Women's Basketball: WSU struggles, looks to rebound

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

The beginning half of the season has been shaky for the Wayne State women’s basketball team, but with a .500 record in the GLIAC South Division, WSU stands within shouting distance behind division-leading Gannon.

The Warriors (4-10, 2-2 GLIAC) began the season by winning three of their first seven games. Coming off two important wins against Mercyhurst (88-75) and Hillsdale (85-67), WSU would be just one game under .500.

As WSU traveled down to Owensboro, Ky to take on Kentucky Wesleyan, they would embark on a three-game losing streak. The Warriors would soon snap that streak, beating Saginaw Valley State, 82-76, but were defeated in their next three contests. Wayne State will look to ignite the second half of its season on a positive note as they challenge Ashland this Thursday.

The Warriors have been unable to put together strong first halves, finding themselves trailing at halftime and forcing attempts at tough second half comebacks. Through 14 games, WSU has been outscored by opponents, 483-372, in the first half.

WSU averages 65.1 points a game, while allowing opponents an average of 74.9. Chastidy Miller leads the team with 173 points, scoring an average of 12.4 points per game. Miller has also found herself at the free throw line more times than any other player on the team, sinking 52 of her 82 attempts. The Warriors are shooting 176-of-277 from behind the charity strip (63.5 percent).

Nicole Rogers (team-high 84 rebounds) has been WSU’s rebounding threat, grabbing an average of six rebounds per game. Wayne State averages 39.7 rebounds a game with a total of 556 on the season.

The Warriors average 12.6 assists a game with the largest contribution coming from Joy Nash with 67 so far on the season, an average of 4.8 per game. Nash also averages a team high 30.6 minutes per game, accumulating a total of 429 minutes in her first 14 games.

WSU will play its next two games in Ohio before returning home to Detroit to take on Michigan Tech. The Warriors trail Hillsdale – a team they beat earlier this season 85-67 – by one game for second place in the South Division and will look to gain momentum for the final games of the season.

The South End, January 8, 2007