Women's Basketball 1/2/2019 8:49:00 AM Lauren Bryne, Sports Information Graduate Intern

Women's Hoops to Host NMU and MTU in First Contests of 2019

Both games can be seen live on Comcast CN900.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad will host its first two league contests of 2019. The Warriors face Northern Michigan on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Michigan Tech on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will host Northern Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 3, at 5:30 p.m. and Michigan Tech on Saturday, Jan. 5, at 1:00 p.m. The Warriors have won five of their previous six contests, including a 72-65 triumph over Fairmont State on Dec. 30.

THE SERIES
NMU leads 31-25 in the all-time series, which began in 1976. WSU, however, is 15-11 at home. Last season, the games were split with Wayne State claiming a 64-50 win in Detroit, but losing by a point in Wildcat territory, 67-66.

The Warriors are 20-40 all-time against the Huskies. The series began in 1981, with WSU winning 10 of the 11 first games. Last season, Wayne State claimed victories in both contests versus MTU, winning 50-40 in Detroit and 71-69 at Michigan Tech.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northern Michigan has started 2018-19 with a 9-3 record despite falling 58-50 vs. Lewis on Dec. 17. Last season, the Wildcats finished 15-14 overall and 11-9 in GLIAC contests.

Junior forward/center Jessica Schultz leads NMU in scoring (10.4 PPG) and blocks (1.5 BPG). Junior forward Erin Honkala grabs 6.2 boards per contest, while Schultz snags 5.1 rebounds per game. Head coach Troy Mattson is in his 14th year and has won 191 games at NMU.

Michigan Tech is 7-5 overall entering Thursday's match at Ashland. Last year, the Huskies compiled a 23-6 overall mark, along with a 17-3 GLIAC record.

Junior forward Abbie Botz leads MTU in scoring (13.3 PPG) and rebounding (7.5 RPG), while freshman guard Ellie Mackay is averaging 10.0 PPG. First-year head coach Sam Hoyt returned to Houghton where she scored 1,434 points (2009-13).

LAST TIME OUT
WSU notched a 72-65 victory at home on Dec. 30 against Fairmont State. Junior guard Nastassja Chambers and senior guard Ja'Nae Williams led the Warriors, both scoring a team-high 16 points. Williams also notched her fifth double-double of the season with a game-high 11 rebounds. Senior guard India Hawkins contributed 11 points, while sophomore forward Tori Perez tallied 10 points. Wayne State was 24-of-31 (77 percent) from the charity stripe, had a 47-25 lead in rebounds, and led 38-2 in bench scoring.

GLIAC RANKINGS
Junior guard Alex Matus is first in the league with 31 three-pointers made, with freshman guard Alexis Miller tied-for-15th after making 16 triples. Senior guard Ja'Nae Williams is currently second in the conference, snagging a total of 111 rebounds in the first 12 contests. Freshman forward Sam Cherney is ranked sixth with 95 total boards. Junior guard Nastassja Chambers is 10th in the GLIAC in scoring average (12.4 PPG) with Williams at 11th (12.3).

CRASHING THE BOARDS
Ja'Nae Williams leads the squad in rebounds, grabbing double-digit boards in nine of the 12 games. She has accumulated 111 rebounds (9.3 RPG) this season. In addition, Williams has four double-doubles: against Findlay (10 points & 12 rebounds), at Tiffin (14 points & 10 rebounds), vs. Lake Superior State (18 points & 10 rebounds), and versus Fairmont State (16 points & 11 rebounds).

CONNECTING FROM LONG DISTANCE
Alex Matus can be found beyond the arc, shooting a triple. Last season, she connected on 37-of-106 three-pointers in 26 games. Matus has drained 31-of-76 triples in the first 12 games this year, for a three-point field goal percentage of .408 (compared to last year's .349).

TOUGH COMPETITION
As of Dec. 18, two GLIAC teams were ranked in the top 11 of the WBCA D2 Coaches Poll. Ashland (9-1) remained in the No. 8 spot after a win against Notre Dame (OH) on Dec. 17. Grand Valley State (9-1) remains ranked No. 11 after notching a victory over Central State (OH) on Dec. 17.

MAKING STRIDES
Following the 2017-18 season record of 19-8, Wayne State was tied-for-eighth among the 2018 Most Improved Teams, along with Union (TN). WSU enhanced its record by 11.5 games, after an 8-20 record during the 2016-17 season.

NEW FACES
The 2018-19 campaign features four new faces on this season's 16-player roster. Freshmen Sam Cherney (6-3 forward), Grace George (6-0 forward), Alexis Miller (5-7 guard), and Kate Sherwood (5-8 guard) have joined the Warriors this year. Additionally, redshirt senior Daejia Hill enters the lineup once again after rejoining the squad last January.

MOVING UP IN THE POLLS
After being tabbed-for-fourth in the South Division of the 2017-18 GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll (then finished fourth overall), WSU was selected to finish third in the South Division in this year's Coaches' Poll with 39 points. The Warriors recorded a league mark of 14-6 last year.

PRE-SEASON ACCOLADES
Junior guard Nastassja Chambers was named to the Preseason All-GLIAC South Division Team. It is the first time she has received this honor.

COMCAST/XFINITY
Beginning in 2019, Wayne State's home women's basketball games will be aired live throughout the state of Michigan on Comcast CN 900. Sean Baligian, Rod Beard and Joe Abramson will call the action.

FROM WNBA TO COACHING
Plenette Pierson was named an assistant coach at WSU this past August, following a 15-year WNBA career. Pierson won three WNBA Championships while playing for the Phoenix Mercury (2003-05), Detroit Shock/Tulsa Shock (2006-10), New York Liberty (2010-14), Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings (2015-16) and the Minnesota Lynx (2017).

She was selected as the inaugural Sixth Woman of the Year in 2007 and a WNBA West All-Star in 2015. Pierson ranks 29th all-time in career points (4,258), 24th in rebounds (1,834), 24th in blocks (242), and 15th in field goal percentage (.439).

Pierson also played in 49 career playoff games. She ranks 27th all-time in playoff rebounds (208) and 19th in playoff blocks (31).

WARRIOR COACHES
Assistant coach Karen Lafata has been by head coach Carrie Lohr's side since about day one of Lohr's tenure. In Lafata's second year (2012-13), she helped guide WSU to the second-most wins in a season (22) as well as the first two NCAA Tournament wins in program history. The next year, Wayne State won the GLIAC regular-season title with a 17-5 record and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. In 2014-15, Lafata assisted the Warriors in tying the school record for wins in a season (23), claiming the GLIAC South Division title with a school record of 18 league victories, and advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Graduate assistant coach Juanita Cochran is returning for her second season at WSU. Prior to the start of her coaching career, Cochran played for the University of New Orleans (2009-10), Stony Brook (2010-11), and Wayne State (2011-13). She started 51 games for the Warriors and ranks 46th in scoring, despite playing only two seasons for the Green and Gold. In 2013, Cochran helped WSU reach the NCAA Midwest Regional final (Sweet Sixteen), where she scored 15 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds in the loss at Ashland.

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