GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Wayne State University women's basketball team (7-4 overall, 2-3 GLIAC) fell in its final game before winter break on Saturday, dropping a 43-41 contest at Davenport (4-7 overall, 2-3 GLIAC) in the first-ever meeting between the two opponents.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors fell behind after a DU three-pointer 42 seconds into the contest, but senior Payton Birchmeier (Corunna, Mich.) countered with a trey of her own 1:50 into the game.  Junior Jessica Murphy (Oxford, Mich.) hit a layup on the next possession to make it 5-3 – with Wayne State never falling behind again in the first half. 

With 2:10 left in the first frame, junior India Hawkins (Detroit, Mich. / Edison Public School Academy) hit a three to give the Warriors a seven-point lead, which was the largest for the team to that point.  The Panthers, however, finished the stanza on a 4-0 run to cut WSU's lead to 11-8.

Both teams caught scoring droughts in the second quarter.  Sophomore Alex Matus (Millbury, Ohio / Toledo Central Catholic) hit a layup with 6:41 left before intermission to score the first points for either team in the second period.  The two teams traded field goals at the midway point of the quarter – with Matus hitting one from downtown and DU's Kortney Deurloo making layup -- to cut the Wayne State lead to 16-12 with 4:50 left in the first half.  The Warriors ended the second period on a 5-2 lead to grow the advantage to 21-14.

Davenport swung the pendulum in its favor out of the break, starting the third stanza on a 9-0 run that gave the hosts a 25-24 lead.  It also kept WSU off the board until Matus drained a triple with 4:20 left in the quarter to make it 24-23.  That bucket was the Warriors' only score in the third period, as DU countered with another 8-0 run, outscoring Wayne State 17-3 in the frame.

Wayne State cut into the Davenport lead in the fourth.  After DU took a 41-34 lead with 3:59 to play, WSU went on an 8-1 run to get within one, 42-41, with 29 seconds to play.

WSU had the ball for the game's final possession with a chance to send it to overtime. With five seconds remaining in regulation, senior Shannon Wilson (West Bloomfield, Mich. / Bloomfield Hills) drove to the bucket but couldn't send the final shot home.  Birchmeier grabbed the rebound, but time had ticked away, ending the contest and sealing the Panther win.

TOP PERFORMERS
Matus scored 13 to lead the Warriors, adding three assists and two rebounds.  Birchmeier and junior Ja'Nae Williams (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King) each had seven rebounds, with Birchmeier scoring six pointsand Williams contributing three.

Davenport's Hannah Wilkerson scored 11 points to lead the Panthers.  Jenna Falkenberg recorded a game-high 18 rebounds to go with her five points.

UP NEXT
After the break, the Warriors will return to Thursday/Saturday GLIAC play.  Wayne State will head to Ferris State on Jan. 4, before hosting Lake Superior State on Jan. 6.