DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (9-7 overall, 2-6 GLIAC) narrowly handled Lake Superior State (5-11 overall, 2-6 GLIAC) 53-52 on Thursday night at the Wayne State Fieldhouse to snap their four-game losing streak. THe Warriors out-scored the Lakers 16-7 in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Lakers scored the first five points of the contest. with CeCe Hacker making a three-pointer and Grace Bradford good from inside the paint. The Warriors tallied their first basket of the game when graduate student Mashayla Cecil (Murfreesboro, Tenn. / Paul Laurence Dunbar) converted on a jumper just under two minutes into play. Wayne State was able to tie the score at 5-5, but Lake Superior State was in command for nearly the rest of the quarter. The lead changed hands for the first time when freshman Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) hit a two-pointer with 20 seconds left in the opening stanza to give WSU a 16-15 edge after 10 minutes. In the first quarter, the Warrior bench did heavy-lifting, netting a +5 in slightly over five minutes of action.

Second Quarter
Neither team were able to top 10 points in the frame, with Wayne State scoring nine points and Lake Superior State seven. The first two minutes of the quarter were nearly scoreless, until Cecil made a two=point basket at the 1:59 mark. By the media timeout, only three baskets were made. Action picked up in the final five minutes, with the Warriors netting layups from sophomore Shea Tripp (Jackson, Mich. / Michigan Center) and freshman Hillary Griffin (Jackson, Mich. / Parma Western) on a fast-break. WSU went into the intermission with a slim three-point advantage over the Lakers. 

Third Quarter
LSSU made their biggest push of the contest, scoring 23 points in the 10 minutes coming out of halftime. They recorded the first nine points of the third, the first three coming on a triple from Bradford and the last six from the free-throw line to give Lake Superior a 31-25 advantage. WSU dug themselves into a 13-point deficit with three minutes to play in the stanza, but were able to draw back to down by eight on made baskets by Tripp and redshirt senior Maxine Moore (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day). Of the 23-points put on the board by the Lakers, Mattison Rayman garnered eight while Bradford and Gracey Metz each scoring five.

Fourth Quarter
At the timeout for media, the Warriors still trailed by nine (49-40) before their comeback truly began. Moore hit the next three baskets for six points to cut Lake Superior's lead to just three (49-46). Moore later was good on a turnaround jumper with just under two minutes remaining to give WSU their first lead since the early stages of the second half. LSSU knotted the score at 52-52 on a jump shot from Rayman and converting on a free-throw to complete the old-fashioned three-point play. That set up Wayne State with the ball for a potential final shot, and Tripp was fouled on a shot with two second left, sending her to the charity stripe. She converted on one-of-two, but that was enough as a last-ditch triple try from Margot Woughter was no good, giving Wayne State the one-point victory. 

TEAM STATS
WSU shot 39 percent from the floor (22-of-57), while LSSU shot 35 percent (20-of-57) from the field. Wayne State struggled from beyond the arc, hitting 1-of-14 (7 percent). Lake Superior State did not fare much better, however, going 4-of-16 (25 percent). From the charity stripe, the Warriors 8-of-12 (67 percent), compared to the Lakers' 8-of-10 (80 percent) from the free throw line. The Wayne State bench out-scored the Lake Superior bench by a 27-9 margin. In rebounding, the Lakers had a 39-32 advantage. Wayne State had a 9-8 edge in assists, and doubled-up Lake Superior in steals, 8-4.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Moore scored 14 on 7-of-13 shooting to lead the way for Wayne State. Tripp (13 points) also reached double-figures. Griffin had a game-high three steals, with Tripp and senior Becca Fugate (Holly, Mich) claiming team-best in rebounding with six apiece.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Woughter led the team in scoring with 14 points. Rayman produced a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Bradford nearly had a double-double as well, grabbing 12 rebounds but scoring just nine points.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will remain at home and battle Ferris State on Saturday afternoon, with a tipoff of 1 p.m.