Women's Basketball 2/5/2020 9:15:00 AM Lauren Bryne, Sports Information Graduate Intern

Women's Basketball Visits #3-GVSU and Davenport This Week

The Warriors will play the third-ranked Lakers on Thursday (6:00 p.m.) and DU on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (12-9 overall, 6-7 GLIAC) will face both Grand Valley State (20-1 overall, 12-1 GLIAC) and Davenport (6-15 overall, 1-12 GLIAC) for the second time this season. The Warriors travel to No. 3-GVSU on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. contest, followed by a 1:00 p.m. tip-off in Panther territory on Saturday.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will travel West for its next two contests, facing both No. 3-Grand Valley State and Davenport for the second time this season. The Green and Gold play at GVSU on Thursday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. game at DU on Saturday.

THE SERIES
Wayne State trails 26-51 in the all-time series vs. Grand Valley State, which started in 1974. Earlier this season, WSU was upended 67-41 by the third-ranked Lakers in Detroit. The Warriors are 9-27 in Allendale, Mich.

Wayne State leads 4-1 against Davenport in the all-time series that began in 2017. In the first meeting this season, the Green and Gold notched an 83-72 home victory vs. DU. WSU is 1-1 in Panther territory.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Grand Valley State is 20-1 overall, with a 12-1 record in GLIAC contests. After beginning the season with a 13-game winning streak, GVSU was upset, 77-68, at No. 4-Ashland. The Lakers have since won seven-straight contests.

Senior Cassidy Boensch leads the GLIAC with a .588 (164-of-279) field-goal percentage and 3.3 blocks per game. Boensch is also second in the conference in scoring (20.0 PPG) and third in rebounding (8.8 RPG). Classmate Maddie Dailey is third in the league with a field-goal percentage of .570 (94-of-165). Senior Jenn DeBoer's 5.5 assists per game is second in the GLIAC, while Victoria Hedemark's 2.4 steals per contests is fifth.

Davenport enters the week with an overall record of 6-15, including a 1-12 mark in league games. The Panthers tallied their lone conference win against Michigan Tech (81-66) on Jan. 25th. DU will host second-ranked Ashland this Thursday before facing the Warriors on Saturday.

Freshman Madison Jones is third in the GLIAC in both scoring (17.4 PPG) and steals (2.6 SPG). Sophomore Toni Grace is third in the league with an .860 (74-of-86) free-throw percentage and fourth at 2.4 steals per game. Junior Courtney McInerney and senior Jenna Falkenberg are fifth and sixth in the conference, respectively, at 1.2 blocks each.

LAST WEEK RECAP
The Warriors upended Lake Superior State, 79-53, at home on Jan. 30th at the Matthaei. After draining nine triples, senior Alex Matus tied the school record for three-pointers made in a game at WSU. The only other time that a Warrior women's basketball player recorded nine long-distance baskets during a game was by Brooke Bowers in January 2008 vs. Mercyhurst. Matus' 32 points was a career high, with her previous career best at 18 points. The last WSU player to score at least 32 points in a game was Shareta Brown in January 2015 versus Grand Valley State. Senior Nastassja Chambers was the only other WSU player to score in double figures with 12 points. Sophomore Sam Cherney recorded game highs in both rebounds (14) and blocks (4).

Wayne State suffered an 86-85 setback in overtime to Ferris State University at the Matthaei on Feb. 1st as FSU's Chloe Idoni's put back with 0.2 seconds remaining was good. WSU shot 54 percent (32-of-59) from the floor, while the Bulldogs were limited to 42 percent (31-of-74) from the field. The Warriors were 17-of-23 (74 percent) from the charity stripe, with FSU connecting on 91 percent (19-of-21) of its free throw attempts. Wayne State led 8-0 in blocked shots, but trailed 37-36 in rebounding. Each team dished out 16 assists. Sophomore Grace George led in both points (18) and rebounds (8). Senior Sadia Johnson (17), classmate Nastassja Chambers (11), and sophomore Sam Cherney (10) also scored in double figures. Chambers and senior Alex Matus tied in both assists (5) and steals (3). Cherney blocked a game-best five shots.

GLIAC RANKINGS
Sophomore Grace George leads the league in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game and 202 total rebounds. Classmate Sam Cherney is second in the GLIAC in rebounds (9.0 RPG) and third in blocks per game (2.1 BPG).

Senior Nastassja Chambers is fourth in the conference with an .857 free throw percentage (48-of-56) and tied-for-eighth in blocked shots (0.9 BPG).

Wayne State leads the conference with 42.2 rebounds per game, while ranking second in blocks per game (5.0) and third in opponent's field-goal percentage (.393).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Three players have recorded their first career double-doubles this season, including sophomores Sam Cherney and Grace George, and junior Tori Perez.

George has tallied eight double-doubles this season. Her first six were vs. Tiffin (11/26) with 11 points and 11 rebounds, at Ferris State (12/5) with 18 points and 12 boards, at Fairmont State (12/18) with 13 points and a career-best 18 rebounds, vs. Cedarville with 22 points and 16 boards, at Michigan Tech (1/2) with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and against Davenport (1/9) with 15 points and 11 boards. George's two most recent double-doubles were at Parkside (1/16) with 20 points and 18 rebounds, and at Purdue Northwest (1/18) with 14 points and 11 boards.

Cherney has three double-doubles as she notched her first against Central State (11/13) with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Cherney earned two more double-doubles vs. Saginaw Valley State (1/23) with 11 boards and 10 points, and versus Northwood (1/25) with 12 rebounds and a season-best 13 points.

Perez recorded her lone double-double versus Tiffin (11/26) with a career-high 12 points and 10 boards.

BUILDING BLOCKS TO SEASON HIGHS
On January 18, 2020, Wayne State had a season high of 10 blocks at Purdue Northwest, surpassing the previous season best of nine blocks vs. Purdue Northwest on January 30, 2020.

The 2019-20 team is currently ranked first in single-season history with 5.0 blocked shots per contest. The Warriors surpassed the 2012-13 squad that averaged 4.3 blocks per game. This season, Wayne State has tallied 104 blocks, which is ranked second in a single season at WSU. The number one spot is occupied by the 2012-13 squad with 134 blocks.

Sophomore Sam Cherney leads the squad in blocks with 44, which is tied-for-second in single-season history. She has already passed her mark of 30 blocks from last year. Cherney is also first in blocked shots average for a single season, with 2.1 blocks per contest. In less than two seasons she has accumulated 74 career blocks, which is fourth in Wayne State history.

SENIOR SCORER
Senior Nastassja Chambers, who is on pace to become the third 1,000-point scorer in school history to average in double figures all four seasons, joining Monique Johnson (1988-93) and Delonda Little (1991-95), became the sixth player in school history to score at least 1,200 career points and third player in the last six years, joining Shareta Brown (2013-15 // 1,245 points) and Shannon Wilson (2014-18 // 1,228 points). When Brown reached this milestone in 2015, she was the first since 1993.

BEYOND THE ARC
Senior co-captain Alex Matus became the 13th player in Wayne State history with 100 made three-pointers vs. Wright State-Lake on Nov. 21, 2019. Matus is currently 10th in three-point field goals made (126) and 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.335 / 126-of-376 - min. 50 made).

After draining nine triples vs. Lake Superior State on Jan. 30, 2020, Matus tied the school record for three-point field goals made in a game at WSU. The only other time that a Warrior women's basketball player recorded nine long-distance baskets during a game was by Brooke Bowers in January 2008 vs. Mercyhurst. Matus' 32 points was a career high, with her previous career best at 18 points. The last WSU player to score at least 32 points in a game was Shareta Brown in January 2015 versus Grand Valley State.

NATIONAL STATUS
In the Division II NCAA rankings, Wayne State is 13th in blocked shots (104), 15th at 4.3 blocks per game, 28th in free throws made (316), and 35th in rebounds (887).

Sophomores Grace George and Sam Cherney appear in the top 40 multiple times. George is nationally ranked 26th in rebounds (202), and 38th in both rebounds per contest (9.6 RPG) and defensive rebounds per game (6.7 RPG). Cherney is 22nd in the nation in blocked shots (44), 30th with 2.1 blocks per contest, and 40th in rebounds (188).

NEW BASKETBALL ARENA
In May of 2019, it was announced that WSU Athletics and the Detroit Pistons would be partnering to construct a $25 million basketball arena on the west side of the athletic campus.

The approved plan includes construction of a 70,000 square-foot arena near the intersection of Warren and Trumbull avenues with seating capacity for approximately 3,000 fans, office space and locker room areas for both WSU's men's and women's basketball teams, a concessions area and other ancillary spaces. The arena will be ready for play in the 2021-2022 basketball season.

The Pistons G-League team will also call the new facility home.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
All Wayne State home women's basketball games can be watched via Warrior All-Access for a $5.95 per game fee. All home contests during the 2019-20 season will be available on All-Access. Monthly passes are available for $9.95, and year-long access is offered for $69.95.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Nastassja Chambers: G; 5' 9"; Senior

#13 Sam Cherney: F; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#32 Grace George: F; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#14 Sadia Johnson: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#11 Alex Matus: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#44 Tori Perez: F; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#3 Nastassja Chambers
: 5' 9"; Senior
: G

#13 Sam Cherney
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: F

#32 Grace George
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: F

#14 Sadia Johnson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#11 Alex Matus
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#44 Tori Perez
: 5' 10"; Junior
: F