on March 5. Against Parkside, she tallied a career-high six assists, while sinking three triples. She followed that up with five assists and three more three pointers against FSU.

ALL-GLIAC HONOREES
Wayne State senior women's basketball players Sam Cherney, Grace George and Kate Sherwood received All-GLIAC recognition. Both Cherney and George were voted to the All-GLIAC First Team, while Sherwood received Second Team All-GLIAC honors.

Cherney was voted to the All-GLIAC First Team for the second consecutive season after averaging a double-double in conference games with 11.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per contest.

George led the Warriors in league scoring at 14.3 points per contest, which ranked seventh in the conference. She had 5.8 boards per game, which was 10th in the GLIAC.

Sherwood collected All-GLIAC Second Team honors after posting 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while starting all 20 conference contests. She led the team in assists (50) and was third in field goals made (79).

ALL-GLIAC DEFENSIVE TEAM
Sam Cherney was selected to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team for the third consecutive season after leading the league in rebounds (11.5) and blocks per game (2.6). She won GLIAC South Division Player of the Week honors on Feb. 7 after notching her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds against Saginaw Valley State. She also blocked five shots and dished out four assists to just one turnover.

Like Cherney, Sherwood was also a member of the All-GLIAC Defensive Team. She was third on the team in total rebounds (97) and second in steals (26), while committing just 23 fouls in 20 games. Sherwood was routinely matched up with the opposing teams best player, holding several all-league players below their scoring averages throughout the season. Her 26 steals ranked seventh in the GLIAC, while her 651 minutes played was sixth.

STINGY DEFENSE
The Warrior defense has been outstanding so far through 27 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

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 1,030 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.

In terms of blocks, Sam Cherney broke her own single-season school record for blocked shots in a season with 67 (previous mark of 62 set two years ago). She set the mark with five blocks against GVSU (2/24/22).

CATCH THE ACTION
Every remaining basketball game this season will be aired live on WDTK The Patriot with Warrior broadcaster Kevin Brechmacher calling the action.

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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