Women's Basketball 1/25/2023 4:11:00 PM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball To Host Saginaw Valley State To Begin Second Half Of Conference Play

Warriors look to win all three games of three-game homestand

STORYLINES
Wayne State remains home this weekend to conclude a three-game homestand. Last weekend, the Warriors picked up as pair of narrow victories over Lake Superior State (53-52) and Ferris State (58-55). Looking to win all three games on the homestand, WSU hosts Saginaw Valley State for a 1:00 p.m. tip on Saturday afternoon.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State trails Saginaw Valley State 38-43 in the all-time series between the two schools. The series has been rather competitive in recent seasons, with the two teams each winning five contests out of the last 10. WSU and SVSU have played three overtime games in the last five meetings, the most recent occurring earlier this season when the Cardinals defeated the Warriors 72-68 on December 3, 2022. Wayne State has won the last four home contests against Saginaw Valley State, with the most recent loss coming on February 23, 2017 (77-70).

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Saginaw Valley State won both games last weekend, handling Ferris State 65-47, before dismantling Lake Superior State 70-50 in their most recent action. The two victories put the Cardinals over .500 in GLIAC play (5-4) for the season. SVSU has struggled away from home thus far, holding a 2-6 record. The Cardinals' win at Davenport (62-46) on Jan. 12 was their first road triumph since the second game of the season at Findlay (68-57).

Senior guard Kaitlyn Zarycki leads the Cardinals in a number of categories, including scoring (20.1 PPG), field goal percentage (108-of-211 / .512), three-point percentage (21-of-53 / .396), free throw percentage (64-of-75 / .853), steals (45 / 3.0 SPG), and assists per game (3.4). She is the GLIAC leader in steals and ranks second in the conference in scoring and third in free throw percentage. Zarycki won GLIAC Player of the Week honors for a third time this season on Monday (Jan. 23).

Freshman guard Emma Dziezgowski paces the squad in triples (34), while senior guard Jessica Massey has the team-lead in blocks (12 / 0.6 BPG). Senior forward Tori DePerry is fourth in the GLIAC in rebounding and is the team's leading rebounder (150 / 8.3 RPG), as well as the leader in field goals made (120). She is fourth in the conference in scoring (18.2 PPG).

Zarycki (301 points) and DePerry (328 points) combine for nearly 54 percent of Saginaw Valley State's points for the entire season.

Jenny Pruett is in her fourth season as head coach of the Cardinals. She has compiled a 48-37 (.565) overall record and an even .500 ledger in GLIAC play (33-33).

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Wayne State won a pair of close contests by a mere four points, defeating Lake Superior State 53-52 and Ferris State 58-55. The Warriors improved to 10-7 overall and 3-6 in the GLIAC.

Shea Tripp hit game-winning free throws in both contests and put together a stellar effort in both contests, scoring 13 points against the Lakers and compiling a double-double with a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs.

Maxine Moore led WSU to a comeback victory over LSSU, scoring 12 of her 14 points for the game in the fourth quarter. Becca Fugate contributed six rebounds and two assists. Hillary Griffin was also a key contributor, playing a career-high 27 minutes, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, and garnering a game-best three steals.

Tripp (18 points), Fugate (13 points), and Moore (10 points) all scored in double-figures in the three-point win over Ferris State. Fugate also tallied four steals and seven rebounds, and three of the five made triples from the Warriors.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Wayne State ranks 22nd nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.5), 31st in free throw percentage (.763), 39th in three-point percentage defense (.269) and 43rd in assists per game (15.2).

Individually, Becca Fugate would rank tied-for-28th in three-point percentage (.419) if she qualified (min. two made triples per game).

WARRIOR UPDATE
Senior guard Becca Fugate leads a trio of Warriors averaging in double figures at 14.1 PPG. She also leads the team in triples (31), rebounds (110 / 6.5 RPG), and field goal percentage (.500 / 79-of-158). Sophomore Shea Tripp follows closely behind Fugate in rebounding (109 / 6.4 PPG), while scoring 11.5 points per contest. She leads WSU in assists (55), steals (33) and blocks (10).

Senior forward Maxine Moore has scored 188 points (11.1 PPG) and is the third Warrior shooting over 80 percent from the foul line (33-of-39 / .846) joining Tripp (.850 / 51-of-60) and Fugate (.820 / 50-of-61).

WORKING OVERTIME
With their overtime defeat at Davenport on January 14th, the Warriors have lost three OT games in a season for the first time in program history. They previously lost games in the extra session at Saginaw Valley State and vs. Northern Michigan. The third defeat eclipses seven other years where WSU lost two overtime games in a season.

The three losses in the extra period is a change from the past two seasons, where the Warriors went 2-1 and 3-0 in OT. If WSU plays in a fourth overtime contest, it will tie the record set by the teams of 1990-1991 and 1999-2000.

Of historical note, the program once lost two overtime games on the same day back on January 24, 1976, at the Windsor Tournament. WSU was defeated by Central Michigan 69-67 and by Eastern Michigan 77-74.

BEING OFFENSIVE IN 2023
Senior guard Becca Fugate followed up a 45-point weekend vs. Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech by scoring in double-figures in both games at Grand Valley State and Davenport. Fugate had eight straight contests of 10 or more points, until the Jan. 19th contest against Lake Superior. She has scored in double-figures in 14 of WSU's 17 games this season. She is averaging 16.7 PPG and 7.2 rebounds per contest over the last 10 outings.

Over the last 10 games, senior forward Maxine Moore is averaging 13.8 PPG and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Moore nearly recorded a third double-double this season with nine points and nine rebounds at Davenport.

SKIPPING THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP
Wayne State sophomores Alyssa Leister and Shea Tripp are proving that the second year in college is not a down year. Leister has already scored more points (89 compared to 47) and dished out more assists (19 compared to 5) than last year, while more than doubling the number of made field goals (32 compared to 14).

Tripp has greatly improved her rebounds per game average (6.4 compared to 3.8 last year), and has already surpassed her assist total from all of last season. Additionally, she has demolished her point total from last season with 195 points, surpassing the 143 she scored last season.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every regular season home game will be streamed via Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com. Veteran Wayne State broadcaster Kevin Brechmacher will call the game with Solae Pope-White serving as the analyst for Saturday's contest.

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Players Mentioned

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

#13 Hillary Griffin: F; 5' 11"; Freshman

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

#13 Hillary Griffin
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: F

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

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

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