Women's Basketball 12/1/2025 3:30:00 PM Henry Coyle, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Hoops Opens GLIAC Play with Road-Home Split Against Purdue Northwest and Ferris State

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's basketball team will begin GLIAC play with a road-home split traveling to Purdue Northwest on Tuesday before entertaining No. 19-ranked Ferris State on Saturday at the WSU Fieldhouse. The Green and Gold is coming off a 70-58 loss at Northwood, in which senior forward Gabi Lutchka had the squad's first double-double of the season, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State has a 15-1 ledger against the Pride that includes an 8-1 mark when playing at PNW. Last year, the Warriors prevailed in both meetings, topping Purdue Northwest 98-54 at home and 88-59 in Hammond, Ind. WSU has won eight straight games against the Pride.

In the road victory a season ago, Taylor Thompson finished with a game-best 22 points, along with seven rebounds and five assists. McKenna Ferguson added 21 points, while knocking down a pair of triples, and Lutchka tallied 14 points, while grabbing eight boards, which was tied for a team high.

FSU holds a 45-41 advantage in the all-time series, while Wayne State leads 21-18 when playing host. The teams split the two games last year, with WSU falling 82-65 in Big Rapids, Mich., and winning 68-53 at the WSU Fieldhouse.

In last season's home win, the Warriors connected on 50 percent of their shots (28-of-56) as four WSU student-athletes reached double-digit scoring, including Shea Tripp (15), Koko Sylvester (13), Taylor Thompson (13), and McKenna Ferguson (12). The 13 points for Sylvester is a career high.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE
After topping Tiffin 70-65 in the squad's season opener, PNW has dropped five consecutive games. The Pride was last in action at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), falling 73-43. In the loss, a pair of PNW student-athletes scored in double figures, with Ciara Sims (12) and Zoe Spoelman (10) each reaching double digits.

Alyssa Cole is the squad's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 13.5 points and six boards per contest this season, while Sims is second on the team at 12 points each night. Cameryn Phillips has a team-high 20 assists, which is fifth in the GLIAC.

Jesse Ford is in his second season as the head coach of the Pride after leading PNW to a 6-22 record during his inaugural campaign. Prior to his time in Hammond, Ind., Ford spent three seasons at the helm for Indiana Northwest, a member institution of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Ahead of its Thursday contest at PNW, Ferris State owns a 6-1 ledger, with the lone blemish coming against #2-Union (Tenn.), 73-70. FSU posted a 79-68 victory over Hillsdale in which senior guard Mia Riley notched a game-best 22 points and seven rebounds.

Kadyn Blanchard leads the way for the Bulldogs, tallying 15.1 points per game, while hauling in 5.6 rebounds each game and dishing out 4.9 assists each contest. Riley is the leader on the glass, nabbing 5.9 boards per game.

Kurt Westendorp is in his sixth season at the helm for FSU, helping the squad to a 98-54 record, three NCAA Tournament appearances, and one GLIAC Tournament Championship.

400 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR COACH LOHR
Head Coach Carrie Lohr is approaching 400 career wins (397) as a head coach between her time at WSU and at St. Clair County Community College (SC4). In addition, Lohr reached 400 games coached at Wayne State during last week's contest at Northwood.

CAREER NIGHT FOR THOMPSON
Senior forward Taylor Thompson was selected GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week (11/24) after notching a career-high 33 points (13-of-22 FG, 3-of-5 3PT, 4-of-5 FT) in the 79-59 win over Hillsdale College on Nov. 19.

Thompson totaled 21 points in the first half as the Warriors led 41-22 at the break. She contributed seven rebounds and four assists in the victory. On the defensive side of the court, the pre-season all-conference selection tallied five steals and one block vs. the Chargers.

This marked her fourth consecutive game in double figures, and the 33rd time in her collegiate career she reached double digits.

In addition, this marked the first time in Thompson's career that she has produced four or more assists in back-to-back games, after dishing out five in the win at No. 6-ranked Ashland.

INCREASED PRODUCTION
Senior guard Jaci Tubergen has started five of six games this season after being utilized in a reserve role a year ago. The Hudsonville, Mich., product has increased her scoring from 1.5 points per contest last season to 7.5 per game this year, while already passing her total number of triples made (seven) in 2024-25.

After playing in 14 games as a freshman and 17 as a sophomore, Emily Homan has seen an uptick in action during her junior campaign. The Haslett, Mich., native is playing 12 minutes per game, while matching her rebound total from a year ago with nine thus far, and has surpassed her total number of points from last year as well, scoring 13 through the first six games.

EARLY WARRIORS
WSU played its season opener at the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic on Friday, November 7, at No. 3-ranked Texas Woman's University, which is the earliest game that counts against the team's overall record in program history.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The Green and Gold ranks first in the GLIAC in both free throw attempts (23.3) and makes (15.7) per game.

Individually, Taylor Thompson is 23rd nationally in free throw attempts (36), 39th in field goal attempts (81), and 47th in made free throws (23).

McKenna Ferguson is first in steals (23) in the nation, 10th in steals per contest (3.83), and 16th in thee-point percentage (51.9 percent).

FERGUSON BEING RECOGNIZED
Junior guard McKenna Ferguson garnered GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades (Nov. 17) 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 the 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.

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 GAME RECAP
WSU found itself behind early, trailing 16-8 with 2:19 left in the first quarter. A lay-up and a triple each way advanced the score to 21-13 in favor of the Timberwolves after the first period.

An Annabel Ayrault jumper between two NU buckets made the score 25-15, but a Gabi Lutchka lay-up along with an old-fashioned three-point play by Jaci Tubergen cut the Northwood lead to five (25-20) with 6:46 left before the intermission. Lexie Bowers (NU) extended the host's lead to seven before nine consecutive points put the Green and Gold on top 29-27 with 2:20 left in the second stanza. Both squad's encountered a dry spell for the remainder of the frame until a buzzer-beating triple by Northwood's Savannah Fellenbaum gave NU a 30-29 lead at the break.

The Green and Gold took its final lead of the game (31-30) by way of a Karrington Gordon lay-in, but Northwood would lead the rest of the way, as the Timberwolves prevailed 70-58.

Four Warriors ended in double figures, as McKenna Ferguson (16), Lutchka (10), Tubergen (10), and Gordon (10) each eclipsed that mark. Lutchka tallied the squad's first double-double of the year with 12 rebounds to go with her 10 points.

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

#23 Shea Tripp: F; 5' 10"; Senior

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

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

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

#15 Gabi Lutchka: 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

#23 Shea Tripp
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

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

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

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

#15 Gabi Lutchka
: 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