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Wayne State University Athletics

Adam Ayrault - 2024-25 vs. Grand Valley State
Marissa Krynak
Adam Ayrault scored a game-high 16 points in 19 minutes, both of which are personal bests.
65
Winner Grand Valley St. GVSU 6-2,2-0 GLIAC
63
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 2-5,1-1 GLIAC
Winner
Grand Valley St. GVSU
6-2,2-0 GLIAC
65
Final
63
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne
2-5,1-1 GLIAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Grand Valley St. GVSU 36 29 65
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 33 30 63

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Cooper Weidenthaler, Sports Communications Specialist

Men's Basketball Outlasted by Grand Valley State, 65-63

Wayne State came up empty on its final three possessions of the game.

DETROIT -- Trailing Grand Valley State (6-2 overall, 2-0 GLIAC) by just two points (65-63) with 80 seconds to play, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (2-5 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) failed to score on its final three possessions and that two-point deficit held as final.  The Warriors were behind the Lakers by as many as eight (65-57) at the three-minute mark prior to that and scored six straight points to cut the margin to two.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The first field goal for either team didn't happen for nearly five minutes before Grand Valley State's Trevor Smith, Jr. made a jumper in the paint to give his team a 3-0 lead.

The first 37 total points and 13+ minutes of game time saw a combined four ties and three lead changes.  Adam Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) put Wayne State ahead 19-18 at the 6:41 juncture with the first of his four three-pointers and three of his game/career-high 16 points.

However, the Lakers' Trevon Gunter answered with a two-pointer of his own that gave the visitors' the advantage for good at 20-19.  GVSU pushed its lead to seven twice (26-19, 29-22) before WSU rattled off seven of the next nine points, five of which came from Ayrault, to pull within two, 31-29.

From there until the halftime buzzer, Grand Valley State notched five points to Wayne State's four and was up three (36-33) heading into the intermission.

Second Half
Grand Valley State scored the second half's initial four points to make it a seven-point game again (40-33), but Wayne State churned out a 7-1 spurt and the margin was thinned to one (41-40).  Carmelo Harris (Flint, Mich. / Beecher) accounted for four of those seven while the other three came from Tamario Adley (Detroit, Mich. / Warren De La Salle [Macomb CC]).

The seesaw battle continued as the Lakers scored nine of the ensuing 11 points to expand the margin back to a game-high eight (50-42), but the Warriors countered with a 13-6 outburst of their own.  That second stretch was capped off by Ayrault's final triple, and the home team was as close as one (56-55) with just over nine and a half minutes to go.

The deficit was as slim as one at 58-57 before the Lakers pushed it back to eight at 65-57 and WSU's six consecutive points as mentioned above.  Harris, Ray Williams, Jr. (Detroit, Mich. / Edison Public School Academy) and Adley each had two of the six.

Then, in WSU's final three possessions, Kareem Aburashed (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day [Macomb CC]) missed a three-point look, Adley turned it over and Ayrault missed a triple attempt as well.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 38.5 percent (25-of-65) to Grand Valley State's 41.2 percent (21-of-51).  The Warriors cashed in nine of their 26 three-point attempts (34.6 percent) to the Lakers' eight triples in 16 looks (50 percent).  GVSU went 15-of-25 at the free throw line (60 percent) and WSU was just 4-of-10 (40 percent).  The home team won the rebounding battle by 10, 44-34, including 14-5 on the offensive glass.  Grand Valley State racked up 15 assists to 10 turnovers while Wayne State notched 14 and 12, respectively.  Defensively, the Lakers totaled seven blocks and 11 steals to the Warriors' two and seven, respectively.  WSU dominated in second-chance points (22-4) and points in the paint (30-18), but GVSU had the upper hand in points off turnovers (17-9), bench scoring (38-28) and fast-break points (15-6).

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Ayrault poured in a game-high 16 points as one of four Warriors in double-figures along with Harris (12), Adley (12) and Carlos Paul III (Southfield, Mich. / Cornerstone Lincoln-King [Missouri State - West Plains]) with 10.  Adley earned his second career double-double and first as a Warrior thanks to 10 rebounds, the only player for either squad with that many.  Lastly on offense, Adley and Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.) were each responsible for four assists.  Defensively, Aburashed registered both of Wayne State's blocks and Ayrault secured a pair of steals.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Four players scored at least nine points including Gunter (14), Kaden Brown (12), Jalen Charity (11) and William Dunn (9).  Shamus Thompson and Charles Turner both brought down five boards while Smith, Jr. accounted for six assists.  Defensively, Smith, Jr. and Dunn each had two blocks whilst Smith, Jr. came up with four takeaways.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will take a break from GLIAC play to host Michigan-Dearborn (3-9 overall) on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

 
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