DETROIT — Thanks to a 12-2 run to close it out, the Wayne State University men's basketball team (10-9 overall, 7-6 GLIAC) slammed the door on Davenport (12-9 overall, 6-7 GLIAC) on Thursday night by a final score of 77-68.  The Warriors have swept the season series over the Panthers two consecutive years and have been on the right side of the scoreboard for five meetings in a row.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Wayne State tallied seven of the game's first 10 points, all of which came from Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.).

Following the night's first tie at 7-7, Briggs' unconventional four-point play and a pair of free throws by Devin Belle (Lyndhurst, Ohio / Pepper Pike Orange [Lincoln Trail C.C. / Lakeland C.C.]) gave their team a six-point advantage, 13-7.

Davenport responded with a 12-2 run that lasted nearly four-and-a-half minutes and put it ahead by four, 19-15.

The Warriors then outscored the Panthers by one (8-7) and the spread was shrunk to three (26-23) before the away team countered with four straight points.  That mini spurt gave them their biggest lead of the half at seven (30-23) with 6:02 on the clock.

From there until the intermission, WSU notched eight points to DU's five, which made the halftime margin four, 35-31.

Through 20 minutes, Wayne State was shooting 41.7 percent (10-of-24) to Davenport's 42.9 percent (12-of-28).  The Warriors cashed in one more three-point attempt (5-of-9 to 4-of-11) and one fewer free throw (6-of-9 to 7-of-10).

DU racked up 15 points off six WSU turnovers while the home team managed just one point from the visitors' four giveaways.

Second Half
Out of the break, Davenport took its biggest lead of the game at eight, 39-31.

Wayne State proceeded to rattle off 16 of the next 22 points and had a two-point advantage (47-45) with 12:52 on the clock.  

Then came nine of the contest's 14 lead changes and two of its five deadlocks during a stretch that elapsed nearly 11 minutes of game time.  In that span alone, the Panthers carried a slim two-point edge over the Warriors, 21-19.

At the end of that time period, with 2:21 remaining, DU had taken its final lead of the game at 66-65.  From there until the final buzzer, WSU outscored its opponent 12-2 and was perfect offensively at all three levels.  Wayne State went 3-of-3 from the floor, including 1-of-1 from long range, and 5-of-5 at the free throw line without a single turnover.  That all happened while Davenport was just 1-of-7 from the field.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot nearly 50 percent in the second half (48.4 percent, 15-of-31), which upped the squad's overall clip to 45.5 percent (25-of-55).  Davenport's final efficiency registered at 42.9 percent (24-of-56), just like the first stanza.  The Warriors splashed in 11 triples on 22 attempts, their second-most treys in a single game this season (vs. UMD on Nov. 14) and just the third effort with 10 or more (10 at MTU on Jan. 22).  The Panthers missed 10 free throws (14-of-24, 58.3 percent) while WSU went 16-of-20 (80 percent) at the charity stripe.  After 15 points off turnovers in the first 20 minutes, DU registered just four of them in the second half.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Jordan Briggs paced all players with 26 points (8-of-16 FG, 4-of-8 3FG, 6-of-6 FT), outscoring the GLIAC's leading scorer in Ken Walker by one.  Briggs was one of two in the Green and Gold to score in double-figures along with Carlos Paul III's (Southfield, Mich. / Cornerstone Lincoln-King [Missouri State - West Plains]) 16 points. 

Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich. / Detroit Loyola [Macomb C.C.]) was one point shy of a double-double (10 rebounds) and Jalen Jenkins (Belleville, Mich. [Macomb C.C.]) tacked on eight points.  Nearly half of Wayne State's assists came from Jenkins' season-high seven while both he and Cooper Craggs (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central [Oakland]) each accounted for three steals, a career high for Craggs.  Staying on defense, Adam Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) tied his personal best in blocks with two.

LEADING THE PANTHERS
As mentioned earlier, Ken Walker poured in 25 points, while Dylan Smith (11), Alden Ritt (11) and Curtis Jackson (10) joined him in the double-digit department.  Smith brought down 11 boards for a double-double and Jackson dished out five dimes.  On the other side of the court, Marshaun Flakes and Jackson each had a pair of takeaways while Aidan Moon and Ritt blocked one shot attempt apiece.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will stay at home to host 14th-ranked Grand Valley State (18-3 overall, 11-2 GLIAC), winner of nine straight, on Saturday afternoon for a 3 p.m. start on Black History Day inside the Fieldhouse.