Women's Basketball 11/12/2026 3:00:00 PM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Basketball Continues Season-Opening Road Trip At Findlay And At Northwood

GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's basketball team will play the middle two games of its season-opening six-game road trip this weekend visiting G-MAC rivals Findlay on Friday and #30-Northwood on Sunday.

The Warriors began their campaign this past weekend at the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic hosted by Kentucky Wesleyan at the Owensboro Sportscenter. WSU was unable to convert a last second shot in falling 70-69 to 13th-ranked Carson-Newman on November 6th. The following day, Union (Tenn.) attempted 60 triples connecting on 17 in outscoring Wayne State 101-83.

SERIES HISTORY
Wayne State holds a 25-23 edge in the all-time series with Findlay dating back to 1990. The squads met 37 times as GLIAC opponents from 1998 through 2017 with WSU having a 19-18 edge in league games. WSU and UF have played seven times since the Oilers left for the G-MAC with the Warriors having a 5-2 advantage. Wayne State has compiled a 9-14 record all-time in Findlay, including back-to-back victories in 2019 (81-75) and 2022 (68-55).

WSU has won 36 of 68 all-time meetings against the Timberwolves. The teams met 56 times as GLIAC rivals (1980-87 and 1994-2022) with the Warriors prevailing 31 times in those match-ups. Wayne State and Northwood have split the last 12 confrontations with neither school winning more than two straight. WSU has recorded a 12-21 all-time mark in contests played in Midland.

SCOUTING THE OILERS
Findlay will begin its inaugural season under new head coach Bri Sims, who was hired in April to replace the retiring Michele Durand. Sims, who spent the previous two seasons as the head coach at Ohio Dominican, played four years at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, an NCAA Division I school. She graduated from UMass Lowell in 2013. Prior to her time in Columbus at ODU, Sims was the head coach at the University of Dallas, a Division 3 school.

UF returns five of its top-seven scorers from a year ago, including a quartet of senior guards and senior forward MacKenzie Schulz (11.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG), who connected on a team-high 57 triples last season. Allie Stockton (8.8 PPG) is the top returning rebounder (6.5 RPG) and led the Oilers in steals (64) last year. Taylor Stanley dished out a team-best 62 assists in 2025-26. The aforementioned trio combined for 83 starts last season.

SCOUTING THE TIMBERWOLVES
Northwood is led by Autumn Hunter who began her sixth season at the helm earlier this week. The 2024-25 G-MAC Coach of the Year, Hunter has compiled a 99-49 mark with the Timberwolves. NU won both the G-MAC regular-season title and tournament championship in 2026.

In Monday's 93-79 season-opening victory at Lewis, sophomore guard Karie Keefer poured in 34 points on 9-of-12 (3-of-5 3-PT) along with making all 13 foul shots. Freshman forward Kate Higgins added 15 points off the bench, while junior center Lea Holmes contributed 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

The game against the Flyers saw just 34 missed shots with 29 turnovers (16 by NU, and 13 by LU).

GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
1. Grand Valley State - 100 (10)
2. Northern Michigan - 84
3. Parkside - 76 (1)
4. Ferris State - 75
5. Wayne State - 68
6. Roosevelt - 53
7. Michigan Tech - 49
8. Davenport - 31
9. Lake Superior State - 29
10. Saginaw Valley State - 24
11. Purdue Northwest - 16

PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Senior guard McKenna Ferguson was selected to the 2026-27 GLIAC Preseason First Team by the league's head coaches coming off a junior season in which she was voted First Team All-GLIAC and to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team.

Ferguson scored 41 points in the two games this past weekend to increase her career total to 1,189, which ranks 11th in program history. She needs just 10 points to move past Pearly Cunningham (1,198 - 1982-86), Chastidy Miller (1,197 - 2005-09) and Julie Filpus (1,195 - 1990-94) for eighth on the all-time scoring list.

D2 CCA TIP-OFF CLASSIC RECAP
WSU began its 2026-27 campaign with a hard-fought 70-69 setback to 13th-ranked Carson-Newman on Nov. 6th in the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic hosted by Kentucky Wesleyan College at the Owensboro Sportscenter.

The Eagles scored the first four points before Koko Sylvester connected on a jumper in the paint. Rayven McQueen went coast-to-coast following a steal to knot the game at 4-4. Annabel Ayrault answered a CNU triple with one of her own. The contest was tied for the fourth time in the first four minutes as Tayla Dillard scored.

WSU took its first lead (12-9) with 5:44 remaining in the opening stanza on a conventional three-point play by Ayrault. Two free throws by Dillard, another long-range shot by Ayrault, a steal and a bucket by Sylvester, followed by a jumper from Halen McLaughlin extended the margin to 12 (21-9) with 1:41 left in the period. Back-to-back triples by Carson Newman cut its deficit to six (21-15) after 10 minutes.

The Warriors scored the first four points of the second period on a steal and hoop by Sylvester followed by two free throws from McKenna Ferguson to lead by 10 (25-15) just 62 seconds into the stanza. Dillard answered a CNU foul shot with a triple, then a minute later Ferguson connected from downtown to put WSU ahead 31-16.

After a basket by the Eagles, Olivia Miller scored her first career points off a dish from Ayrault. A lay-up by AJ Rickli ended five consecutive points by Carson-Newman. An old-fashioned three-point play by Sylvester ended another 5-0 spurt by the Eagles to put the Warriors ahead by 10 (38-28) with 2:35 left before intermission. CNU scored the final seven points of the period to pull within three (38-35) at halftime.

McQueen started the second half scoring with a lay-up, but Carson-Newman responded with the next four points. A steal and dish by McQueen helped McLaughlin drain a shot from beyond the arc before Miller made two free throws to increase the lead to seven (46-39).

A steal and fast-break lay-up by Ferguson pushed the margin to eight (49-41), but the Eagles answered with nine consecutive points as the Warriors went scoreless for 3:15 until a Sylvester lay-up. Both teams scored in the final seconds of the period as Sylvester's buzzer-beating jumper gave WSU a one-point advantage (53-52) after 30 minutes.

A free throw by Ayrault knotted the game at 54-54, prior to CNU tallying five straight points. Buckets by Miller and Sylvester made it a one-point game (58-59). After two foul shots by Carson-Newman, Ferguson connected from downtown to tie the game at 61-61 just past the mid-point of the fourth period.

An offensive rebound and put-back by McQueen gave Wayne State a 64-63 lead, but CNU's Delaney Weddington's jumper continued the see-saw affair with the Eagles ahead 65-64. A lay-up and two free throws by Weddington extended Carson-Newman's advantage to five (69-64) with just over two minutes remaining.

Ayrault drained a triple on the ensuing possession, then made both foul shots with 79 seconds left to knot the score at 69-69. Weddington missed a shot with 55 seconds left, but stole a WSU pass with 29 seconds remaining. Sylvester was whistled for a foul with just three seconds remaining. Weddington made the second foul shot and head coach Carrie Lohr called timeout to advance the ball. McQueen was able to get a short jumper off before the clock expired, but the shot was a little strong off the glass.

Sylvester and Ayrault tied for team-high scoring honors with 15 points apiece. Sylvester also dished out a team-best four assists, while notching five steals to just one turnover in 36 minutes. Ayrault connected on three triples. Ferguson chipped in with 10 points and three steals, while McQueen had seven points and three steals. Miller and Rickli led the squad with six rebounds apiece.

Wayne State concluded play at the CCA Tip-Off Classic with a 101-83 loss to Union (Tenn.) on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run snapping a 3-3 tie, but the Warriors had a 19-16 scoring edge the rest of the stanza to pull within eight (30-22) after 10 minutes.

A triple from Ferguson and a lay-up by Dillard cut the deficit to five (32-27) early in the second period, but Union had another 11-0 spurt to lead 43-27. Wayne State scored 16 of the final 29 points of the first half, but trailed 56-43 at intermission.

The margin remained between 13 and 16 points for the first six minutes after halftime, until a triple by Union's Courtney Zensen increased the margin to 17 (69-52). The Bulldogs tallied seven of the final 11 points in the third period to lead by 20 (76-56) after 30 minutes.

Union connected on four triples in the first 2:09 of the fourth quarter to lead by 23 (88-65). The Warriors out-scored Union 18-13 the rest of the way , but the Bulldogs secured the 101-83 victory.

Ferguson led all scorers with 31 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. She also collected a team-high 13 rebounds, dished out four assists and recorded two steals. Fears finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Miller and Koko Sylvester each added 10 points with Miller contributing four rebounds and three assists. Homan totaled eight points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

FOLLOW THE WARRIORS
All Wayne State home contests and road GLIAC games will be televised 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. Brechmacher will call this Friday's game at Findlay, while Tom Cavanaugh will be on the call for the Northwood contest on Sunday. Click the audio button on the WSU women's basketball schedule page on wsuathletics.com.

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Players Mentioned

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

#21 McKenna Ferguson: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#13 Olivia Miller: G; 5' 11"; Freshman

#23 AJ Rickli: C; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#5 Koko Sylvester: G; 5' 6"; Junior

#3 Halen McLaughlin: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#20 Rayven McQueen: G/F; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#4 Tayla Dillard: G; 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

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

#21 McKenna Ferguson
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#13 Olivia Miller
: 5' 11"; Freshman
: G

#23 AJ Rickli
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: C

#5 Koko Sylvester
: 5' 6"; Junior
: G

#3 Halen McLaughlin
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#20 Rayven McQueen
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G/F

#4 Tayla Dillard
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G