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Wayne State University Athletics

Gabi Lutchka vs. Lake Superior State (1/27/24)
Izzy Rincon
Gabi Lutchka registered a career-best 24 points in the win over the Lakers.
57
Lake Superior St. LSSU 1-17,0-9 GLIAC
87
Winner Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 12-6,5-4 GLIAC
Lake Superior St. LSSU
1-17,0-9 GLIAC
57
Final
87
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne
12-6,5-4 GLIAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Lake Superior St. LSSU 18 7 18 14 57
Wayne St. (MI) Wayne 22 15 32 18 87

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Hoops Uses 50-Point Second Half to Down Lake Superior State

Several Warriors had strong performances on Saturday against LSSU.

DETROIT -- In the final contest of a three-game home stand, the Wayne State University women's basketball squad (12-6 overall, 5-4 GLIAC) used a 50-point second half to down the visiting Lake Superior State Lakers (1-17 overall, 0-9 GLIAC) 87-57 inside the Wayne State Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
WSU notched the game's first seven points over the initial 88 seconds.  In that span, sophomore forward Gabi Lutchka (Grass Lake, Mich.) nailed a three-pointer, while sophomore forward Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) and junior forward Shea Tripp (Jackson, Mich. / Michigan Center) connected on jump shots.  LSSU cut its deficit to two (10-8) following a jumper by Breah Golden with 5:22 remaining, but the Warriors outscored the Lakers 12-10 over the final 5:05 to end the opening quarter with a four-point lead (22-18).

Second Quarter
The Green and Gold held Lake Superior State to just seven points over the next 10-minute span, while notching 17 of their own.  Tripp tallied a pair of jumpers in 29 seconds to put the hosts ahead by 10 (33-23 and 35-25) twice with 4:02 and 3:33 to play, respectively.  Neither team saw the scoreboard again until sophomore forward Mackenzie Miller (Schoolcraft, Mich. (Lakeland University)) made a lay-up with one second left to give Wayne State a 12-point advantage (37-25) heading into the intermission.

Third Quarter
In the highest-scoring quarter of the afternoon, the Warriors posted 32 points in the third stanza to take control of the contest.  Wayne State went on an 18-5 run in just under five minutes before the media timeout, which extended its lead to 21 (51-30).  Lutchka recorded a lay-up with 7:09 left to put WSU in the lead by 20 (48-28) for the first time, while another lay-up from the sophomore granted the hosts a 25-point lead (55-30).  In the stretch of game action between 5:13 and 3:22, Lutchka mustered all eight Warrior points on the scoreboard.  

A three-pointer from junior guard Alyssa Leister (St. Louis, Mich. / Alma) with 2:16 remaining in the quarter extended the Green and Gold lead to 30 (65-35), but an 8-4 spurt by the Lakers in the final two minutes closed the edge to 26 (69-43) with one quarter to play.

Fourth Quarter
WSU outpaced LSSU 18-14 in the final period to coast to a 30-point victory.  After four points by the Warriors and two points from the Lakers in the opening 2:11 of the frame, neither team scored again until 6:16 left on a free throw from senior forward ZaMaria Polk (Detroit, Mich. / Mumford (Pensacola State/Cleveland State)).  A lay-up from freshman guard Annabel Ayrault (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North) pushed the WSU lead to 31 (78-47) with 5:27 to play.  Over the final five minutes, the Lakers outscored the Warriors by one (10-9).

WARRIOR NOTES
Lutchka poured in a personal best 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including a trio of triples.  Tripp notched her third double-double of 2023-24 with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  With the game largely decided in the closing minutes, several Warriors had strong performances off the bench.  Polk collected five rebounds, which is her most as a Warrior.  Freshman center J'Ahni Walker (Saginaw, Mich. / Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy) nailed her first two made field goals of her collegiate career in totaling a career-high five points.

TEAM STATS
Wayne State went 33-of-61 (54 percent) from the field for the contest, while Lake Superior State was 20-of-50 (40 percent).  The Lakers hit nine of their 21 three-pointers (43 percent), which was better than the Warriors' six on 18 attempts (33 percent).  WSU sank 15 of its 21 free throws (71 percent), with LSSU connecting on half of their foul shots (8-of-16).  The Green and Gold won the rebounding battle 41-23, while also finishing with more assists (21-11) and steals (12-6).

LEADING THE WARRIORS
Lutchka's 24 points led all scorers.  Tripp and Thompson each had 11 to also finish in double figures.  Tripp's 10 rebounds and five assists were also game highs, while redshirt senior guard Kate McArthur (Warren, Mich. / Cousino (Central Michigan)) dished out four assists to pace all players.

LEADING THE LAKERS
Jaden Wilder (12 points) and Taylor Stacey (11 points) were the lone Lakers in double figures.  Stacey drained three of her five three-point attempts in just over 12 minutes.  Gracey Metz had eight points with a team-high four rebounds and two steals.

UP NEXT
Wayne State will travel west for a pair of road contests.  That begins with a battle at Parkside on the first day of February.  Tip off next Thursday, February 1, from Kenosha, Wis., is slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

 
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