DETROIT -- The 11th-ranked Wayne State University women's basketball team (7-1 overall) scored the first 12 points of the game and led from start to finish in a 72-61 triumph over Bellarmine University (5-3 overall) Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei.
WSU junior guard
Destiny Lavita-Stephens (Grand Blanc, Mich. / Goodrich) tallied the first 12 points off the contest on two triples, a fast-break lay-up, a pair of free throws and a jumper with senior
Shareta Brown (Pontiac, Mich. / Grand Blanc) recording assists on all four field goals.
The Warriors advantage was down to four (32-28) late in the first half following an 11-5 run by the Knights. After BU had pulled within five (36-31) senior
Jackie Jones (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King) knocked down a three pointer, then had a defensive rebound followed by a lay-up before Bellarmine's Morgan Clemons completed the first half scoring with a lay-up.
Wayne State led 41-33 at the intermission with Brown and Lavita-Stephens each scoring 12 points. Brown had earned her 54th career double-double at that point with 10 rebounds. Destony Curry and Beth Bowers each had 10 points in the opening 20 minutes for the Knights.
WSU held a 10-point advantage (53-43) with just over 12 minutes remaining after a jumper by Jones, but BU went on a 10-3 run in the next 4:30 to pull within three (56-53) at the 7:23 mark. The Warriors answered with nine consecutive points on a lay-up by Jones, a triple by junior
Kristen Long (Corunna, Mich. / Durand), a jumper by senior
Amber McCann (Southfield, Mich. / Southfield-Lathrup) followed by a lay-up from Brown to make it 65-53 with 5:05 left.
Bellarmine was never closer than nine points in the final five minutes.
Brown, who earned Tournament MVP honors, finished the game with 28 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and five steals to lead Wayne State. Lavita-Stephens chipped in with 12 points, while Jones contributed 11 points, five assists and three steals.
Curry, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led Bellarmine with 15 points and three steals. Mariah Gador had a team-best five rebounds for the Knights.
In Wayne State's two games in the WSU Holiday Classic Brown totaled 41 points, 25 rebounds, 10 assists, and seven steals to earn MVP accolades. Named to the All-Tournament Team were Lauren Robak (Northwood), who had 37 points, four assists, and three steals; Gabrielle Rivette (Northwood), who had 23 points, nine assists, and four steals; Destony Curry (Bellarmine), who had 26 points, six rebounds, and three steals; and Samantha Aikens (Salem International), who had 37 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
Wayne State will play its final 18 regular-season games in the GLIAC starting with a home set against Grand Valley State (Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m.) and Ferris State (Jan. 4 at 1 p.m.).