GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's basketball team has advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals after defeating Roosevelt 75-56.  The quarterfinal win over the Lakers was the 23rd for WSU this season, tying the most in a campaign in program history.  The Warriors will face #16-Ferris State on Saturday, March 7, at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena at 4:30 PM.

The winner of the WSU's contest will face the victor of the other semifinal game between top-seed Grand Valley State, and No. 4-seed Northern Michigan.  The GLIAC title game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 8.

SERIES HISTORY
Ferris State holds a slight 46-42 edge over the Warriors, including an 86-71 win in the last meeting between the squads.

The teams last met in the GLIAC Semifinals during the 2021-22 campaign.  After out-scoring the Bulldogs 35-20 in the first 20 minutes of action, Ferris State turned the tables in the second half out-pacing the Warriors 42-25 for the 62-60 victory.

Wayne State has bested Grand Valley State 27 times in 94 meetings.  The teams split their two meetings this year, as each squad posted a home court victory by a single point (GVSU 81-80 in Allendale, and WSU 78-77 in Detroit).

The squads were matched in the GLIAC Semifinals a year ago, with GVSU triumphing 78-54, despite 22 points from Shea Tripp and 12 pointsfrom Taylor Thompson.

WSU trails Northern Michigan 29-40 in the all-time series, but earned an 84-63 triumph over the Wildcats in Motown earlier last month after falling 91-71 in Marquette in early January.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
FSU is 25-5 overall this season after defeating Wisconsin-Parkside 82-74 in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday.  The Bulldogs rank first in Division 2 in free throw shooting percentage at 81.8 percent.

Ferris State is led by GLIAC Player of the Year Kadyn Blanchard, who averages 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.  Mia Riley provides 15.9 PPG, along with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  Mya Hiram leads the squad in rebounds with 195 (6.5 RPG), while Elle Irwin has blocked a squad-best 26 shots.

Kurt Westendorp, who is in his sixth season with FSU, has compiled a 117-58 overall record.

SCOUTING POTENTIAL OPPONENTS
Entering the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals, Grand Valley State is 28-1 with the only loss coming to Wayne State earlier this season, while Northern Michigan is 25-6.

Each team had a trio of All-GLIAC honorees.  For the Lakers, MacKenzie Bisballe, Nicole Kamin, and Paige VanStee all earned First Team recognition.  Sarah Newcomer and Jacy Weisbrod were voted to the All-GLIAC First Team for NMU, with Wildcat Sydney Whitehouse being named Sixth Woman of the Year.

LEAGUE RECOGNITION
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) released its 2025-26 women's basketball All-GLIAC teams and three Warriors were selected to the All-GLIAC First Team, with two of those also receiving GLIAC All-Defensive Team accolades.  Head Coach Carrie Lohr was voted GLIAC Coach of the Year for the second time.

Junior guard McKenna Ferguson, graduate student forward Gabi Lutchka and senior forward Taylor Thompson were all voted to the All-GLIAC First Team.  Both Ferguson and Thompson also garnered GLIAC All-Defensive Team recognition.

This marks just the second time in program history, WSU had three First Team All-GLIAC selections.  The previous instance was 1980-81 when Liz O'Brien, Stephanie Stone and Monice Thomas were all honored after the Tartars compiled a 13-1 mark to win the GLIAC regular-season title.

GLIAC TOURNAMENT
Over the last eight years (2019-2026), Wayne State is 5-7 in the GLIAC Tournament.  Overall, WSU is 9-21 in GLIAC Tournament games, with an 0-9 ledger in neutral site contests.  This is the eighth time that the Green and Gold has advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals ('03, '08, '13, '14, '20, '22, '25 '26), and sixth under the direction of head coach Carrie Lohr.

WINNING STREAK
Wayne State's current nine-game winning streak is the longest since the 2014-15 season.  During the 2014-15 campaign, the Warriors won 10 consecutive contests (12/15/14-1/22/15) as part of a stretch that featured 16 wins in 17 outings for a squad that equaled the school record with a 23-win campaign.

TOP-RANKED MATCH-UPS
The 78-77 win against Grand Valley State (2/9/2026) marked the first over a No. 1 ranked team in program history after previously being 0-10.

A TRIO OF 1,000 POINT SCORERS
Junior guard McKenna Ferguson became the 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 career points, doing so with a triple in the first quarter of the 68-67 win over Michigan Tech (2/14/2026).

Graduate student forward Gabi Lutchka became the 22nd player in WSU women's basketball history to eclipse 1,000 points, doing so with a buzzer-beating jumper before halftime of the 98-61 win over Lake Superior State.

Senior forward Taylor Thompson joined the illustrious 1,000-point club during the LSSU contest as well, burying a jumper in the third quarter. 

STACKING DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Taylor Thompson notched her ninth double-double of the season during the 94-78 win over Lake Superior State on Feb. 26, with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Gabi Lutchka has tallied four double-doubles this season, most recently against Michigan Tech (16 points, 10 rebounds).
Jaci Tubergen joined the double-double party, notching her first with a career-high 14 points and 10 rebounds during the 86-83 win at Michigan Tech.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Warriors' cumulative strength of schedule (SOS) is .560 (455-357), which is 20th nationally out of 298 schools.

INCREASED PRODUCTION
Senior guard Jaci Tubergen has started 28 of the 29 games this season after being utilized in a reserve role a year ago.  The Hudsonville, Mich., product has increased her scoring to 6.4 PPG this year, while passing her total number of triples made with 26 this year.  Tubergen has dished out more assists as well with 81.  Against No. 1-Grand Valley State (Feb. 7), she knocked down the game-winning free throws.

After playing in 14 games as a freshman and 17 as a sophomore, Emily Homan has seen an uptick in action during her junior campaign.  The Haslett, Mich., native is playing over 15 minutes per game, while passing her rebound total from the last two years combined with 74 thus far, and has surpassed her total number of points from last year with 87.

At #1-Grand Valley State on Jan. 8, Homan notched then career highs in points (15), rebounds (six), and steals (four).

Tubergen scored a career-high 17 points in the regular-season finale win over Saginaw Valley State.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The Green and Gold ranks first in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (.462), which is sixth nationally, and first in defensive rebounds per game (28.4), which is 27th in the country.  The Warriors are sixth in the country in three point percentage as well at 36.1 percent.

McKenna Ferguson ranks 25th in career free throw percentage among active Division 2 players (.799, min. 250 attempts), while Taylor Thompson is 46th in career double-doubles with 16.  Thompson is also mentioned for recording over 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.

Gabi Lutchka is ninth nationally and first in the GLIAC in three-point percentage, knocking down 41.3 percent of her triple tries.  

WSU is ranked 11th nationally according to the Massey Ratings and 28th according to the WBCA as of 3/6/26.

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State won its ninth straight contest with a 75-56 triumph over Roosevelt in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament.

Gabi Lutchka connected on 6-of-7 triple tries in scoring a game-high 26 points.  Taylor Thompson nearly had a double-double with 22 points and a game-best nine rebounds.  Karrington Gordon contributed 12 points, while McKenna Ferguson chipped in with 16 points.  Emily Homan distributed a game-high five assists, which is also the most in her career.

WSU shot 58 percent (34-of-59) from the floor, the ninth time this season the Warriors have shot at least 50 percent in a game.  WSU was 12-of-21 (57 percent) from beyond the arc and 14-of-16 (88 percent) at the foul line.  Wayne State had a 38-29 edge in rebounding.

LOHR REACHES 250 WITH WSU
Wayne State head coach Carrie Lohr recorded her 250th win at WSU (over 400 wins as a collegiate head coach) with the 94-78 triumph over Saginaw Valley State on Feb. 28.  She became WSU's all-time winningest coach when her squad recorded a 76-67 win at Purdue Northwest on January 10, 2019.  

FOLLOW THE WARRIORS
This weekend's contests will be streamed on FloSports (flohoops.com).

The Warrior Sports Network will have the audio for the Wayne State games with Kevin Brechmacher on the call.  Click the audio button on the WSU women's basketball schedule page on wsuathletics.com.