Wayne State University Athletics

Zack Belsky/WSU Athletics

McKenna Ferguson scored a game-high 23 points.

Women's Basketball 11/8/2025 12:01:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Basketball Edged 61-56 By Texas Woman's

Ferguson scores a game-high 23 points.

DENTON, Texas -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (0-1 overall) fell 61-56 at third-ranked Texas Woman's University (1-0 overall) on the first day of the 2025 D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
After falling behind 3-0, the Warriors evened the score at 3-3 on a triple by senior Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) then took a 6-3 advantage on a conventional three-point play by graduate student Karrington Gordon (Lincoln Park, Mich. [Central Michigan]).

Following a lay-up by TWU, junior McKenna Ferguson (Grandville, Mich. / Byron Center) drained a triple to extend the lead to 9-5 just past the mid-point of the opening stanza.

However, WSU would go scoreless the rest of the quarter while Texas Woman's tallied nine points to lead 14-9 after 10 minutes.

Second Quarter
Neither team would score the first 2:30 of the period, before Gordon scored on a driving lay-up and made the free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play.

Following a jumper by Pioneer Kaylie Morgan, junior Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) and senior Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) each split a pair from the charity stripe, and Gordon tied the contest at 16-16 with a fast-break lay-up just past the mid-point of the stanza.

After a put-back by senior Jaci Tubergen (Hudsonville, Mich. [Bowling Green]) knotted the game at 18-18, TWU tallied seven of the final nine points before intermission to lead 25-20 at the break.

Third Quarter
Each team scored four points in the first 2:30 of the second half keeping the margin at five (29-24).

After four consecutive points for Texas Woman's, Ferguson connected from long distance on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to three (33-30). TWU's Averee Kleinhans drained a triple, but Ferguson answered with a jumper in the paint. A steal and coast-to-coast lay-up by Ferguson trimmed the margin to two (36-34) with just over 4:30 remaining in the period.

Back-to-back buckets by Pioneer Gabby Elliott pushed the hosts lead to six (40-34). WSU scored six of the final 10 points in the quarter and trailed 44-40 after 30 minutes.

Fourth Quarter
Ferguson tallied the first five points in just over a 30-second span giving the Warriors a 45-44 advantage. Thompson extended the lead to three with a jumper. Ferguson responded to a three-point by TWU, with a jumper
snapping a 47-47 deadlock.

After the Pioneers evened the score at 50-50, Gordon made a jumper in the paint with just under three minutes remaining. A foul on Gordon that was increased to a questionable flagrant foul with WSU leading 52-50 turned into a three-point possession and the lead for the hosts. It was also Gordon's fifth foul.

Following a missed jumper by Thompson, TWU's Madi Lumsden connected from beyond the arc. Ferguson made two free throws cutting the margin to two (56-54) with 73 seconds left.

Two foul shots by Lumsden preceded a bucket by redshirt sophomore Lexi Boyke (Frankenmuth, Mich.). After Lumsden split a pair from the foul line, a WSU turnover on the inbounds pass led to two late free throws for the Pioneers.

TEAM STATS
Both teams attempted 53 field goals with TWU making 22 (42 percent) compared to Wayne State's 21 (40 percent). WSU connected on 5-of-15 (33 percent) from three-point range, while the Pioneers were 3-of-11 (27 percent). Texas Woman's shot 70 percent (14-of-20) from the charity stripe, with the Warriors shooting just 56 percent (9-of-16) at the foul line. Wayne State had a 31-28 edge in rebounding.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Ferguson scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting (4-of-4 from three-point range), along with five rebounds. Gordon contributed 14 points and six rebounds, with Lutchka adding five rebounds.

LEADING THE PIONEERS
Lumsden tallied a team-best 19 points, while Kleinhans chipped in with 11 points. Elliott grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will conclude play at the Tip-Off Classic on Saturday with a contest against the University of Alabama Huntsville.

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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

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

#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

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

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

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

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