CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- The Wayne State University women's basketball team (2-1 overall) topped Cedarville University (1-2 overall) 78-68 on Wednesday evening at the Callan Athletic Center to conclude a three-game Ohio road trip.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Wayne State's first basket of the contest came on a three-pointer by redshirt senior guard Becca Fugate (Holly, Mich.) nearly two minutes in.  Cedarville led 10-8 at the first quarter media timeout, with the Warriors making just two of their initial 10 attempts from the field.  The Yellow Jackets pulled ahead 14-8 by virtue of a layup, steal, and another layup (both from Regan Hubert) following the media timeout and went ahead by as many as eight (16-8), but the Green and Gold finished the opening 10 minutes on a 10-4 run.  Four of the 10 points came via freshman guard Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) on a layup and two free throws, with redshirt senior guard Kate McArthur (Warren, Mich. / Cousino (Central Michigan)) contributing three.

Sophomore forward Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) scored the first points of her collegiate career and of the season via a layup and free throw to complete an old-fashioned three-point play as part of WSU's 18 first stanza points.

Second Quarter
After CU led for more than five minutes of the first, a layup from sophomore forward Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) tied the score at 20 early in the second stanza.  That led to a series of deadlocks at 20-20, 22-22, and 25-25 before the second quarter media break.  The Yellow Jackets then went on a 6-2 run from the 4:09 mark to the 2:12 mark of the period.  Triples from Fugate and Lutchka gave WSU its first lead (33-31) since it led 4-2 early in the contest.  KaCee Kyle knotted the score at 33-33 for Cedarville with a layup to conclude the opening 20 minutes with an even tally.

Both squads shot similar percentages in the first half, with Wayne State shooting 37 percent (11-of-30) from the field and Cedarville 36 percent (13-of-36) from the floor.  Fugate's nine points led the Green and Gold at intermission.

Third Quarter
It was a back-and-forth 10-minute span with the Warriors outscoring the Yellow Jackets 28-25 in the high-scoring stanza.  CU pulled ahead 46-42 in just over the first four minutes of the half.  Later in the quarter, WSU grabbed a 54-51 lead coming out of the media timeout thanks to a 10-3 run, which forced Cedarville to call timeout with 2:46 remaining.  Ayrault (6 points) and sophomore forward Thaya Luse (Elburn, Ill. / Example Academy) (4) did all the scoring in the span, with Ayrault's pair of three-pointers putting her in double-figures for the game.

The Warriors led 61-58 after 30 minutes, which was their first lead after a frame all night.

Fourth Quarter
Wayne State pulled away in the final moments and never looked back, outscoring the hosts 17-10.  The fourth quarter included a 10-3 run in the first 3:22, with the final points in the stretch - a layup from Tripp - putting the Green and Gold ahead by double-digits for the first time.  The final 3:43 saw the visitors post a 7-5 advantage to put the finishing touches on a 10-point triumph.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State shot 43 percent (26-of-60) from the field, while Cedarville went 24-of-61 (39 percent) from the floor.  WSU converted on 9-of-24 three-pointers (38 percent), outpacing CU's 21 percent (5-of-24).  The Warriors nailed 17 of their 21 free throw attempts (81 percent), compared to the Yellow Jackets' 68 percent on 15-of-22.  The Green and Gold won the rebounding battle by 10 (45-35), while generating 20 more bench points (36-16) than the hosts.

LEADING THE WARRIORS
WSU posted quite the balanced scoring effort, as five Warriors finished the game in double-figures.  Ayrault and Luse tied for the Green and Gold team lead with 13 points, followed closely by Fugate (12), Tripp (11), and Lutchka (10).  Thompson had nine points and nine rebounds to finish just shy of a double-double, while Tripp had nine rebounds to fall one board short of the same performance.

LEADING THE YELLOW JACKETS
Lydia Sweeney's 16 points (7-of-12) led Cedarville.  Kyle (14) and Kat Weakley (12) joined Sweeney in double-figures for the game.  Kyle also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while garnering four steals to pace the Yellow Jackets.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play its home-opener on Friday, November 17 against Tiffin University, the fourth consecutive GMAC opponent for WSU to open the campaign.  Opening tip is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. from the Wayne State Fieldhouse.