GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's hoops squad will go back on the road as they travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to face both Northern Michigan, and Michigan Tech.  The Warriors will first face NMU on Thursday, January 16 with tip-off slated for 5:30 PM.  WSU will then travel to MTU for a contest with the Huskies at noon on Saturday.  The Green and Gold enter Thursday's contest having won eight of their last 12 games.

SERIES HISTORY
In the all-time series between Wayne State and Northern Michigan, the Warriors trail 27-38, and are 12-21 when playing in Marquette.  The Wildcats have prevailed in the most recent three meetings, including last season's GLIAC Quarterfinal match-up, 51-48.

Wayne State trails 21-48 in the all-time series against Michigan Tech and are 9-26 in Houghton.  The Green and Gold have prevailed just once in the nine most recent meetings, that being a 61-42 victory  at MTU on Dec. 9, 2023.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northern Michigan is coming off of back-to-back wins against Michigan Tech and Roosevelt, and is 11-3 on the season.  In conference play, the Wildcats are 5-1 with the only loss coming at top-ranked Grand Valley State.

Leading the way for NMU in the scoring column is Jacy Weisbrod.  The guard is averaging 15.5 points per contest, which ranks fourth in the GLIAC.  Sarah Newcomer has dished out a team-high 42 assists (3.0 per game) and adds 8.7 points each contest.  Alyssa Nimz has hauled in a team-best 99 rebounds, and is second on the squad in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per night.  Weisbrod has yet to play in 2025, but still has a team-high 32 triples.

Head coach Casey Thousand is in her third season at the helm for Northern Michigan.  While serving as the head coach, Thousand has compiled a 48-26 overall record, that includes a 28-14 ledger against GLIAC opponents.  Prior to her current position at NMU, she served as head coach at the University of Illinois Springfield for three seasons, and was an assistant and associate head coach at NMU before that (2016-2019).

Prior to Thursday's game with Saginaw Valley State, Michigan Tech has a 5-9 overall record, and a 2-4 mark in the GLIAC.  The Huskies have lost three of their last four contests, with the lone win being a 68-60 triumph at Davenport.  MTU is 3-4 at home this year.

Pacing the Huskies has been senior guard Isabella Lenz, who is averaging 15.5 points per game (third in the GLIAC), and has knocked down 25 triples, while blocking 15 shots.  Dani Nuest is the teams leader in assists with 36, while Kendall Standfest is the second leading scorer for MTU at 10.9 points per game.  The freshman is also fifth in the GLIAC with 7.4 rebounds per contest, and has a team-best 17 steals.

Sam Clayton is in her seventh season as head coach of the Huskies.  Overall, she has a 115-67 record that includes an 82-37 mark in the GLIAC.  As a player, Sam Clayton (Hoyt) served as team captain, was voted All-GLIAC, and received All-American honors twice in her career.  She also ranks seventh all-time in scoring for Michigan Tech.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Wayne State has played the ninth-toughest schedule in D2 (126-75, .627) and will play opponents that have a combined .526 winning percentage (101-91) over the final two months of the season.  The combined winning percentage of .578 (227-166) ranks 34th nationally out of over 300 schools.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Forwards Shea Tripp and Taylor Thompson both appear in the top 50 of Division II in double-doubles, as the two are tied-for-23rd with six apiece.  Thompson is top 50 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (27th with 3.8), rebounds per game (36th with 9.4), and total rebounds (47th with 132).  Her 3.8 offensive rebounds per game leads the GLIAC.  Tripp is 41st nationally in steals per game (2.57).  As a squad, the Warriors are 29th in assists per game at 16.4 and 43rd in three throws made per game with 14.36, which leads the GLIAC.

Tripp is also 20th among active Division II players in steals with 206.  Those 206 steals rank seventh in program history.

WARRIORS SETTING CAREER-HIGHS
Six members of the WSU women's basketball team recorded career-highs in last week's competition against Parkside and Purdue Northwest.  Shea Tripp hauled in a career-best 17 rebounds vs. Parkside.  Annabel Ayrault made four threes and finished with 16 points against PNW, which were both career-highs.  Lexi Boyke notched career-bests in both points (15) and blocks (two).  Jaci Tubergen played 19 minutes vs. Purdue Northwest, totaling eight points, five rebounds, and three steals, all of which are career-highs.  Emily Homan nabbed five rebounds while playing 20 minutes, both of which are career-highs.  Mackenzie Miller had the most assists of her career, dishing out four helpers.

TRIPP SURPASSES 1,000
Senior forward Shea Tripp became the 20th player in program history to score 1,000 points in a career.  At the 9:10 mark in the third period at Findlay, Tripp saw her lay-up fall giving her 1,001 points.  She joins former teammate and 2024 graduate Becca Fugate as the two most recent to do so.

LAST GAMES RECAP
The Warriors went 1-1 at home last week, falling 70-64 to Parkside, before defeating Purdue Northwest 98-54.

The Green and Gold were in control for the majority of the contest against the Rangers, holding the lead for 33:33.  UWP captured its first lead of the game with 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, 62-59.  WSU tied the game once more, but were unable to regain the lead, and fell 70-64 after going just 3-of-16 from the field in the fourth period.  

Three Warriors scored in double digits led by McKenna Ferguson (17), Shea Tripp (15), and Taylor Thompson (13).  Along with scoring 15 points, Tripp nabbed a career-high 17 rebounds and dished out four assists, earning her sixth double-double of the season.  As a squad, Wayne State shot 35.4 percent from the floor (23-of-65) and 78.9 percent from the foul line, but were unable to find a groove from beyond the arc, connecting on just 3-of-15 attempts.  

Both Purdue Northwest and Wayne State exchanged buckets for the first four minutes of play, before an Alyssa Leister triple ignited an 18-7 spurt for the Warriors, closing the period with a 25-15 advantage.   WSU continued its dominant offensive performance, scoring no less than 21 points in each of the following three quarters.  Annabel Ayrault led all scorers with a career-best 16 points.   Lexi Boyke tallied a career-high in points as well, finishing with 15.  Taylor Thompson and McKenna Ferguson both scored double-digit points as well, as Thompson finished with 12 and Ferguson notched 10. Gabi Lutchka and Thompson both nabbed eight rebounds, while Shea Tripp and Jaci Tubergen each had three steals.

LETTERWINNERS RETURNING
Wayne State has 12 players that have earned a letter with the Warriors.  Alyssa Leister, Ally Shagena, and Shea Tripp have all collected three letters ahead of the 2024-25 season, with Taylor Thompson earning two.  The Green and Gold have eight more players that have received a letter.

KEEP UP WITH THE ACTION
Every women's basketball home and GLIAC contest will be televised on FloSports (flohoops.com) per the conference's agreement with the streaming service.  Brady Beedon and Joe Abramson will handle play-by-play duties for the home broadcasts during the 2024-25 campaign. 

In addition, the WSU Department of Athletics has partnered with The PreP for streaming home athletic events for the 2024-25 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).