Women's Basketball 1/31/2024 11:16:00 AM Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball to Begin Second Half of GLIAC Schedule at Parkside and Purdue Northwest

The Warriors have nine games remaining in the regular season.

GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State will begin the second half of its GLIAC double round-robin schedule with a trip to the Central Time Zone. The Warriors will first open the new month in Kenosha, Wis., against Parkside on Thursday, February 1, at 6:30 p.m. ET. WSU will then play Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Ind., on Saturday, February 3, at 2 p.m. ET.

SERIES HISTORY
Parkside re-gained a lead in the all-time series between the two programs (9-8) following a 95-59 win over WSU on January 6. UWP has claimed the last three match-ups with the Warriors to move ahead 7-4 in league games played between the schools. Prior to 2022-23, the Green and Gold had won five of six against the Rangers between February 15, 2020, and March 2, 2022. That 70-65 triumph for the Warriors in March 2022 was in the GLIAC Tournament, which helped Wayne State qualify for its most recent NCAA Tournament.

Wayne State is 12-1 all-time against Purdue Northwest, including a 76-71 triumph in the first meeting this season on January 4. All 13 match-ups have occurred since 2017 when the Pride joined the GLIAC. WSU's lone defeat in the series was an 81-64 road loss in Hammond, Ind. on February 6, 2021. The Warriors have won the last five games and are 6-1 on the road against PNW. Carrie Lohr became the Green and Gold's all-time wins leader with a 76-67 victory over the Pride on January 10, 2019, in Hammond.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Parkside enters Thursday's contest with an 11-6 overall record and a 6-3 conference ledger, which includes a signature win over then No. 5-ranked Ferris State, 79-70, on December 9. The Rangers lead the GLIAC in field goal percentage (.465), while averaging 75.4 points per game for third in the league.

UWP is primarily led offensively by junior guard Sheridan Flauger, who posted a game-best 18 points in the first game between the two teams this season. Flauger averages 11.4 points per game, which is just behind teammate Paty Gallasova (11.6 PPG) for the team high. She is also the team leader in assists (67), which puts her third in the GLIAC in assists per game (3.9), and has drained a team-best 33 triples. The senior Gallasova paces the Rangers in field goals made (75).
Other notable leaders include freshman forward Lillie Petersen in rebounds (111), sophomore forward Grace Lomen in steals (26), and sophomore forward Kendal Zeiter in blocks (20).

Jen Conley is in her sixth season as Parkside's head coach. The Rangers are 83-70 (.543) overall and 62-44 (.585) in GLIAC play under Conley.

Purdue Northwest won 62-57 at Davenport in its most recent game to snap a four-game losing streak. The Pride are 8-11 overall and 3-6 in the GLIAC. PNW enters Thursday's game against Saginaw Valley State fifth in both field goal percentage (.411) and free throw percentage (.741) within the conference.

WSU will look to limit the damage of two premier players in the GLIAC – senior guard Dash Shaw and senior forward Mercedes Simmons. The duo combined for 46 of PNW's 71 points in the first match-up between the two programs. Simmons' 31 points was the most by any opponent against the Warriors all season, and she also grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Both Shaw (second) and Simmons (third) are within the top three of the GLIAC in points per game at 16.7 and 16.4 PPG, respectively. Simmons paces Purdue Northwest in field goals made (129), field goal percentage (.556), rebounds (174), steals (19), and blocked shots (49), with her 49 blocks 42 more than any other member of the Pride. Shaw has 56 assists to lead PNW, while also showing an ability to make it to the free throw line with 118 attempts and 95 made foul shots (.805).

Courtney Locke is in her fifth season as head coach of Purdue Northwest. She has guided PNW to a 34-87 (.281) overall record and a 21-63 (.250) conference ledger.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Wayne State split its pair of home contests against Ferris State and Lake Superior State to finish a three-game home stand. WSU opened the game last Thursday vs. FSU by scoring the first five points, but the Bulldogs rallied for a 13-0 run between the 6:26 and 1:38 marks of the first stanza and never looked back. Ferris State led by as many as 40 in the second half and coasted to a 34-point triumph. Shea Tripp led the Green and Gold with 10 points, the lone Warrior in double figures for the game.

The squad rebounded in the second game last Saturday by leading wire-to-wire against LSSU for a 30-point victory. The Warriors held the Lakers to just seven points in the second quarter and posted 32 of their own in the third stanza. WSU led by as many as 33 in the final five minutes of the game. Wayne State shot 54 percent (33-of-61) from the field in the win, while limiting LSSU to 40 percent (20-of-50) from the floor.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS UPDATE
The Warriors currently sit fifth in the GLIAC standings for 2023-24 with a 5-4 league ledger. WSU has the same conference mark as Michigan Tech, while just behind the top four in Grand Valley State (8-1), Ferris State (8-1), Northern Michigan (6-3), and Parkside (6-3). The top eight out of 10 programs qualify for the GLIAC Tournament, while the top four seeds host a quarterfinal match-up. As of January 31, the Green and Gold would travel to Parkside to open the conference postseason, which is where the team will be playing on Thursday.

The GLIAC Tournament is slated for Wednesday, March 6, through Sunday, March 10.

SLIM MARGINS
Wayne State has played several close contests since beginning GLIAC play, showing just how difficult league action can be. WSU's five-point triumph (74-69) over Saginaw Valley State on January 20 was the third such contest in conference action decided by five points or fewer. The Warriors have an average margin of victory of 16.4 in its 12 triumphs this season over Malone, Cedarville, Tiffin, Lawrence Tech, Edinboro, D'Youville, Michigan Tech, Findlay, PNW, DU, SVSU, and LSSU.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Through games on January 29, Wayne State ranks 24th out of 291 programs in bench points per game (28.1), 47th in assists per game (15.2), field goal percentage (.432), and free throw percentage (.751), 48th in steals per game (10.8), and 56th in free throws made per game (14.22). Individually, Shea Tripp ranks 25th in the nation in steals per game (2.78) and 26th in steals (50).

PACING THE GLIAC
Within the GLIAC and following games on January 30 (18 contests), Wayne State ranks fourth in a quartet of shooting categories, including points per game (71.3), field goal percentage (.432), three-point percentage (.322), and free throw percentage (.751). In ball control categories, the Warriors remain second behind Ferris State in steals per game (10.8), while still fourth in assists per game (15.2).

Shea Tripp continues to be the conference leader in both steals (50) and steals per game (2.78). Her teammate Kate McArthur is second with 2.22 SPG and third with 40 steals. McArthur is also second behind FSU's Mallory McCartney in assists (71) and assists per game (3.9). Gabi Lutchka is within the top five for a pair of shooting categories. The sophomore paces the GLIAC in three-point percentage (.457), while fourth in field goal percentage (.555). McKenna Ferguson's efficiency at the charity stripe has the freshman fifth within the league (.831).

WARRIOR NOTES
Several Warriors accomplished notable feats over the recent three-game home stand against Saginaw Valley State, Ferris State, and Lake Superior State. In the victory against SVSU on January 20, sophomore Mackenzie Miller became the fifth Wayne State member to make either their first collegiate or team start. She joined McKenna Ferguson (November 15 at Cedarville), Annabel Ayrault (November 17 vs. Tiffin), Ally Shagena (November 26 vs. Lawrence Tech), and Gabi Lutchka (December 9 at Michigan Tech).

In the win vs. LSSU, sophomore Gabi Lutchka poured in a personal best 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting in the victory, including a trio of triples. Junior Shea Tripp notched her third double-double of 2023-24 with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Additionally, senior ZaMaria Polk collected five rebounds, which became a season best. Freshman J'Ahni Walker nailed her first two made field goals of her collegiate career in totaling a career-high five points.

FUGATE'S TWO MILESTONES
Redshirt senior guard Becca Fugate has eclipsed two milestones during the 2023-24 season. The fifth-year Warrior reached the 1,000-point plateau in the win over Purdue Northwest on January 4, which made her the 19th women's basketball player in program history to achieve the feat. Fugate also became the all-time games played leader at WSU after appearing in her 119th contest on January 20 vs. Saginaw Valley State. She passed Brittany Streetman's 118 GP between 2012 and 2016 for most all-time at Wayne State.

KEEP UP WITH THE ACTION
Every women's basketball GLIAC contest this season (with the exception of the road contest at Purdue Northwest) will be televised on FloSports (flohoops.com) per the conference's agreement with the streaming service. Brady Beedon and Joe Abramson will split the play-by-play duties for a majority of the home schedule. Veteran Tony Ortiz will join the team as a sideline reporter for weekend contests.

In addition, the WSU Department of Athletics has partnered with The PreP for streaming home athletic events for the 2023-24 season. For road GLIAC contests, Wayne State men's basketball play-by-play voice Kevin Brechmacher will provide audio for free through WSUAthletics.com (Warrior All-Access).

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Players Mentioned

#12 Annabel Ayrault: G; 5' 9"; Freshman

#21 McKenna Ferguson: G; 5' 7"; Freshman

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

#44 Gabi Lutchka: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

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

#42 Mackenzie Miller: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

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

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

#34 ZaMaria Polk: F; 6' 3"; Senior

#11 J'Ahni Walker: C; 6' 2"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#12 Annabel Ayrault
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: G

#21 McKenna Ferguson
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: G

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

#44 Gabi Lutchka
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

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

#42 Mackenzie Miller
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

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

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

#34 ZaMaria Polk
: 6' 3"; Senior
: F

#11 J'Ahni Walker
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: C