Michael Dubicki

Women's Basketball 2/22/2018 11:00:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Women's Basketball Travels To MTU and NMU, Before Hosting Playoff Game

Warriors have won 11 of their last 13 contests.

Ja'Nae Williams leads WSU in rebounds and steals.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will conclude the regular season with a pair of games in the Upper Peninsula this week. The Warriors visit Michigan Tech on Thursday (5:30 p.m.), before traveling to Northern Michigan on Saturday (3 p.m.). With the two victories last week, WSU secured a GLIAC quarterfinal home game at the Matthaei on Feb. 28th. It will be Wayne State's first home playoff game since a 72-71 loss to Walsh on March 4, 2015.

THE SERIES
WSU trails 19-40 in the all-time series vs. Michigan Tech, including a 7-22 mark at MTU. The Warriors snapped a four-game losing streak against the Huskies on Jan. 18 with a 50-40 triumph at the Matthaei. The squads have split the last eight meetings with Wayne State winning one of three contests in Houghton.

Despite winning seven of the last nine meetings, the Warriors trail NMU 25-30 in the all-time series. WSU has a 10-17 record in Marquette, including a 5-6 record in the last 11 meetings at the Berry Events Center.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Huskies have won eight straight since a 50-40 setback in Detroit last month. Senior guard Brenna Heise leads MTU in scoring (14.1 PPG), while senior guards Kelli Guy (11.4) and Lindsay Winter (11.3) also average in double figures. Guy has made a team-leading 59 triples, while Winter has a team-best 27 steals. Junior forward Elizabeth Kelliher has a team-high 150 rebounds (6.0), with Winter averaging 6.8 boards per contest despite missing the last three games. Kelliher has 63 blocks, while Winter has 107 assists to lead MTU.

Northern Michigan enters Thursday's contest against Davenport having won three straight after losing five of seven. Three Wildcats average in double figures led by freshman guard Lexi Smith (11.8 PPG), who is also tied for the team lead in assists (46) with junior guard Sydney Dillinger. Junior center Taylor Hodell averages 10.4 PPG, while sophomore forward Jessica Schultz is at 10.0 PPG. Sophomore forward Erin Honkala has a team-best 191 rebounds (7.6 RPG) and also leads NMU in both blocked shots (39) and steals (33).

LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State secured a home playoff game with a 76-66 triumph over visiting Northwood on Senior Day (Feb. 17th). In a high-scoring opening quarter, the Warriors led 26-18 after 10 minutes highlighted by a 15-4 run over a four-minute span which gave WSU a 23-14 advantage with 90 seconds left in the first stanza.

The Warriors remained in the lead, with the margin cut to four (67-63) on a triple by NU's Lindsay Orwat with 3:53 left. Shannon Wilson scored the next five points and WSU went 4-of-4 from the foul line in the final 30 seconds.

Wilson had game-high totals of 27 points, and five assists, while tying for team-high rebounding honors with Payton Birchmeier at six boards apiece.

GLIAC TOURNAMENT
WSU will host a GLIAC quarterfinal game for the fourth time in the last six seasons. Prior to this current stretch, the only previous time WSU had hosted a GLIAC First Round game was 2003 (although the GLIAC Tournament was played at the DeltaPlex [Grand Rapids] in 2000 through 2002, and at Kellogg Arena [Battle Creek] in 1999).

MATUS MATTERS
Sophomore Alex Matus continues to stand out for Wayne State this season. Matus has led the Warriors in three-pointers made eight times this season, one behind Shannon Wilson's mark of nine. After making eight triples all of last year, she had connected for 30 triples this year and her shooting percentage went from 21.6 percent last year to 33.7 percent this season.

QUITE THE TURNAROUND
With 18 wins on the year, Wayne State has more than doubled its eight-game win total from the 2016-17 season. The Warriors have more GLIAC wins this year (13) than the two previous seasons combined (12).

WSU went from 7-7 at home a year ago, to 10-2 this year with a home playoff game remaining. The only two setbacks at the Matthaei were in overtime to Grand Valley State on Nov. 30, and earlier this month against top-ranked Ashland. Wayne State had a double-digit lead (31-18) on the Eagles in the second quarter.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIMES EIGHT
Wayne State tallied its seventh and eighth double-doubles of the season at Tiffin on Feb. 3 thanks to the efforts of Ja'Nae Williams (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Shannon Wilson (10 points, 10 rebounds).

It was the second time this season WSU had two double-doubles in the same contest, as Williams (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Nastassja Chambers (26 points, 13 rebounds) accomplished the feat at Ferris State on Jan. 4.

It was the first career double-double for Chambers. Four of Williams' five career double-doubles have occurred this season. Wilson has four career double-doubles, including three this season.

GARNERING GLIAC AWARDS
Shannon Wilson was selected GLIAC South Division Player of the Week this past Monday. It was the second such honor this year for Wilson, who also earned the Award on Nov. 13 after leading the Warriors to a pair of victories over Findlay and Lake Erie.

Nastassja Chambers was named GLIAC South Division Player of the Week on Jan. 8. Chambers had her first career double-double (26 points, 13 rebounds) at Ferris State, and then had a game-high 17 points against LSSU. She averaged 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game in the two games on Jan. 4 and Jan. 6.

WARRIOR ADVANTAGE
Wayne State has had the lead at least once in all 24 contests this season. The Warriors led by as much as four in the first half against Southern Indiana, held a three-point advantage in the final 23 seconds against Grand Valley State, and led by as many as five in the first period at top-ranked Ashland. In the rematch against the Eagles, Wayne State led by 13 in the second quarter.

The Green & Gold has never trailed in six games this season (at Oakland City, vs. Wright State Lake, vs. Michigan-Dearborn, at Purdue Northwest, vs. Lake Superior State and vs. Purdue Northwest), and held leads for the entire second half in eight other contests (against Lake Erie, Tiffin (twice), Ferris State, Saginaw Valley State, #12-Michigan Tech, Davenport and Northwood).

A GRAND EFFORT
Senior Shannon Wilson became the 17th player in program history to reach 1,000 points. She accomplished the feat on Jan. 6 vs. Lake Superior State. Wilson enters this week' with 1,183 career points.

600 & 50
Sophomore Nastassja Chambers is poised to become the 39th player in WSU history to score at least 700 points. Chambers has 694 career points.

Senior Payton Birchmeier is seventh all-time with 62 blocks, despite playing only three seasons at WSU.

DON'T I KNOW YOU?
This season's roster includes two pairings of sisters, as twins Alex and Lyndsey Matus will be joined by Sara Ruhstorfer and her sister Anna. Freshman Cydney Williams will team up with former high school teammate Nastassja Chambers, as the two won a state championship at Arbor Prep in 2016.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Wayne State broadcaster Kevin Brechmacher will provide live audio of both Warrior games this weekend in the U.P. There will not be any cost to WSU fans to listen through Warrior All-Access.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Wayne State's home women's basketball playoff game on Feb. 28th will be aired live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900. Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action.

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