Women's basketball stumbles into playoffs

WSU loses fourth straight game; will face Hillsdale again

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Turnovers were a key factor, allowing Hillsdale to beat Wayne State, 69-62, in a playoff preview game Saturday at Hillsdale.

WSU (10-17, 8-9 GLIAC) committed 30 turnovers, way above their 19 per game average and recorded only two assists, while entering the game with an average of 13.1 per contest.

The Warriors recorded their fourth consecutive loss but have insight on what they need to accomplish in practice before Tuesday's contest.

"We're really going to need to work on protecting the ball," guard Cherita Smith said. "It will be important to practice protecting the ball and boxing out before we play them again."

Chastidy Miller tied the game at two on a lay-up, ending an almost three-minute Warrior drought to begin the game. Despite sloppy passing, WSU took control of the game by going on an 11-6 run, building their lead to six with 8:47 to play in the first half.

The Chargers fueled a run of their own, with a pair of free throws followed by a 3-pointer from Lauren Fewins cutting the Warrior-lead to one.

Leading by as many as five, Hillsdale watched their lead disappear as Ralphaneé Peyton sank two lay-ups and Miller hit two free throws to tie the score at 25 going into the break.

Entering the second half it was all Hillsdale. Crystal Yoder sparked a 6-0 run for the Chargers to give her team a six-point advantage.

The Warriors didn't deflate, though, and made a few runs of their own.

Rebecca Meyer drew a foul while making a bucket and hit the free throw to cut the WSU deficit to three before Joy Nash hit a jumper to bring the Warriors to within one point.

Hillsdale quickly extinguished the threat, going on a 14-4 run to build its largest lead of the night at 11 points. It was short-lived once again, as Nash and Brooke Bowers created a WSU run capped by a 3-pointer from Jessica Howard to cut the Chargers' lead to two points.

Nash kept the Warriors close on perfect free-throw shooting (8-of-8) but WSU was unable to stop the Chargers from pulling away at the end of the game.

Nash led the Warriors with 18 points (5-of-17 from the field). Peyton finished with 12 rebounds accompanied by 8 points (4-of-4 from the field) and three steals.

Hillsdale finished with three players in double figures scoring. Jessie Miller recorded 16 points while Laura Fewins and Nikki Wustman scored 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Warriors and Chargers tip off in the first round of the GLIAC tournament on Tuesday at Hillsdale.

The South End, February 26, 2007

Warriors tripped by lowly Chargers

WSU loses shot at home playoff game

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Despite leading 38-33 at halftime, the Wayne State men's basketball team fell 88-83 at Hillsdale on Saturday, failing to secure a home playoff game in the first round of the conference tournament.

After never leading in the first half, Hillsdale scored seven quick points off a Tim Homan 3-pointer and a pair of lay-ups to take a 40-38 lead.

Homan added another 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to help build the Chargers' lead to eight points.

"Clearly our execution was off," WSU head coach David Greer said. "They went on a 7-0 run to start the second half and got themselves back into the game.

"We clearly just didn't make enough plays. We had guys that were in position to make plays and didn't make plays.

"They were the more aggressive team, which was evident by them shooting 40 free throws and we shot 18."

The Warriors came out strong in the first half, jumping out to an 11-5 lead with Kris Krzyminski accounting for seven of those points.

WSU (13-12, 9-8 GLIAC) allowed Hillsdale to get within four before going on a 17-11 run to go up by as many as 12 points.

The Warriors went to the locker room leading by five, but four of their starting five players had committed two fouls apiece.

Fueled by Will Pierce and Wynn Sarden, the Warriors continued to claw back, finding themselves down by two after a Krzyminski lay-up with 7:14 remaining in the game.

WSU closed the gap to one before foul trouble set in and the Chargers retook control of the game, building their lead back up to nine points.

Foul trouble forced four players back to the bench and ruined the Warriors' last hopes at taking back the game.

"We're coached to be prepared for moments like that," guard Joe Carr said. "We have to handle adverse moments like that. With some credit to their team, we have to learn from our mistakes from this game and be ready for the playoffs."

Krzyminski finished the game with 21 points (7-of-13 from the field) with five assists and two steals in 40 minutes.

Jason Saddler led Wayne State with nine rebounds to complement his 14 points before fouling out late in the second half. Carr ended the night shooting 5-of-16 from the field, for 14 points in 33 minutes.

The Warriors shot 48.7 percent in the second half, while the Chargers connected on 61.5 percent of their shots in the half. WSU committed 12 more fouls than Hillsdale but held a 35-30 rebounding advantage.

WSU travels to Erie, Penn. to face Mercyhurst for a first-round GLIAC tournament game on Tuesday.

The South End, February 26, 2007

Big weekend for men's hockey

Warriors get three points against No. 17 Niagara

Sports Staff

Wayne State finally pieced it all together during a conference game, upending Niagara 6-1 Friday night at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

The Warriors put in a similar effort and settled for a 4-4 tie against the No. 17 Purple Eagles.

Friday:

The Warriors came out in the first period ready to play, taking the early lead off Jason Bloomingburg's ninth goal of the season, then adding to it with Mike Forgie's power play tally at 18:03.

Jared Katz's ninth goal of the season put the Warriors up by three headed into the second period.
To open the second period, Adam Drescher added to WSU's lead on a two-on-one break.

The Purple Eagles finally put themselves on the board off a power-play goal by Ted Cook, who notched his nation-leading 28th goal and 18th power-play goal.

That would be the only goal let in by WSU goalie Will Hooper, who made 20 saves in his third win of the season.

Nate Higgins and Bloomingburg each netted a goal in the second period to extend the Warriors' lead to five.

Niagara split the night between two of their goalies, Juliano Pagliero and Allen Barton. Pagliero made nine saves and allowed six goals. Barton made 10 saves in 28:50 minutes of relief.

Saturday:

Earning three points on the weekend, Wayne State improved to 9-20-1 overall and 5-10-1 in the CHA.

Niagara stayed two points behind Bemidji State (with two games in hand) after the Beavers split with Alabama-Huntsville and has now lost three of four after Robert Morris swept BSU Feb. 9-10.

Saturday:

Entering the third period down two goals, it was WSU who battled back to force overtime.

Bloomingburg and Jon Grabarek would score a pair of power-play goals in the third period to tie the game at four. Both teams were unable to capitalize in overtime, resulting in a tie.
A power-play goal by Jared Katz at 2:08 in the first period put the Warriors on the scoreboard early.

Matt Caruana answered with a power-play goal of his own at 15:35 to tie the score at one.
WSU forward Grabarek netted his first of two goals at 4:31 in the second period to put the Warriors back ahead by one.

Niagara answered with a pair of power-play goals from Egor Mironov and Ted Cook. It would be Cook's 29th goal of the season. The Purple Eagles led at the end of the second period, 3-2.

Caruana would net an early goal for Niagara in the third period, putting his team up by two goals before WSU tied the game off its two power-play goals.

Brett Bothwell was in net for the Warriors, ending the game with 27 saves. Barton played the full 65 minutes for Niagara with 24 saves.

The South End, February 19, 2007

Saginaw Valley State hands

WSU third straight loss

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Wayne State was defeated 69-60 by Saginaw Valley State, extending the Warriors' losing streak to three games in the final home contest in the careers of three WSU seniors.

Honored before the game on Senior Day were Bethany Mesko, Ralphane Peyton and Cherita Smith.
A Peyton lay up 16 seconds into the contest gave WSU (10-16, 8-8 GLIAC) its only lead of the first half.

After going down by as many as 15 points, WSU headed to the locker room down 35-23 after a Brooke Bowers jumper and a Rebecca Meyer free throw.

"Physically we were flat, mentally we were flat and we weren"t aggressive enough," Wayne State head coach Gloria Bradley said. ŇWhen you hit a stretch like that, where youŐre struggling, you need to bring a little more intensity to the table.

"You have to get a little more aggressive and we really never did that in the first half and that cost us."

WSU came out much more aggressive in the second half after a bizarre last-minute entrance by SVSU (10-14, 7-9), who took the court after skipping second half warm ups.

Nicole Rogers sank a three-pointer to begin an 18-5 WSU run that gave Wayne State the 41-40 advantage.

"We made sure to come out with more intensity," Chastidy Miller said. "We were shooting more, taking the open shots, driving to the basket, getting them in foul trouble. We just started playing our game."

The Warriors lead lasted 24 seconds as the Cardinals took back control and built their lead to as many as 12 points with just over seven minutes remaining.

In a final effort to reclaim the lead, Wayne State cut SVSU's advantage to five points with 4:23 to play after a pair of free throws from Joy Nash and a Smith lay up.

It wasn't enough though, as Latille Ross led the Cardinals down the stretch, closing the game scoring six of Saginaw Valley's last nine points.

"We ran out of gas because we dug such a big hole in the beginning of the game," Nash said. "We had to fight like crazy to get back in the game and just got lackadaisical when we maintained a lead, instead of continuing to play aggressive and hard to bury them."

Peyton led the Warriors with 14 points (4-of-7 from the field), shooting a career-high 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Rogers grabbed 11 boards to go along with four points and two steals.

Nash finished the game with five assists, bringing her season total to 134 and moving her into seventh place on the WSU single-season list.

The Warriors travel to Hillsdale for their final game of the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday. WSU will head back to Hillsdale the following Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the first game of the GLIAC tournament.

The South End, February 19, 2007

Warriors drop road tilt at Gannon

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

The Wayne State women’s basketball team fell to Gannon (18-5, 12-2) on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 78-63.

WSU (10-14, 8-6) controlled the lead early in the game but with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter they watched it slip away. Gannon would go on a 13-5 run to lead by 10 at halftime, 40-30.

The Warriors found themselves chasing the lead for the remainder of the game never once overtaking it. Gannon led by as many as 20 points in the second half.

The Warriors would sink several crucial free throws down the stretch but could only creep to within 11.

Joy Nash led the Warriors with 17 points (5-for-14) with four assists and two steals. Chastidy Miller was 6-for-6 from the charity stripe finishing with 16 points (4-for-16) and four steals. Bethany Jury dominated the boards grabbing 10 rebounds in 19 minutes of play, four of which were offensive boards.

The Warriors shot only 30.4 percent from the field (21-for-69) while Gannon shot 50.7 percent (26-for-52).

Casey England was the leading scorer for Gannon with 17 points (6-for-10) in 27 minutes of play. Christina Jackson (5 points, 11 rebounds) and Carrie Nolan (10 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles.

The Warriors return home this Thursday to take on GLIAC foe Ferris State at 5:30 p.m.

The South End, February 12, 2007

Warriors split with UAH

WSU rebounds with big Saturday win

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

The Wayne State men’s hockey team looked to continue the momentum from their overtime win last Friday taking on the University of Alabama-Huntsville (8-18-2) this weekend at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.

The Warriors split the weekend series, with the Chargers falling on Friday 3-1 and winning 4-1 on Saturday night.

Friday:

The Warriors found themselves down by only one goal entering the third period, but a goal by Grant Selinger sealed the deal for the Chargers, beating the Warriors 3-1.

It was a quiet first period, as both teams were unable to convert on either of their power play opportunities.

It was the second period that proved to be the most decisive with Scott Kalinchuck scoring a pair of power play goals for the Chargers, his fourth and fifth of the season.Wayne State, however, was able to tie the game at one after a goal from Nate Higgins (9) just outside the crease before Kalinschuck’s second power play score.

The Warriors took 24 shots on goal, 14 of them in the third period. Brett Bothwell (6-9-0) had 21 saves in the loss.

The Chargers also attempted 24 shots, taking 11 in each of the first two periods. Winning goalie Blake MacNicol (1-0-0) had 23 saves and only let in one goal.

The three stars of the game were UAH players Scott Kalinchuck and Blake MacNicol and WSU center Nate Higgins.

Saturday:

The Warriors scored first and often Saturday, with a pair of second-period goals that would prove to be enough to triumph over the Chargers 4-1.

WSU goalie Will Hooper took over the net and was phenomenal with 17 saves on the night.

WSU head coach Bill Wilkinson attributed the performance to Hooper’s hard work in practice.

“He realized that if he was going to get back in the net he needed to work harder,” he said. “His practice work ethic has improved about 20-30 percent from what it has been. Now, he’s at the level that we really need him to perform at and that’s indicated in the way he played tonight.”

The Warriors netted three goals in the second period, putting them ahead by two. After losing his stick, goalie Blake MacNicol attempted to save a shot from Dan Iliakis, but the puck found a hole, putting WSU on the board. Jason Baclig slapped one through off a pass from Mark Nebus, building the Warriors’ lead to two.

After a defensive breakdown, the Chargers would convert with a 2-on-1 advantage. A quick pass from Grant Selinger gave Brett MaConnachie his 11th goal of the season and put UAH on the board.

“The defensemen pinched down on the boards and didn’t take the puck or the man, and that created an odd man rush,” Wilkinson said.

The Warriors were unfazed as they picked up a power play goal from Jared Katz at 19:37 giving them a two-goal advantage going into the second intermission.

Katz was ready and found himself in the right spot at the right time.

“I was just standing in front of the net hoping something would happen and it just deflected off my stick and went in,” he said.

Hooper (2-11-0) recorded the win, with MacNicol (1-1-0) receiving the loss after 28 saves and allowing four goals.

The Warriors took 32 shots compared to UAH’s 18.

The three stars of the night were WSU players Jason Baclig with one goal, Jared Katz with one goal and an assist, and goalie Will Hooper.

The South End, February 12, 2007

Women’s hoops surrenders lead

Ashland wins in final second

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

No lead is ever safe.

Wayne State found that out the hard way Saturday at the Matthaei Center, falling 70-67 to Ashland.

With 15 seconds remaining, Brooke Bowers drove to the basket and missed a lay-up. Betsy Morrison grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball up the court to Amber Rall, who, with nine-tenths of a second remaining, sank a three-pointer that gave the Eagles their first and only lead of the night.

The Warriors, who need one win to clinch a GLIAC Tournament berth, came out firing. WSU began the game with a Joy Nash jumper off a Ralphanee Peyton steal. WSU started on a 10-0 run and led by as many as 16 in the first half.

Chastidy Miller sank a 3-pointer to extend the WSU lead to 12, but Lindsey Gaut answered back and cut the lead back to nine. WSU led, 36-27, at halftime.

The Warriors outrebounded Ashland 21-14 in the first half, including11 offensive boards. WSU committed only eight turnovers in the half to the Eagles’ 15.

Bowers came out of the locker room shooting, sinking three three-pointers within two minutes, building the Warriors’ lead up to 13.

But the Eagles were not fazed, putting together an offensive surge that couldn’t be stopped. Ashland went on a 12-0 run to bring them within one point with ten minutes to play.

A lay-up by Peyton ended the Eagles’ run and provided momentum for the Warriors to build on their lead. WSU went up by as many as seven before Ashland made its final attempt to take back the game.

With 2:27 left in the game Catherine Portyrata converted on a lay-up to start a run that brought her team again to within one point.

Bowers and Rogers led Wayne State with 14 points apiece. Bowers was 4-for-5 from downtown in 21 minutes. Rogers led the team in rebounds, grabbing 10, with six of them on the offensive side.

Nash had 13 points (5-for-7) in 17 minutes.

Rall led all scorers with 22 points (4-of-12 shooting) and went 13-of-15 from the charity stripe.

The South End, February 6, 2007

Four in a row for women’s hoops

Northern Michigan latest victim in decisive win

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Saturday was a quiet day on campus, but there was plenty of commotion in the Matthaei Center as the Wayne State women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to four games with a 63-54 victory over Northern Michigan.

The WSU offense was on target as guard Joy Nash dished to forward Nicole Rogers to sink a game opening three-pointer. Rogers would continue to shoot the ball well, connecting again from downtown and converting a layup off a Wildcat turnover before picking up two early fouls.

Rogers sat for most of the remaining first half. Wayne State head coach Gloria Bradley attributed the move to the importance of having Rogers late in the game, saying, “She had two early fouls and we couldn’t afford to have her in foul trouble and not have her down the stretch.”

WSU would continue its offensive surge leading by as many as seven. With 5:04 left in the first half, the Warriors would welcome Ralphanee Peyton to the floor for the first time this season. Peyton would waste no time for her team to feel her presence grabbing her first rebound off a missed free throw attempt by NMU.

Monique George knows the impact Peyton will have on the team. “It’s a huge difference, and it brings a lot of post experience to our post players. A lot of our post players are kind of young and she is experienced and a good player,” she said.

The Warriors would lead the game by as many as ten after five straight points from Brooke Bowers. NMU did not back down, as Kelsey Deacon sank two free-throws to fuel an eight-point Wildcat run bringing them within only two points with 1:21 left in the half.

The Warriors got a bucket from Brittany White to take a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime, leading 30-29.

NMU would take its first lead of the game as Angie Leckson buried two free throw shots followed by a layup off a WSU turnover. That lead would get to as many as four before the Warriors would take back control of the game going on a 17-3 run to build there lead back to ten with 9:17 remaining in the game.

WSU never surrendered their lead to less than seven. The Warriors found themselves at the charity stripe numerous times down the final stretch of the game with Miller, Nash and Bowers working for each one of their points.

“You always want to knock those down so they know they don’t have a chance,” Miller said. “You have to knock those down.”

The Warriors tied their fewest points allowed by an opponent this season, holding the Wildcats to only 54. WSU also held Northern scoreless from beyond the arc. NMU went 0-13 on the night, the first time WSU has held an opponent scoreless from behind the arc since Jan. 30, 2002 against Michigan-Dearborn (0-for-1) and Nov. 25, 2001 against West Virginia Wesleyan (0-for-8).

Miller credited their performance to the team’s preparation, saying, “We watched some film on their shooters and knew they were shooters. We closed hard on them and our goal was to make them put the ball on the floor. If they went to the basket, fine, but they were not going to get any threes on us.”

Miller ended the game with 11 points of 2-of-7 shooting with four assists and three steals. George had 12 points (6-of-14) in 17 minutes of play. The Warriors will play on Thursday as they travel to Allendale to take on Grand Valley State at 6 p.m.

The South End, January 22, 2007

Women’s hoops wins second straight road contest

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Both the Warriors men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to Findlay, Ohio, Saturday, for a doubleheader match up with the Findlay Oilers.

The toughness of each team’s task varied as the women faced a Findlay team that was winless in conference play. The men took on an undefeated-in-the-conference Oilers squad that had won 47-straight home games.

Women’s Hoops

The Wayne State women’s basketball team handed the University of Findlay Oilers (4-14, 0-8 GLIAC) their eighth GLIAC loss of the season on Saturday with an 80-68 win.

The Warriors jumped out to a 14-3 run to start the game, fueled by offensive contributions by senior Cherita Smith and junior Nicole Rogers.

WSU head coach Gloria Bradley attributed the fast start to the Warrior defense.

“We got a couple good stops,” she said, “so that allowed them to be a little more patient than we normally would be if we would have come out and dug a hole.”

The Oilers went to Katie Greisiger early in the low post but it didn’t take long for Wayne State to disrupt the threat down low. The Warriors emphasized the importance of putting together superior defense all week in practice and displayed one of their best defensive showings of the year.

“We were very active on defense, we got deflections and steals,” Smith said. “We knew that we have to play defense in order to win. Our offense can’t win games for us.

“It starts with defense, so, we really clamped down and took away their shots.”

After 20 minutes of play, WSU headed to the locker room with an 11-point advantage over Findlay, leading 40-29 at halftime.

The Warriors’ offensive surge didn’t disappear during the break, as they opened the second half with a 7-0 run.

“We were just patient on offensive,” Smith said. “We passed (the ball) around, we got everyone involved. It really wasn’t a set play or anything, we were just very patient.”

The Oilers regained their confidence and cut WSU’s lead to single digits, closing the gap to within eight with 12:39 to play. However, the Warriors continued to play the game at their own pace, disrupting Findlay’s play by creating turnovers, protecting the ball and converting on offensive opportunities.

Wayne State led by as many as 20, giving the team its second straight victory. They are 4-0 when leading at halftime.Rogers recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Smith scored 17 (7-14 from the field) with two steals in 28 minutes. Chastidy Miller was 10-11 from the free throw line, accounting for 10 of her 14 points to go along with four steals and three assists.

Men’s Hoops

The Warriors led at halftime but eventually fell, 68-52, to a seventh-ranked Findlay squad giving the Oilers their 48th straight win at Croy Gymnasium.

The Warriors offense came out strong, beginning the game with a 9-0 run, which started with a Joe Carr jumper off the high glass and ended with Will Pierce sinking a three-pointer.

With Kris Krzyminski in early foul trouble, Findlay (14-1, 8-0 GLIAC), battled back, tying the score at 11 when Tyler Evans connected from three-point range. After taking a brief lead on a layup by Lee Roberts, the Oilers once again found themselves chasing WSU (7-7, 3-2 GLIAC) as Carr and Krzyminski accounted for Wayne State’s next nine points.

The Warriors led by as many as six but another Evans three cut Wayne State’s lead to 29-28 at halftime. It was only the second time this season that the Oilers trailed at the break.

Findlay opened the second half with a 14-3 run, building a lead that got to as many as 10 points. Krzyminski connected on a three-pointer and Jason Saddler put in a layup to cut the deficit to three with 11:20 to play.

Evans spoiled the Warriors comeback plans, answering with a three to spark an Oilers run that built their lead to as many as 19, never allowing WSU to get within 13 points.

Krzyminski led the Warriors with 17 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

Carr added nine points to go with his four assists in 32 minutes. Saddler grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and scored eight points.

Evans was the star for Findlay, ending the night with 22 points, 18 of which came on three-point buckets.

The South End, January 16, 2007

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

Women's Basketball: Wayne State upsets Hillsdale at home

Warriors improve to 2-1 in conference play

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Last year, home court advantage proved to be key against Hillsdale, and it seems nothing has changed. The Wayne State woman’s basketball team handed Hillsdale (5-2, 1-2 GLIAC) its second loss this past Saturday, defeating the Chargers 85-67 at the Matthaei Center.

After six minutes of play, it looked as though the whistles were not going to be in WSU’s favor. The Warriors (3-4, 2-1 GLIAC) committed their eighth foul against Hillsdale with 14:46 left in the first half.

“Well, you know it wasn’t as though we were not fouling,” said WSU head coach Gloria Bradley. “We were fouling. They just came out a little anxious. This is a game they get up for, as they should get up for all of them, but you know as teams are, there are certain teams they get up for more than others.”

In the game of basketball, things can change quickly, and that’s exactly what happened as WSU regrouped and tallied only two more fouls for the rest of the half.

The first half belonged to the Warriors, who took control of the game after their early foul trouble, going on a 6-0 run, extending their lead to eight over Hillsdale, 19-11, with 10:36 left in the half.

With Hillsdale trying to build momentum for a comeback before the end of the half, it was guard Brittany White who sank a three- pointer to silence the Hillsdale fans. Leading 35-29, the Warriors would take a six-point advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Guard Joy Nash led WSU at the half with nine points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field. She also had two assists and one steal in her 15 minutes of play. She ended the night with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.

“One of our objectives was to keep them below 30 for the first half, so we knew we have to come out aggressive on the defensive end, keep our person in front of us and have the post working, and play solid defensively,” Nash said.

Hillsdale forward Nikki Wustman shot 4-of-8 with 10 points and seven rebounds during her 19 minutes of play in the first half. She would lead the Chargers as the leading scorer with 16 points, as well as grabbing down eight rebounds.

As the second half got underway, it was WSU that continued to build its lead, going by as many as 11 before Hillsdale began to mount a comeback with some bench contributions from Katie Cezat and Jodie Haines. The Chargers tied the game with 13:04 left in the half by a Haines three-pointer from beyond the arc.

That’s as close as they would come, unable to take the lead from WSU. With both teams in the bonus with 12 minutes still to play, the outcome of the game depended on good free throw shooting, and that is exactly what WSU did.

Down the stretch, both Bethany Mesko and Brittany White sank their free throws, helping the Warriors build an 18-point lead and seal the victory.

Mesko scored 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting and was 7-for-10 at the charity stripe during her 38 minutes of play. White was 5-for-7 from the free-throw line, giving her 10 points to go along with six assists.

Mesko emphasized confidence as a key to their victory.

“We were just confident,” Mesko said. “We know they’re a good team. They’re one of the top teams in the conference, but we knew we could play with them. We beat them last year, so we had that confidence coming in and knowing that if we just stepped up playing our game, we wouldn’t have to worry as much about theirs.”

Nicole Rogers was also brilliant with her free-throw stroke, scoring 15 points while shooting 9-for-10 from the line.

The Warriors, now second in the GLIAC South, travel to Owensboro, Ky., on Dec. 16 to take on Kentucky Wesleyan at 2:00 p.m.

The South End, December 11, 2006

First half woes no more for women’s hoops; Warriors solid throughout in 88-75 win

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

The Wayne State women’s basketball team has been searching for the right pieces to put together a strong first half. On Saturday, the Warriors found them in an 88-75 win over Mercyhurst College 88-75 at the Matthaei Center.

An opening three pointer from Mercyhurst did not faze the Warriors, as a tough defense would allow WSU (2-4, 1-1 GLIAC) to build an early, eight-point lead. Lindsay Whipkey spoiled WSU’s energy by filling up two easy baskets down low for Mercyhurst, bringing them within four with 13:11 left in the half.

Whipkey would end the game as Mercyhurst’s leading scorer with 25 points, along with six rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes.

A few adjustments were made, and WSU took back control of the game. Leading 17-11 with 10:16 left in the half, the Warriors would go on a 21-15 run, heading into the locker room with the lead for the first time this season, 38-26.

“Defensively, it was a good first half,” said WSU head coach Gloria Bradley. “Offensively, we made some miscues, turned the ball over too many times, missed some easy buckets, and we need to get stronger with the ball.”

When the teams took the floor for the second half, Mercyhurst (2-4, 0-2 GLIAC) had the hot hand.Stephanie Prischak sank two three-pointers, cutting the WSU lead to six points with 15 minutes to play. That’s as close as it would get because WSU built its lead, leading by as much as 15 and never giving up a 10-point margin.

Miller led the Warriors with 17 points (7-for-11) and grabbed five boards. She shot 5-for-7 in the first half, scoring 11 points.

“I had a lot of open shots, open looks from good passing by Joy (Nash) and I was able to knock them down,” Miller said.

Nash had a spectacular game with 11 points (3-for-7), shooting 5-for-6 from the free throw line, as well as 10 assists, recording her first double-double of the season.

Nash attributed her success to being “able to push the ball up court and find the open shooters.” After the game, she didn’t downplay the importance of Wayne State’s win.

“This was an important game because it was a GLIAC game,” Nash said. “We need the confidence, and we were able to get inside of our heads and tell ourselves we were not going to lose this game.”

Coming off the bench, Cherita Smith contributed early with 10 points, shooting 4-for-12 with two three-pointers during the first half. She would end the night with 13 points (5-for-15), sinking 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.

With six points and two blocks, Bethany Jury led WSU with seven rebounds in 18 minutes of play.The Warriors will have time to rest before they meet Hillsdale, a GLIAC opponent, at home next Saturday at 1 p.m.

The South End, December 4, 2006

Women's Basketball: First half causes trouble for WSU women’s hoops

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

Never surrendering the lead, Northern Kentucky handed WSU their third loss of the season, 97-56, on Saturday in Highland Heights, Ky.

Shooting only 23.1 percent in the first half, WSU fell behind quickly, letting NKU begin the game on a 9-0 run.

Chastidy Miller sank two free throws to finally put WSU on the scoreboard, but NKU never looked back — shooting 42.3 percent from the field and taking a 25-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

Forward Cassie Brannen led the Norse at halftime with 12 points and eight rebounds, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw-line. She would end the game as the leading scorer with 20 points on the night.

Senior guard Cherita Smith led WSU with 18 points in 16 minutes. Senior forward Bethany Mesko grabbed six rebounds and scored eight points.WSU returns home for a three-game conference homestand starting Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Matthaei Center against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Gannon.

The South End, November 27, 2006

Men's Basketball: Warriors win double overtime thriller

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

It was raining three pointers yesterday night as the Wayne State men’s basketball team defeated Northern Michigan in a heated double overtime duel.

Looking at the first half box score, it seemed unlikely that the finish to the Warriors’ home opener would come down to offense.

Wayne State’s offensive surge was enough to finish off Northern Michigan, 76-71, giving WSU its first win of the season last night at the Matthaei Center.

Defense was the name of the game in the first half for both teams. The Warriors pulled down 17 first-half defensive rebounds, led by Kris Krzyminski with five. WSU shot just 36 percent from the field and headed to the locker room with a seven-point lead at 28-21.

The story changed when the two teams exited the locker room and met back on the floor. The Warriors watched their seven-point lead disappear and found themselves in a shootout with the Wildcats.

With only 3:54 remaining in the game, Joe Carr hit two free throws to give Wayne State the lead as star NMU forward Ricky Volcy’s fouled out.

“Ricky is a good player — when he is in there, we go in and double him, and then that opens their outside shot,” said Wayne State head coach David Greer.

The game turned into the Carr and Krzyminski show, as the duo began to fire away from three-point range. Carr hit a game-tying three with 1:03 left in regulation, which sent the game to overtime after neither team was able to score another bucket.

Carr would sink two more threes in double overtime to lead the Warriors to victory. Carr finished 5-of-11 from behind the arc, which accounted for 15 of his 22 points.

“My teammates were looking for me tonight and made it easy,” Carr said. “It’s always a joy to step up in those situations.”

Krzyminski sank a three-pointer in the first overtime to tie the game at 57 apiece, and drilled another clutch triple in double overtime. He ended the night 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, contributing to a career-high 25 points. Krzyminski also led Wayne State with six assists and four steals.

And after coming off three straight loses on its season-opening road trip, Krzyminski feels the WSU team is starting to come together after a much-needed win.

“I think we have a very positive attitude, everyone knows Joe’s going to be one of our scorers, I’m going to be a scorer, and Will (Pierce), you know, those are going to be the main scorers,” Krzyminski said, “and so the big guys feed off that and play off of us and if we play good our team should do well.”

Pierce finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Wynn Sarden had eight points and 10 rebounds as well as two blocked shots. Jason Saddler played 12 minutes with three points, a steal and two rebounds. Off the bench, Michael Henderson had four points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Warriors.

Northern Michigan’s top scorer was Will Washington, who finished 6-of-15 shooting for 16 points. Tyler Kazmierkoski pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds during his 30 minutes, and Volcy was held to nine points and seven rebounds.

The South End, November 22, 2006

2006-07 Wayne State Women’s Basketball

Warriors look for improvement

Jeff Buck
Staff Writer

The Wayne State women’s basketball team, led by seventh-year coach Gloria Bradley, finished 10-17 overall last season with a 7-10 record in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. The team had most of its success at home, going 6-6 at the Matthaei Center, with a road record of 3-10.

“If we’re playing aggressively, I see us challenging for a championship,” Bradley said. “If we’re playing passively, there’s a good possibility we’ll finish in the middle-to-bottom of the pack.”

With eleven returning players, the Warriors look for continued improvement in the South Division of the GLIAC this year.

Among those returning players is senior Cherita Smith, who keyed the WSU offense last year by averaging a team-leading 13.1 points per game. Smith – who plays both shooting guard and small forward – was also strong defensively, leading the team in steals with 68.

"As a senior, I have to get my team involved offensively,” Smith said. “It's not really about me scoring outside – it's about me passing the ball around and getting my bigs into the game. And then, (it's about) me locking up on defense.”

Both Bradley and Smith noted WSU’s early-season emphasis on the post players and inside scoring.

"Our practices have been passing into the post, looking to the post,” Smith said. “We know that if we get it in early, the guards are going to be open, and we're going to have an inside and outside game instead of just outside like we've had in the past."

Oakland University transfer Bethany Jury will fill the center position. At 6-foot-2, she will give the team a strong presence in the paint while Rebecca Meyer, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Brighton, will also look to impact the WSU frontcourt in her first season with the team.

“We have to work a lot harder – being big doesn’t necessarily mean you’re better,” Bradley said. “Those two big players inside really have to get a little more aggressive.”

Joining Smith and the centers will be the returning frontcourt duo of Nicole Rogers – who will look to crash the boards after leading the team in rebounds (5.9 per game) last year – and Chastidy Miller, who will provide a spark off the bench after scoring more from the free throw line than any other player on the team last year.

“Our junior class in particular has had so much experience – Nicole Rogers has been a huge factor for us – and even the sophomores like Chastidy Miller have contributed a lot already,” Bradley said.

Joy Nash, a sophomore from Muskegon, will most likely start at point guard after missing the final 15 games last season, with Jessica Howard and Daijon Jefferson also in the backcourt rotation.

“We lost Joy last year and that was huge,” Bradley said. “Those guards (Howard and Jefferson) are looking a lot better. If they were last year where they are this year, we wouldn’t have had to do it by committee. Our loss last year is this year’s gain.”

The final five veterans for the Warriors are Monique George, Bethany Mesko, Ralphanee Peyton, Gina VanderMarliere and Brittany White. Also looking to contribute early is freshman guard Brooke Bowers from Delphos, Ohio.

In the preseason GLIAC coaches’ poll, the Warriors received eight points and were tabbed for fifth in the South Division. Ashland was picked first with four first place votes.

“This is not a fifth place team by any stretch of the imagination,” Bradley said. “We have some good teams in the league, but it’s a matter of what our team wants to do right now.”

The Warriors met Ashland twice during the regular season last year, falling to the Eagles 89-71 and 91-72. The two teams also met in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament, where the South Division’s top-seeded Eagles won, 88-79.

Wayne State, which opened its season with a 70-54 loss on the road to Missouri-Rolla and a 75-63 setback to No. 7 Henderson State, will play its regular season home opener against Central State (Ohio) at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Matthaei Center.

The South End, November 20, 2006

Women's Basketball GLIAC Outlook

Women's Basketball: GLIAC South Outlook

ASHLAND (21-11, 13-4 GLIAC):
League finish: First in South Division (lost in finals of conference tournament).
Outlook: Coach Sue Ramsey’s Eagles dominated the GLIAC last year, and with four returning starters, the team will once again look to senior guard Amber Rall (17.8 points per game, 3.2 assists) and 6-foot-1 senior forward Catherine Portyrata (12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds) to make them the team to beat this season.

HILLSDALE (17-11, 10-7):
League finish: Second in South Division (lost in first round of conference tournament).
Outlook: Look for returning first team All-GLIAC selection Nikki Wustman (12.9 points, 5.2 rebounds) to lead Hillsdale with three other returning starters. Hillsdale will be a top contender this year to take the title away from Ashland.

GANNON (14-15, 8-9):
League finish: Third in South Division (lost in semifinals of conference tournament).
Outlook: The Knights have participated in a remarkable nine consecutive GLIAC Tournaments. Seniors Christina Jackson and Casey England will be key players on a team with eight returning letterwinners. The team, which started 2-7 last year, will need to get off to a much better start this year if they want to compete for the South Division.

WAYNE STATE (10-17, 7-10):
League finish: Fourth in South Division (lost in first round of conference tournament).
Outlook: The Warriors have eleven returning players on the roster. With the return of Cherita Smith and the addition of Bethany Jury from Division I Oakland, the team will look to compete with Ashland – which defeated them last season in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament – for a conference title.

FINDLAY (12-15, 5-12):
League finish: Fifth in South Division (did not qualify for conference tournament).
Outlook: The loss of star Michelle Vorst will put pressure on returning starters Brittany Wells and Katie Greisiger. Wells, whose season last year was cut short with an injury, will need to stay healthy for Findlay to compete in the South.

MERCYHURST (8-19, 4-13):
League finish: Sixth in South Division (did not qualify for conference tournament).
Outlook: After missing 11 games last season, first team All-GLIAC South player Julie Anderson will look to lead her team this year to the postseason. Mercyhurst’s last GLIAC postseason appearance was in 2000.

Women's Basketball: GLIAC North Outlook

GRAND VALLEY (33-3, 17-1):
League finish: First in North Division (conference tournament champion).
Outlook: Grand Valley welcomes back four returning starters after a school-best season. The team collected a GLIAC Championship, Great Lakes Region and NCAA Division II National Championship title. The squad will be led by a pair of returning guards, senior Erika Ryskamp (11.2 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game) and junior Crystal Zick (13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds).

MICHIGAN TECH (19-9, 14-4):
League finish: Second in North Division (lost first round of conference tournament).
Outlook: In his fourth season as head coach, John Barnes will have three starters returning from last season. The team will look to senior guard Catherine Rottier (14.4 points, 5.9 rebounds), who was an All-GLIAC First Team selection, and Sarah Stream, the 2004-05 GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE (21-8, 12-6):
League finish: Third in North Division (lost in second round of conference tournament).
Outlook: The Lake Superior State squad will be led by new coach Jamie Pewinski. Pewinski will have three returning starters led by senior Mandi Johnson. Johnson, the league steals leader with 92, was a selection to the All-Defensive Team as well as the All-GLIAC First Team. The squad will look to make there sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

FERRIS STATE (18-10, 12-6):
League finish: Fourth in North Division (lost first round of conference tournament).
Outlook: After making its seventh consecutive appearance in the GLIAC Tournament, Ferris State will look to continue its success with four returning starters. The team will be led by senior backcourt mates Kristin Reinhart (12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds) and Erin Miller (14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds), an All-GLIAC First Team selection.

NORTHWOOD (10-16, 5-13):
League finish: Tied-for-fifth in North Division (did not qualify for conference tournament).
Outlook: Northwood will fight for a postseason position with three returning starters and seven letterwinners. Among those starters will be senior guard Sara Bilunes, who was ranked eighth nationally for three point field goal percentage, shooting 42.8% behind the arc.

SAGINAW VALLEY (8-19, 5-13):
League finish: Tied-for-fifth in North Division (did not qualify for conference tournament).
Outlook: Saginaw Valley welcomes back all five starters. Among those is junior guard Kara Kinzer, who was ranked fifth in three-pointers made per game with 2.04. Also returning is junior forward Kali Briggs, holding the title of GLIAC rebounds leader her first two seasons.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN (6-19, 2-16):
League finish: Seventh in North Division (did not qualify for postseason).
Outlook: After a disappointing season last year, head coach Troy Mattson will look to improve his team in his second year as coach. Northern will have four returning starters back this season. The leaders this season will be junior guard Allison Carroll (14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds) and junior guard Maria Kasza (11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds).

-Compiled by Jeff Buck

The South End, November 20, 2006