Women's Basketball 1/3/2023 10:19:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Basketball To Host Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech This Week

STORYLINES
Wayne State enters 2023 having won two straight contests, and three of its last four outings.  Meanwhile, Northern Michigan is 4-2 in its last six games following a 77-62 setback at Northwood on Monday.  Michigan Tech has won five of its last six games and is 11-3 overall heading into Thursday's match-up at Saginaw Valley State.

WSU compiled a 7-1 mark in non-conference games, but the rest of the season will be against GLIAC opponents.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State trails 26-34 in the all-time series against Northern Michigan, despite winning the last two meetings and nine of the last 14 match-ups.  WSU has a 15-13 record in home contests vs. the Wildcats, including a 9-2 mark in the last 11 meetings in Motown.

Michigan Tech has won the last four meetings to take a 44-20 edge in the all-time series.  Wayne State has compiled a 12-20 record in home contests vs. the Huskies, including setbacks in four of the last five match-ups.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northern Michigan had won four of its last five games prior to Monday's loss at Northwood.  NMU is 8-5 overall with a 4-2 mark in road games.

Junior guard Makaylee Kuhn is the lone Wildcat averaging in double figures with 15.7 points per game as the Wildcats average 63.5 PPG, and allow 57.8 points per outing.  Kuhn also leads the squad in both rebounding (7.5 RPG) and assists (3.1 APG), while sophomore guard Mackenzie Holzwart has a team-best 24 steals.  Sophomore center Ana Rhude has a squad-high 21 blocks with sophomore guard Kayla Tierney connecting on a team-best 19 triples.

Former NMU assistant coach (2016-19) Casey Thousand is in her first year leading the Wildcats.

Michigan Tech enters Thursday's contest at Saginaw Valley State with an 11-3 overall mark.  MTU had won four straight before a 77-49 setback on Dec. 29 at No. 2-Ashland.  The Huskies then disposed of Walsh 63-47 on Dec. 31.

Three players average in double figures led by sophomore guard Isabella Lenz (13.6 PPG).  Senior guards Ellie Mackay (13.2 PPG) and Alex Rondorf (10.9 PPG) are the other two.  Junior forward Sara Dax is averaging 17.5 PPG during league play and 9.4 PPG for the season.

Rondorf is averaging a squad-best 8.4 rebounds per contest, while both Lenz (2.8 APG) and Rondorf (2.0 APG) are dishing out more than two assists per match-up.  Rondorf leads the team with 22 steals, while Sloane Zenner has 10 blocks.

Former Huskie All-American Sam Clayton is in her fifth season leading her alma mater.

LAST TIME OUT
Last week, WSU improved to 8-3 overall with a 75-44 triumph over visiting Michigan-Dearborn.

The Warriors led nearly the entire game, other than for 32 seconds in the first 65 seconds of the game.  A lay-up by Maxine Moore on the game's opening possession preceded a pair of free throws by UMD.  A triple by Becca Fugate gave WSU the lead for good.  Wayne State led 15-10 after the opening period with Fugate scoring eight points in the stanza.

After the Wolverines reduced their deficit to two (15-13) on a triple, the Warriors went on a 10-0 run ignited by back-to-back three pointers from Alyssa Leister and Fugate, followed by consecutive buckets from Shea Tripp.  Wayne State led 30-17 at the mid-point of the quarter after another shot from beyond the arc by Fugate, which started a 13-2 run by the Warriors to conclude the first half.  WSU had a 40-19 advantage at intermission.  Fugate and Tripp each tallied six points in the period with Fugate making both triple tries and Tripp making three field goals.

Wayne State maintained a 17 to 23 point advantage for most of the stanza until a late bucket by Moore pushed the margin to 24 (53-29) with 2:18 left.  Fugate later split a pair from the charity stripe and Kate McArthur hit a step-back triple just before the quarter ended giving the hosts a 57-29 lead after 30 minutes.  Moore led WSU with six points in the period.
A conventional three-point play by Leister started the scoring in the final period and WSU's lead was never fewer than 28 points the rest of the game.

Wayne State shot 45 percent (29-of-65) from the field, while UMD shot 26 percent (16-of-62).  WSU was 10-of-26 (39 percent) from three-point range, while limiting the Wolverines to 6-of-26 (23 percent).  The Warriors made 7-of-9 (78 percent) from the charity stripe, with Michigan-Dearborn shooting just 46 percent (6-of-13) from the foul line.  Wayne State had a 46-39 edge in rebounding, along with a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Fugate posted a double-double with game-high totals of 15 points and 12 rebounds.  Tripp contributed 13 points, while Moore added 10 points and a game-best five assists.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
With a solid start to the season and some key performances by players early on, the Warriors have put themselves in the national conversation in multiple statistical categories.

Nationally, Wayne State is ranked seventh in three-point percentage defense (.230), 14th in assists per game (17.5), 18th in free-throw percentage (.780), 19th in field-goal percentage (.456), 27th in defensive rebounds per game (29.4), 44th in scoring margin (+11.9), and 45th in scoring offense (73.2).

Individually, Becca Fugate ranks 28th in three-point percentage (.449) and 57th in free-throw percentage (.854).

CAREER WEEKEND
As two of the only veteran leaders on this young Wayne State team, Maxine Moore and Becca Fugate were dialed in throughout the GLIAC home-opening weekend against Purdue Northwest and Parkside.

Against Purdue Northwest, Fugate was terrific, as she posted a career-high 27 points, while shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.  Her third made three-pointer of the night increased her career total to 100 triples.

She followed that performance with 25 points and five rebounds against Parkside, which included five three-pointers.

Not to be outdone, Moore helped carry the load for Wayne State against the Pride and the Rangers.  Against PNW, Moore tallied 21 points and five rebounds, while shooting 9-of-13 from the field, including two three-pointers.

Against Parkside, she was able to notch a career-high 24 points, while adding 10 rebounds.  She shot 50 percent from the floor (8-of-16) and went 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Kate McArthur chipped in with 11 assists and four steals in the two contests.

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 (76 compared to 47) and dished out more assists (14 compared to 5) than last year, while making 13 more field goals than all of last season.

Tripp has greatly improved her rebounds per game average (6.9 compared to 3.8 last year), while needing only three assists to match her total from all of last season.  Additionally, she is 25 points away from matching her point total from last season and is 14 steals behind her mark from a year ago.

NEARLY IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Wayne State sophomore Shea Tripp almost became the third player in program history to record a triple-double, with her incredible performance against Walsh on the final day of the Warrior Holiday Tournament.

Tripp finished the contest with an impressive 13 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.  She also tallied two steals vs. the Cavaliers.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every regular season home game will be streamed via Warrior All-Access at WSUAthletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

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