Wayne State University Athletics

Jason Harrison

Taylor Thompson had a game-best 21 points, with eight rebounds and four assists.

Women's Basketball 11/8/2025 7:50:00 PM Henry Coyle, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Basketball Defeats Alabama-Huntsville 83-76 for First Win of Season

Box Score Denton, Texas -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (1-1 overall) earned its first win of the 2025-26 campaign, defeating the University of Alabama-Huntsville (1-1 overall) 83-76 to conclude the 2025 D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic Saturday evening.

McKenna Ferguson (Grandville, Mich. / Byron Center) was named to the All-Tournament Team after tallying 23 points, five rebounds, and three steals in the loss at No. 3-Texas Woman's University, along with 19 points and four steals in the win over UAH.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
After the Chargers opened the scoring on tip-in lay-up, the Green and Gold tallied seven consecutive points to post a 7-2 lead with 7:25 left in the opening frame. Another short-range basket for UAH cut the WSU lead to three (7-4) before a Ferguson lay-in and a Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) free throw pushed the margin to six (10-4) with just over 6:00 remaining in the first. Back-to-back buckets for Alabama-Huntsville brought the Chargers within two, but Wayne State distanced itself with a pair of Ferguson free throws and a Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) made basket with 3:59 left to play.

The Chargers and Warriors exchanged buckets to close the first period, with Wayne State holding a 22-14 after the opening 10 minutes of action.

SECOND QUARTER
Thompson began the second stanza with an old-fashioned three-point play to push the Green and Gold lead to 25-14. Alabama-Huntsville responded with a bucket of its own before Thompson once more found the bottom of the net with WSU leading 27-16. A pair of free throws both ways kept Wayne State's lead at 11 points (29-18). A 10-3 scoring spurt for Wayne State made the score 39-21 at the 2:56 mark in the second. The Warriors and Chargers exchanged two buckets each with Wayne State on top 43-25.

UAH closed the half with an 8-2 run that was capped off by a buzzer-beating triple by Millie Brown (Alabama-Huntsville), shortening the Green and Gold advantage to 12 (45-33).

THIRD QUARTER
Alabama-Huntsville carried its momentum into the third quarter, scoring the first eight points of the second half. The Warriors responded, as Ferguson knocked down back-to-back triples to put WSU on top by double figures once again (51-41). A Thompson lay-up sandwiched between a Chargers three pointer and lay-in made the score 53-46 with 5:35 left in the third period. Freshman AJ Rickli (Mattawan, Mich. / Paw Paw) scored her first career points by way of two free throws to extend the margin to nine before UAH's Chloe Sigel buried a long-range jumped to bring her squad within six points. The teams went back-and-forth to end the third stanza, with Wayne State on top 62-57.

FOURTH QUARTER
Thompson got things going in the final frame, connecting on two free-throw attempts before Ivey Maddox (UAH) made a jumper on the ensuing possession (64-59). Both squads entered a scoring drought as neither could find the bottom of the net for just over two minutes until Karrington Gordon (Lincoln Park, Mich. [Central Michigan]) splashed a triple to push WSU's lead to eight points.

Alabama-Huntsville was able to cut Wayne State's lead to four points twice, but WSU held off the Chargers to prevail 83-76.

TEAM STATS
As a squad, WSU shot 25-of-57 (44 percent) from the floor that included eight-of-15 (53 percent) from behind the arc. UAH connected on 45 percent of its shots (28-of-62) including 25 percent from deep (seven-of-28). The Chargers won the rebounding battle 38-36 while Wayne State had one more assist (12-11). Alabama-Huntsville tallied 27 personal fouls to WSU's 18.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Four players scored in double figures for the Green and Gold, as Thompson (21), Ferguson (19), Gordon (10), and Jaci Tubergen (Hudsonville, Mich. / Hudsonville [Bowling Green]) (10) each reached doubles digits. Thompson and Gordon both dished out four assists, while the senior grabbed eight boards.

LEADING THE CHARGERS
Lili Wilken led UAH in scoring, tallying 17 points to go with seven rebounds. Paris Opelt grabbed a game-high nine boards, while Millie Brown had a game-best five assists.

UP NEXT
The WSU women's hoops squad will travel to Canton, Ohio, to face Malone University on Friday, November 14, at 4:30 PM inside of Osborne Hall.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#23 AJ Rickli: C; 6' 2"; Freshman

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

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

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

#23 AJ Rickli
: 6' 2"; Freshman
: C

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