Women's Basketball 11/18/2025 4:55:00 PM Henry Coyle, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball Welcomes Hillsdale for Home Opener

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's basketball team will play host to Hillsdale College for its 2025-26 home opener. The Green and Gold split its most recent contests, falling 75-65 at Malone before topping No. 6-ranked Ashland 81-77 for the squad's first win at Kates Gymnasium since 2013.

SERIES HISTORY
WSU has competed against the Chargers 73 times dating back to 1976. Last season's 80-67 win at Hillsdale gave Wayne State a 37-36 advantage in the all-time series. When competing at home, WSU is 22-14 overall.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
Hillsdale enters the contest with a 2-0 record, collecting wins over Illinois-Springfield (77-61) and GLIAC member institution Purdue Northwest (77-59). Last season, HC posted a 21-10 ledger, falling 61-56 to Northern Michigan in the NCAA Midwest Regional Quarterfinal.

Leading the way through two games for the Chargers is junior Annalise Pietrzyk, who is averaging 18 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, while connecting on nearly 70 percent of her three-point attempts (9-of-13).

Brianna Brennan is in her third campaign at the helm for Hillsdale, helping the Chargers to a 40-22 record during her tenure. Prior to her time as head coach, Brennan served as the team's lead assistant for two seasons. The Woodhaven, Mich., native was a dual-sport athlete at Gannon University as a member of the volleyball and women's basketball teams. She concluded her basketball career 11th overall in blocked shots for GU.

FERGUSON BEING RECOGNIZED
Junior guard McKenna Ferguson garnered GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades after posting six rebounds, 10 steals and one blocked shot in 61 minutes of action, while also contributing offensively with 33 points and three assists in the loss at Malone and triumph at No. 6-Ashland. The honor comes one week after being named to the All-Tournament Team at the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic. Ferguson leads the nation in steals with 18.

GORDON RETURNS TO THE FLOOR
After playing in 74 games for Central Michigan University across three years, Karrington Gordon redshirted a season ago. In her return to the court, the graduate student tallied 24 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in two games at the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic. Gordon totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals last weekend in Ohio.

GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
1. Grand Valley State - 100 (10)
2. Northern Michigan - 87
3. Ferris State - 84 (1)
4. Parkside - 72
5. Wayne State - 66
6. Michigan Tech - 48
7. Saginaw Valley State - 46
8. Roosevelt - 43
9. Davenport - 25
10. Lake Superior State - 21
11. Purdue Northwest - 13

LAST WEEKEND RECAP
The Warriors began the contest at Malone on a 12-2 scoring run with points from McKenna Ferguson, Karrington Gordon, and Taylor Thompson.

Malone's Erin Kaufman connected from beyond the arc, but Thompson made two foul shots, Gabi Lutchka drained a triple, and Ferguson made two free throws for a 19-5 advantage with 4:06 remaining in the opening stanza.

Malone scored the next five points as the Warriors did not make a field goal the rest of the period, and the only point came on a free throw by Jaci Tubergen. An MU jumper in the waning seconds made the score 20-12 in favor of WSU after 10 minutes.

Wayne State led by 13 (30-17) just over four minutes into the period as Ferguson tallied five points and Annabel Ayrault made a shot from three-point range.

A lay-up by Tubergen ended a 7-0 run for Malone and extended the Warrior advantage to eight (32-24) with just under 3:30 remaining before intermission.

Koko Sylvester answered a Kaufman bucket, with one of her own giving Wayne State a 34-26 lead at halftime.

Thompson started the second half scoring with a lay-up following a steal by Gordon. With WSU leading 38-28, Malone responded with a 7-0 run as Kaufman notched the final five points of that spurt to make it 38-35. Lexi Boyke scored from inside the paint to stem the tide.

After the teams exchanged buckets, Tubergen and Ferguson each drained a triple pushing the margin to 10 (49-39) with 2:22 left in the stanza. MU's Meredith Randulic answered with a three pointer, but Ferguson collected the next five points for a 12-point advantage (54-42) with 50 seconds left. A foul shot by Kaufman and a triple by Randulic trimmed the WSU edge to eight (54-46) after 30 minutes.

Malone scored four of the first six points to start the final period making it 56-50, before Thompson fouled out with 8:47 remaining.

The Pioneers scored the next six points to knot the game at 56-56 as the Warriors went nearly 5:30 without a point. A steal and fast-break lay-up by Ferguson regained the lead with 3:55 left, but Randulic knocked down a triple on the other end giving MU its first lead of the game at 59-58.

After two free throws by Kaufman, Tubergen converted an and-one to tie the game at 61-61 with 2:40 left.

Malone's Elena Oliver tallied the game's next seven points giving the hosts a 68-61 advantage with 1:43 remaining. Gordon and Oliver each made two foul shots, but Abbey Price made two from the charity stripe following a Wayne State miscue to make it 72-63. MU scored three of the final five points to complete the scoring.

Lutchka opened the scoring at Ashland with a pair of lay-ins that sandwiched an Ashland bucket. A six-point spurt for the Eagles gave the hosts an 8-4 lead before a 7-2 run by the Green and Gold put WSU up 11-10 with 4:39 left in the opening stanza. An old-fashioned three-point play by AU's Lexi Howe followed by a Katelyn Harabedian lay-up gave Ashland a four-point lead (15-11) at the 3:38 mark. A pair of baskets each way made it 19-15 in favor of the Eagles before a Boyke lay-in and a Gordon jumper knotted the contest at 19 points apiece through 10 minutes of action.

Wayne State began the second quarter hot, as Emily Homan drained a triple with Lutchka and Boyke each adding baskets to force an Ashland timeout just under three minutes into the second period. The Green and Gold led 26-19 at that point. The margin remained the same after an Ashley Mullet (AU) jumper and a pair of Wayne State makes from the charity stripe. Mullet knocked down a long-range jumper to cut WSU's advantage to four points (28-24), before Mackenzie Miller quickly extended the advantage to six after a made basket on the ensuing possession.

A free throw for Ashland followed by two for the Warriors were the only points scored in the next 1:48. The Eagles once more tied the game, this time at 32-32, after rattling off seven straight points. The Warriors closed the half with four points to the Eagles three and entered the intermission with a 36-35 lead.

Back-to-back triples for AU put the hosts on top 41-36, before Thompson found the bottom of the net on a lay-up. A 6-2 scoring run for the Eagles pushed the margin to seven points (47-40) just over three minutes into the third quarter. Two Lutchka free throws and a Boyke lay-up wrapped around an Ashland bucket made it 49-44. AU extended its lead back to seven points following a Howe make, but a three-point basket by Ferguson cut the deficit to four with 4:43 left in the third frame.

A 12-7 scoring spurt that included points from Lutchka, Ayrault, Ferguson and Thompson gave Wayne State a one-point lead (59-58) entering the final quarter. AU tallied six of the first eight points of the period for a 64-61 advantage at the 7:43 mark. An 8-2 scoring run for the Warriors gave the guests a 69-66 lead with five minutes to play in the game. An Ashland lay-up followed by a Tubergen bucket kept the WSU cushion at three points, before AU's Corri Vermilya connected on a game-tying triple to knot the contest at 71-71. After just over one minute of scoreless action, each squad made a pair of free throws. Ashland nabbed a 75-73 lead on a lay-up by Alysa Lopez, but the lead would be short lived as the Warriors claimed the ensuing five points to take a 78-75 advantage.

The Eagles pulled within one point after another Lopez lay-in, but three straight Thompson free throws put the game on ice for Wayne State in the 81-77 triumph.

FOLLOW THE WARRIORS
All Wayne State home contests and road GLIAC games will be streamed on FloSports (flohoops.com).

For road GLIAC contests, Wayne State men's basketball play-by-play voice Kevin Brechmacher will provide audio for free through the Warrior Sports Network. Click the audio button on the WSU women's basketball schedule page on wsuathletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

#40 Annabel Ayrault: G; 5' 11"; Junior

#33 Lexi Boyke: F; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore

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

#22 Emily Homan: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#15 Gabi Lutchka: F; 5' 11"; Senior

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

#5 Koko Sylvester: G; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#30 Taylor Thompson: F; 6' 0"; Senior

#3 Jaci Tubergen: G; 5' 11"; Senior

#13 Karrington Gordon: G/F; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#40 Annabel Ayrault
: 5' 11"; Junior
: G

#33 Lexi Boyke
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore
: F

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

#22 Emily Homan
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#15 Gabi Lutchka
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

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

#5 Koko Sylvester
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: G

#30 Taylor Thompson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F

#3 Jaci Tubergen
: 5' 11"; Senior
: G

#13 Karrington Gordon
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: G/F