DETROIT -- After taking both games last week against Davenport, the Wayne State University men's basketball program (3-1 GLIAC) will play at Northwood (2-2 GLIAC) twice beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m.  The Warriors will then host Ashland (2-3 overall, 2-2 GLIAC) on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for the first of two mid-week contests against the Eagles this season.

STORYLINES
Following back-to-back wins over Davenport, Wayne State will attempt to keep it rolling at Northwood this weekend.  The teams will meet twice beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m. before concluding the series on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.  In the first of two mid-week meetings, the Warriors host Ashland on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads the all-time series 44-31 over Northwood, including a 17-18 mark on the road.  Both road teams won a game last season with Wayne State winning 76-66 in Midland.  Head coach David Greer is 17-14 (6-8 at NU) vs. the Timberwolves in his time with the program.  In a back-and-forth series, no side has won more than two in a row since the Green & Gold took four consecutive contests from Jan. 22, 2005, through Dec. 6, 2007.

The Warriors also carry the advantage over Ashland, 32-28, in the all-time series.  Wayne State is 20-11 at home in the series, which dates back to 1922.  Coach Greer is 19-16 (10-7 at home) in his 19-plus seasons with the Warriors.  The teams split last season's two meetings with each road team escaping with a win.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS 
Northwood started the season with two wins at Davenport, before falling twice at home to Michigan Tech.  Head coach Lonnie Griffin is in his first season as head coach at NU, but seventh overall with the program.  Junior guard Jack Ammerman is scoring a team-best 10.3 points per game.  Junior forward Richard Nunez is the roster's top rebounder at 4.8 boards per game, while junior guard Trevor Davis is averaging 2.3 assists per night to lead the team.  As a team, NU is scoring 63.3 points per game, while allowing 59.3 points per contest.  The T-Wolves are shooting 43 percent from the floor, 24 percent from three-point range and 71 percent at the free throw line.

Ashland is 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the league following series splits with both Ferris State and Grand Valley State to begin the season.  Head coach John Ellenwood is in his 12th season leading the Eagles.  Sophomore guard Brandon Haraway is leading the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game and rebounding at 6.2 boards per contest, while redshirt senior guard Bo Furcron is averaging 13.4 points per night.  As a team, AU is scoring 63.6 points per game, while allowing 64 points per night.  The Eagles are shooting 42 percent from the floor, 37 percent from behind the arc and 79 percent at the charity stripe.

LAST TIME OUT 
The Warriors won both home games against Davenport last week to improve to 3-1 overall.  On Friday, the Panthers started the game up 7-0, but WSU would end the first half on a 12-2 run and would keep the momentum throughout the second half and win 86-68.  Darian Owens-White tallied a career-best 32 points powered by four three-pointers.  Brailen Neely finished with 23 points, while Avery Lewis just missed a double-double with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

WSU led the entire game on Saturday, including a 43-29 mark at intermission.  Five Warriors tallied at least 10 points led by Darian Owens-White who finished with 23 points, including five three-pointers.  Antonio Marshall collected a career-best 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with six rebounds.  Brailen Neely (15), Jackie Harris (12) and Avery Lewis (10) rounded out the quintet of double-digit scorers.  Harris grabbed a team-best eight boards.

FEELING CHARITABLE
The Warriors went 25-of-26 (.962) against Davenport on Saturday from the charity stripe.  That percentage is the second-best single-game performance at the free throw line in with at least 15 made over the last 20 seasons.

SPREADING IT AROUND
In the win over Davenport on last Saturday, all five starters scored in double figures.  It was the first time that has happened since December 7, 2019.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Darian Owens-White was named GLIAC South Division Player of the Week on Tuesday.

It is the first weekly honor of his career and the first for a WSU men's basketball player since Brailen Neely earned the award on Feb. 17th last season.

In just his third and fourth games back after a 22-month hiatus due to an injury, redshirt junior Darian Owens-White is quickly finding his scoring touch.

After totaling 35 points in the opening weekend split at Lake Superior, Owens-White tallied 55 points in two home court victories over Davenport.  For the week, he was 15-of-32 (47 percent) from the floor, including 9-of-14 (64 percent) from beyond the arc.  Owens-White was a stellar 16-of-17 (94 percent) from the charity stripe, while adding nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.  He currently leads the GLIAC in three-pointers made per game at 3.2.

WSU BACKCOURT
The guard duo of Brailen Neely and Darian Owens-White should be fun to watch this season.  Neely was a First Team All-GLIAC honoree last season and Owens-White was a Second Team selection in 2018-19 before missing the 2019-20 season due to an injury.

Neely averaged 19 points, 7.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game last season and Owens-White poured in 16.7 points per night along with 2.9 assists per contest, while shooting nearly 47 percent from behind the arc in 2018-19.

BENCH SCORING
It was a welcome sight to see WSU's bench carrying the weight in the season-opening win with 28 points, which is 10 more than the Warriors received in any game last year from non-starters.

The Green & Gold followed that with 17 points off the bench during Saturday's contest vs. the Panthers.

UNIQUE SCHEDULE
The 2021 Wayne State University men's basketball schedule will feature 18 GLIAC contests.

The GLIAC was divided into two divisions with each school playing the other five divisional opponents twice (two at home for a weekend; two on the road for a weekend; along with a home-and-home series with its travel partner).  Each institution will play four of the six opponents in the other division (two at home for a weekend; two on the road for a weekend) for 18 games.

GREER BACK FOR 20th SEASON
Head coach David Greer is in his 20th season as the top man on the Warriors' bench.  He surpassed the school record for years as head men's basketball coach last season. The previous mark was held by Newman Ertell (1929-48) and Joel Mason (1948-66) at 18 years on the WSU bench.  

LIVE ON WDTK
Kevin Brechmacher will call every contest live on WDTK - The Patriot (1400 AM / 101.5 FM).  Fans can also stream the action online at PatriotDetroit.com.