University Center, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (15-8 overall, 10-5 GLIAC) earned a 71-68 victory at Saginaw Valley State University (12-11 overall, 6-9 GLIAC).  The win secures a spot in the GLIAC tournament for the Warriors.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
The Green and Gold opened the contest by scoring the first seven points of the game as Shea Tripp (Jackson, Mich. / Michigan Center) and Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) found the bottom of the net.  Ava Locklear put the Cardinals on the board after she sank one of her two free throws.  Locklear netted a lay-up on the next SVSU possession, but a 12-0 WSU run stretched the margin to 16 (19-3) in favor of Wayne State.  The spurt was halted by Aleshia Jones, as she made two jumpers that were sandwiched around a Tripp lay-up with just over two minutes remaining (21-7).  Only one more point was scored in the quarter, as Tripp made a free throw, putting the Warriors ahead 22-7 after the first period.

SECOND QUARTER
Saginaw Valley State struck first in the second stanza, as Saniaa Walker drained a triple on the first possession.  Alyssa Leister (St. Louis, Mich. / Alma) responded with a three-point field goal of her own, but a short 7-0 run for the hosts brought them within eight (25-17).  A Tripp lay-up and a pair of Lutchka free throws widened the gap once more (29-17).  Megan McCalla and Jones both made lay-ins to get back within single-digits (29-21), but five straight points from Koko Sylvester (Toledo, Ohio / Start) stopped the short spurt.  An 8-2 run for SVSU cut the WSU lead to just seven (36-29) entering half time.

THIRD QUARTER
McKenna Ferguson (Grandville, Mich. / Byron Center) began the second-half scoring, connecting on a free throw, but a McCalla triple and a Locklear jumper made the Cardinal deficit just three.  Tripp rattled home a long-range jumper to give WSU a small cushion of six points, but a Walker basket on the ensuing trip down the court made the score 40-36.  Thompson made her way to the rim to stretch the lead again, but six straight points from Saginaw Valley State knotted the contest at 42 points apiece.  Lutchka broke the tie by splashing a deep-range jumper, but back-to-back Cardinal three-point field goals gave the hosts their first lead of the game.  Saginaw Valley State scored six of the final eight points, going into the final 10 minutes holding a 54-47 advantage.

FOURTH QUARTER
Mackenzie Miller (Schoolcraft, Mich. / Schoolcraft [Lakeland University]) scored first in the final period, but her two points were quickly matched as McCalla made both of her shots from the charity stripe.  A triple by Ferguson sparked a 12-4 surge that was capped off by another deep shot from the sophomore, reclaiming the lead for WSU (61-60).  The lead did not last long, and Locklear made another lay-up to put SVSU buck on top.  After going back-and-forth, the squads found themselves tied at 68 points each with just over one minute left.  With 47 seconds remaining, Ferguson snagged a crucial rebound and got fouled.  She made both of her attempts from the line, putting WSU ahead by two (70-68).  Tripp forced a turnover and was fouled on the next possession, sending her to the line.  The senior made 1-of-2 attempts.  The WSU defense held strong in the final seconds of the contest and prevailed on the road.

TEAM STATS
Both squads shot well from the field, with SVSU's 51.9 percent (28-of-54) slightly edging out Wayne State's 51.1 percent (24-of-47).  The Warriors made half of their three-point shots (9-of-18), while the Cardinals connected on 47.1 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc (8-of-17).  The Green and Gold won the rebounding battle 29-23, and were better from the charity stripe, making 14-of-18 attempts to just 4-of-8 from SVSU.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Shea Tripp led the way for Wayne State, tallying 20 points, four assists, and four steals.  Gabi Lutchka added 15 points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals, and one block.  McKenna Ferguson scored 11 points in the fourth quarter alone and notched 14 total on the night.

LEADING THE CARDINALS
Megan McCalla had a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-3 from behind the line.  Ava Locklear grabbed a game-best nine boards while scoring nine points. Aleshia Jones contributed 19 points and four assists.

UP NEXT
The Wayne State University women's basketball squad will continue its road trip by traveling to Chicago, Ill., as the Warriors are set to face Roosevelt University on Monday, February 17, with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 PM ET.