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Wayne State University Athletics

Rob Lee, Jr. - 2025 vs. Ferris State
Taylor Carrow
Rob Lee, Jr. scored a game-high 31 points in the playoff loss at Ferris State.
65
Wayne State WSU 15-14
77
Winner Ferris State FSU 25-7
Wayne State WSU
15-14
65
Final
77
Ferris State FSU
25-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Wayne State WSU 26 39 65
Ferris State FSU 23 54 77

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Men's Basketball Season Ends Despite Valiant Effort At No. 31-Ferris State

WSU was within a point with 2:35 remaining.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Wayne State University men's basketball squad (15-14 overall) couldn't pull off a GLIAC First Round upset for the second consecutive year, despite leading the host Ferris State Bulldogs (25-7 overall) 26-23 at intermission.  FSU, ranked No. 31 nationally this week after falling in Detroit last Thursday, outscored the Warriors 54-39 after halftime for a 77-65 home court victory to end the WSU season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Wayne State fell behind 6-0 in the first 2:30 before a pair of foul shots by sophomore Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.).  A jumper by Briggs and a triple by classmate Rob Lee, Jr. (Flint, Mich. / Beecher) sandwiched around an Ethan Erickson bucket had the Bulldogs in front 8-7.  WSU took its first lead at 9-8 on steal and fast break lay-up by junior Carlos Paul III (Southfield, Mich. / Cornerstone Lincoln-King [Missouri State - West Plains]), and extended its advantage as Paul had an offensive rebound and put back to make it 11-8.  A steal by junior Carmelo Harris (Flint, Mich. / Beecher) led to a fast-break dunk by Lee, Jr. to conclude the 6-0 WSU run.

FSU tied the game at 13-13 on a triple by Jaxson Whitaker, and re-gained the lead on a pair of foul shots by Reece Hazelton.  A jumper by senior Ray Williams, Jr. (Detroit, Mich. / Edison Public School Academy) knotted the game at 15-15 with 8:21 left in the first half.  The contest was tied twice more at 17-17 and 20-20, as Lee, Jr. made the first of three free throws.  Lay-up by Paul and Lee, Jr. pushed the lead to six (26-20), before the Bulldogs made three foul shots in the final minute to cut their deficit to three (26-23) after 20 minutes.

Second Half
Harris drained his first shot from beyond the arc on the opening possession after intermission, and Lee, Jr. followed with his own three-pointer extending the margin to nine (32-23) less than a minute later.  Ferris State responded with nine straight points to tie the game at 32-32, prior to Lee, Jr. making a pair from the charity stripe.  A lay-up by Lee, Jr. with 13:21 remaining gave WSU its last lead of the game at 42-41.  Two foul shots by Lee, Jr. ended a 6-0 spurt by the Bulldogs and pulled the Warriors within three at 47-44.  Harris answered an FSU bucket with another long-range shot and the deficit was two (49-47) with just over 12 minutes remaining.

Wayne State kept battling and was within one point (56-55) with 7:46 left following a lay-up by Harris.  WSU kept the pressure on the hosts and trailed by one again (66-65) with 2:35 remaining following a triple by Harris.  However, the Warriors were unable to score the rest of the game with Ferris State making all three field goal attempts and 5-of-6 at the foul line to secure the victory.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 32 percent (20-of-62) from the floor, compared to FSU's 47 percent (27-of-58), which was aided by 61 percent (19-of-31) in the second half.  WSU connected on 7-of-22 shots from beyond the arc (32 percent), while the Bulldogs were 7-of-19 (37 percent).  The Warriors were a very sold 86 percent (18-of-21) from the foul line, but Ferris State made 16 of its 18 free throw attempts (89 percent).  FSU had a 44-29 edge in rebounding.  Wayne State turned 12 Bulldog turnovers into 15 points, while WSU had just four miscues in the contest.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Sophomore Rob Lee, Jr. scored a game-high 31 points, which included 12-of-13 at the charity stripe, while junior Carmelo Harris tallied all 14 of his points in the second half, which included four triples.  Fifth-year senior Ray Williams, Jr. grabbed a team-best six rebounds.  Sophomore Jordan Briggs dished out a game-best five assists.

LEADING THE BULLDOGS
Ethan Erickson led four FSU players in double figures with 14 points.  Both Reece Hazelton and Nathan Claerbaut chipped in with 12 points apiece, while Jimmy Scholler contributed 10 points, a game-best nine rebounds, four assists and a game-high four blocks.
 
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