DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball team will host its third game in a row to begin the 2025-26 season when Northwood comes to the Fieldhouse on Saturday for a 3 p.m. start.  Then on Tuesday, the Warriors will hit the road for the first time as they head to 23rd-ranked Findlay for a 7:30 p.m. tip inside Croy Gymnasium.

STORYLINES
At 1-1 to begin the 2025-26 season, the Wayne State University men's basketball team is set for two more contests against Midwest Region foes.  The Warriors will host Northwood on Saturday at 3 p.m. inside the Fieldhouse before going to Findlay the following Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip in Ohio.  WSU made quick work of Michigan-Dearborn on Nov. 14 (101-66), but will look to bounce back from a 12-point defeat (76-64) at the hands of Ashland on Nov. 16.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State leads the all-time series against Northwood by 12, 46-34, but the teams have split their last 10 meetings.  Despite a road record of 19-22 vs. the Timberwolves, the Warriors will get to host this time around where they've gone 27-12.

Findlay has had Wayne State's number in the series history, to the tune of 31-17.  The Oilers have beaten the Warriors in seven straight games.  WSU's last victory over UF came when both were a member of the GLIAC on Jan. 5, 2013, 65-61 in overtime in Detroit.

SCOUTING NORTHWOOD
Northwood was predicted to finish second-to-last in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll.  Guided by second-year leader Tom Church (11-20 overall record, .355 winning percentage), the Timberwolves have won two of three to begin their 2025-26 campaign.  NU rolled past Ferris State 97-71, dropped a tight affair to Lake Superior State 83-81 and handled Great Lakes Christian 102-55.

So far statistically, Jamison Eklund is the ringleader with 21 points per game, but is one of four scoring in double-figures.  The other three are John Simpson (14.7 PPG), Will Young II (14.7) and Parker Day (12.3).  Simpson is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.3 boards per effort and the squad's leading assist man is Brayden Szamrej with four per contest.

SCOUTING FINDLAY
Findlay was picked to win the 12-team G-MAC under 15th-year head coach Charlie Ernst.  Ernst owns a 299-115 overall record in 14+ seasons, good for a .722 winning percentage.  Ranked No. 23 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) preseason top 25, the Oilers are off to a 3-0 start, with all three wins coming against Midwest Region opponents.  UF defeated Truman State 103-79, Quincy 75-74 and Ferris State 102-70.

Individually, five players that have seen time in all three contests are putting up at least 10 points per game.  That quintet includes Alex Kendall (13.3), Mason Brandt (12.0), Ian Ioppolo (11.0), Anthony Johnson (11.0) and Mekhi Elmore (10.0). Luke Denbow has played in one contest, but scored 12 points.  Brandt leads the way on the glass (6.7 RPG) while Steele Meister is dishing out three assists per outing.

LAST GAME RECAP
Ashland opened the game with a 13-2 run that lasted nearly six minutes.  That lone Wayne State basket was a Jotham Nweke two-pointer that opened either team's scoring just 21 seconds in.

At the 13-2 juncture, the Warriors rattled off seven straight points to pull within four, 13-9.  That spurt included a Marshall Thorn layup, two Chase Kuiper free throws and an Adam Ayrault three-pointer.

However, the Eagles countered with 10 points in a row and pushed their lead back to 14, 23-9, with just over nine minutes remaining in the half.

Back came the home team, though, with 10 consecutive points of its own to slim the margin to four, 23-19.  In that outburst, Devin Belle was responsible for six points on two triples while Nweke added a pair of deuces.

From there until halftime, the scoring was much more even at 13-12 in favor of the visitors.  At the intermission, AU's advantage was five, 36-31. 

Prior to Ashland's 20-6 second-half run, Wayne State outscored the away team by one, 11-10, through the initial five-plus minutes of the half.

Right after the Eagles went up by 18 at the 4:29 mark, the Warriors made things interesting by scoring 16 of the ensuing 20 points.  Four different players accounted for those 16 points including Carlos Paul III with eight, Jalen Jenkins with four, Nweke with two and Jordan Briggs with two.

After that, WSU was unable to score another point as AU went 4-of-4 at the charity stripe to go with a layup and no turnovers.

Ashland shot the ball more efficiently than Wayne State in all three phases, 51 percent to 40.6 percent from the field, 50 percent to 18.2 percent from long range and 94.4 percent to 85.7 percent at the free throw line.  Total rebounds, assists, turnovers and steals were either deadlocked or within one of each other.  The Eagles did attempt 11 more free throws than the Warriors, 17-of-18 compared to 6-of-7. 

Three Warriors scored in double-figures including Nweke (17), Paul III (13) and Belle (10).  Nweke and Belle each brought down five rebounds while Briggs was on top of the assist department with four.  Defensively, Briggs notched a trio of steals and Nweke racked up four blocks.