BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- The last time the Wayne State University men's basketball team (9-9 overall, 6-6 GLIAC) won at Ferris State (9-9 overall, 6-5 GLIAC), current head coach Bryan Smothers was named GLIAC Tournament MVP and the Warriors had punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.  Fast forward nearly 15 years and WSU snapped the skid, 75-73 inside Jim Wink Arena.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Through the game's first 14 points and five lead changes, Ferris State led Wayne State 8-6.

The Bulldogs then scored 12 points to the Warriors' four to lead by 10, 20-10.  Following another 10-point margin at 23-13, Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich. / Detroit Loyola [Macomb C.C.]) converted an old-fashioned three-point play to pull his team within seven, 23-16.

However, FSU rattled off eight of the next 10 points for its biggest advantage of the game at 13, 31-18.  

From there until the final buzzer of the half, WSU outscored the home team 17-6 and whittled the deficit all the way down to two, 37-35.  Those 17 Green and Gold points included seven by Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.), five from Devin Belle (Lyndhurst, Ohio / Pepper Pike Orange [Lincoln Trail C.C. / Lakeland C.C.]), three by Jalen Jenkins (Belleville, Mich. [Macomb C.C.]) and two from Adam Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North).

Wayne State was able to keep the spread at one possession despite shooting 37.8 percent (14-of-37) to Ferris State's red-hot 56.5 percent (13-of-23).

Second Half
Out of the break, following a trio of deadlocks (37-37, 39-39 and 42-42), Wayne State's JaKobie Boose (Flint, Mich. / Hamady), Jenkins and Belle teamed up for six points to Ferris State's one.  At that point, just over six minutes into the stanza, the visitors were up five, 48-43.

Until the Bulldogs tied up the score again at 65-65 with just under four minutes to play, the Warriors' advantage grew to as large as seven (65-58), but the home team wouldn't go away.

FSU's Chang Hoth then made one of two at the free throw line before Nweke hit a jumper at the 2:41 juncture that give WSU the lead for good.

From that final deadlock until the contest had concluded, Wayne State did just enough to hold on with 10 points to Ferris State's eight.  During that span, the Warriors missed just one field goal attempt (3-of-4) and cashed all four free throw attempts.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 43.5 percent (30-of-69) to Ferris State's 47.4 percent (27-of-57).  Ten of the Bulldogs 27 made field goals came from behind the arc where they were 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) as opposed to the Warriors' 5-of-26 (19.2 percent). 

With all of that being said, WSU was perfect at the free throw line, 10-of-10 to FSU's 9-of-13 (69.2 percent).  That effort marked the first time all season in which Wayne State was perfect at the charity stripe.  In fact, the Warriors hadn't made all of their free throws in a single game since going 9-of-9 against Saginaw Valley State on Jan. 23, 2020.  The last time WSU attempted at least 10 and was perfect?  Feb. 28, 2017 at Michigan Tech (13-of-13).

Wayne State turned the ball over only five times, the program's fewest since four on March 5, 2025, also at Ferris State.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Jotham Nweke scored a team-high 21 points, his most as a Warrior, 13 of which came in the second half.  Nweke was one of three in double-figures along with Jordan Briggs (18) and Devin Belle (13).  Briggs brought down a personal-best eight rebounds while both he and Jalen Jenkins (making second straight start) dished out six assists.  Defensively, Jenkins proved just as valuable with four steals to his name.

LEADING THE BULLDOGS
Bryce Moore poured in a game-high 22 points and was joined in the double-figure department by Mykel Bingham's 18 points.  Owen Hardy secured 11 boards and Bingham accounted for four dimes.  On the other side of the court, Bingham and Tae Boyd tallied two blocks apiece while Bingham tacked on a pair of swipes.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will return home to host Davenport on Thursday with the opening tip slated for 7:30 p.m. inside the WSU Fieldhouse.