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Wayne State University Athletics

Jordan Briggs - 2025-26 vs. Grand Valley State
Emily Stetz
Jordan Briggs scored a game-high 27 points in the win over GVSU.
68
Grand Valley St. GVSU 18-4,11-3 GLIAC
70
Winner Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 11-9,8-6 GLIAC
Grand Valley St. GVSU
18-4,11-3 GLIAC
68
Final
70
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne
11-9,8-6 GLIAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Grand Valley St. GVSU 27 41 68
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 28 42 70

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

Men's Basketball Edges #14-Grand Valley State, 70-68

Briggs and Nweke combine for 42 points and 17 rebounds.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball squad (11-9 overall, 8-6 GLIAC) defeated 14th-ranked Grand Valley State University (18-4 overall, 11-3 GLIAC) 70-68 Saturday afternoon at the WSU Fieldhouse.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
There were five lead changes in the first 8:10 of the game until a jumper by GVSU's Trevor Smith, Jr. started a 6-0 run for the visitors which put them ahead 10-5.  After a jumper by junior guard Jordan Briggs (Muskegon, Mich.), the Lakers tallied five of the next seven points for a 15-9 advantage with just under eight minutes remaining in the opening stanza.

With Grand Valley State leading 17-11, junior Jotham Nweke (Oak Park, Mich. Detroit Loyola [Macomb C.C.]) made two foul shots and Briggs made back-to-back buckets to knot the game at 17-17.  The contest was tied again at 19-19 and 21-21.  A lay-up by redshirt freshman JaKobie Boose (Flint, Mich. / Hamady) and a jumper in the paint by Briggs extended the lead to five (28-23), but GVSU tallied the last four points before halftime to trim the Wayne State margin to one (28-27).

Second Half
Laker Mason Docks scored the first three points after intermission, before Nweke connected from long-range to regain the lead at 31-30.  A triple by Briggs tied the game at 34-34 prior to Grand Valley State scoring five consecutive points for a 39-34 advantage.  Sophomore guard Jalen Jenkins (Belleville, Mich. [Macomb C.C.]) drained a shot from beyond the arc, but GVSU's Smith, Jr. answered.  GVSU pushed its lead to six (44-38) with just over 12 minutes remaining on a pair of free throws by Jalen Charity.

A triple by senior Carlos Paul III (Southfield, Mich. Cornerstone Lincoln-King [Missouri State - West Plains]) and a jumper by Briggs were sandwiched around one foul shot by the Lakers, before the game was tied at 45-45 on a jumper by junior Devin Belle (Lyndhurst, Ohio / Pepper Pike Orange [Lincoln Trail C.C. / Lakeland C.C.]).  A mini 6-1 spurt by Grand Valley State ended on another shot from downtown by Nweke.  GVSU led by six (55-49) with just over 6:30 left, but back-to-back triples by Nweke and Briggs in less than 45 seconds tied the game at 55-55.

A lay-up by Boose put Wayne State ahead briefly.  Over almost two minutes of game time, the Lakers had an 8-3 scoring advantage to lead 63-60 with just under three minutes remaining.  Two free throws by senior Cooper Craggs (Northville, Mich. / Detroit Catholic Central [Oakland University]) made it a one-point game (63-62), before GVSU's Ethan Alderink split a pair at the charity stripe.  A jumper in the paint by Briggs with 64 seconds left tied the game at 64-64.  Charity missed two foul shots, and Briggs connected on another jumper with 22 seconds left.  After a turnover by Docks, Nweke made 1-of-2 at the free throw line for a three-point margin (67-64) with 13 seconds remaining.

Grand Valley's State David Wilkerson made two foul shots with eight seconds left to cut WSU's lead to one (67-66).  Jenkins then made two free throws before Docks also made two foul shots to keep it a one-point contest (69-68).  GVSU called timeout with two seconds left following a missed shot by the Warriors, but Charity's pass was intercepted adn Nweke split a pair for the final score (70-68).

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 45 percent (24-of-53) from the field, while GVSU was 20-of-55 (36 percent) from the floor.  WSU was 7-of-23 (30 percent) from three-point range, with the Lakers shooting just 20 percent (3-of-15) from beyond the arc.  The Warriors were just 15-of-22 (68 percent) from the foul line, while Grand Valley State was 25-of-35 (71 percent) at the charity stripe.

GVSU held a slim 37-35 edge in rebounding and led 18-8 in points off turnovers.  The score was tied 12 times, with 14 lead changes.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Briggs notched a game-high 27 points, while Nweke earned his second double-double of the campaign with 15 points and 12 rebounds.  Both Briggs and Jenkins had three assists.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Alderink led five GVSU players in double figures with 13 points, while also grabbing nine rebounds before fouling out.  Docks dished out four assists to go with 12 points.  Charity, Wilkerson and Smith, Jr. each contributed 10 points.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will remain at home for another two contests starting with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Thursday against Northern Michigan at the WSU Fieldhouse.
 
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