ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (9-4 overall, 4-1 GLIAC) fell in a hard-fought 81-80 battle at No. 1-ranked Grand Valley State University (13-0 overall, 5-0 GLIAC) on Thursday evening to snap a six-game winning streak for the Warriors.

The loss is the first blemish in conference action for WSU as the squad moves to 9-4 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
A pair of lay-ups each way made it 4-4 before a 9-2 run for the Lakers put GVSU ahead 13-6.  McKenna Ferguson (Grandville, Mich. / Byron Center) knocked down a triple to pull the Warriors within four, before the hosts extended their lead to 17-9.  A 15-7 run for WSU, led by seven points by junior Emily Homan (Haslett, Mich.) knotted the game at 24 points apiece after the first 10 minutes of action.

Ferguson, Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.), and Jaci Tubergen (Hudsonville, Mich. [Bowling Green]) were assessed two fouls each in the first period.

SECOND QUARTER
A Tubergen free throw and back-to-back buckets by Homan gave the Green and Gold its first lead of the game (29-24) to open the second frame.  A triple and a lay-in by GVSU's Sydney Cherney tied the contest at 29 points each way, but two straight Tubergen buckets and a Koko Sylvester (Toledo, Ohio / Start) basket put the Warriors in front 35-29.  Five points for GVSU closed the second quarter, as the Warriors led 35-34 at the halftime break.

Homan led all scorers at the intermission with 11 points.

THIRD QUARTER
Grand Valley State's Avery Zeinstra made a lay-up to take a 36-35 lead, but a Ferguson long-range jumper gave WSU a 38-36 advantage.  A lay-in for the Lakers once more tied the game, before nine straight WSU points gave the Warriors a 47-38 lead at the 7:35 mark.  Ava Scanion found the bottom of the net to halt the WSU run, but a Karrington Gordon (Lincoln Park, Mich. [Central Michigan]) triple on the ensuing possession made it a 10-point advantage for Wayne Stateat 50-40.

A 15-7 spurt for the hosts cut Wayne State's advantage to just two points (57-55) with 3:15 left in the third quarter.  An AJ Rickli (Mattawan, Mich. / Paw Paw) lay-up followed by a four-point play by Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) extended the margin to eight points.  Four points for Lexi Plitzuweit made it 63-59 in favor of the Warriors with one quarter left to play.

FOURTH QUARTER
Nicole Kamin (GVSU) opened the fourth quarter scoring with back-to-back lay-ups as the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year knotted the contest at 63-63.  Ferguson splashed a triple to nab a 66-63 advantage, before GVSU's Plitzuweit responded with a three pointer of her own.  Thompson found the bottom of the net from behind the arc on the next possession (69-66), but a GVSU lay-up shortened the gap to one point.

Ferguson made good on two attempts from the charity stripe for a three-point advantage (71-68).  The foul trouble continued for the Warriors, as Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) earned her fourth, joining Tubergen with that mark.

Two Paige Vanstee (GVSU) lay-ups around a Homan floater made it 73-72, with the Warriors leading, before Tubergen was assessed her fifth personal foul.

After nearly two minutes of scoreless action, Ferguson tallied her fourth foul, sending Plitzuweit to the line, where she connected on both free throws to give GVSU its first lead since it was 36-35 at the 9:38 mark in the third stanza.

Rickli tied the game at 74-74 with a make at the free throw line.  A Plitzuweit bucket and two free throws for Ferguson made it 76-76.  Thompson gave WSU a lead with a jumper but three points for the Lakers put the hosts on top 79-78.  

Thompson scored on a bank shot with 21 seconds remaining for an 80-79 advantage, but a Paige Vanstee lay-in at the 17-second mark proved to be the game-winning bucket, as the Warriors were unable to get a shot off on the final possession, falling 81-80.

TEAM STATISTICS
The Warriors shot 50 percent from the floor (27-of-54) for the third time this season and first time in a loss, while the Lakers made 45.2 percent of their shots (28-of-62).  WSU connected on 10-of-23 (43.5 percent) from deep to GVSU's 33.3 percent (7-of-21).  At the charity strip, Wayne State was 16-of-22, while Grand Valley State was 18-of-25.  The hosts won the rebounding battle 39-27. including 17 on the offensive end of the court.  The Green and Gold finished with 22 fouls to the Lakers' 16.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Homan, coming off the bench, notched career-highs in points (15), rebounds (6), and steals (4), while connecting on a career-best six field goals.  Ferguson added 15 points as well, with Lutchka tallying 11.  Thompson had a squad-best five helpers and blocked a pair of shot attempts.

Ferguson, Lutchka, and Tubergen each fouled out of the contest.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Plitzuweit scored a career-high 20 points, while Vanstee (18) and Kamin (17) joined her in double figures.  Vanstee hauled in a game-high eight boards, while Kamin dished out five assists and had four steals.

UP NEXT
The Warriors will remain on the road to face Davenport University on Saturday, January 10, at 1:00 PM in the DU Student Center.