Women's Basketball 1/21/2020 2:30:00 PM Lauren Bryne, Sports Information Graduate Intern

Women's Basketball to Host SVSU and Northwood in GLIAC Matchups

The Warriors will play Saginaw Valley State on Thursday (5:30 p.m.) and NU on Saturday (1:00 p.m.).

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (9-8 overall, 3-6 GLIAC) will continue conference play with two home contests this week. The Warriors will host Saginaw Valley State (8-9 overall, 4-5 GLIAC) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, followed by a 1:00 p.m. tip-off versus Northwood on Saturday.

STORYLINES
Wayne State hosts two GLIAC contests this week. The Warriors will face Saginaw Valley State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. games versus Northwood on Saturday.

THE SERIES
WSU trails 34-39 in the all-time series vs. Saginaw Valley State, which started in 1976. Since 2000, Wayne State has won 18-of-28 meetings. Last season, the Warriors edged SVSU, 50-48, at home on Jan. 19, 2019, but fell in Cardinal territory (69-64) a month later. WSU has won the last two home meetings after dropping three consecutive contests in the Matthaei (2/8/2014-2/23/2017) to the Saginaw Valley State.

Wayne State leads 31-28 against Northwood in the all-time series that began in 1980. Last season, the Green and Gold posted a 69-60 win at in Detroit on January 17th. In the second meeting of 2018-19, WSU suffered a 78-72 overtime loss at NU on February 23rd.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Saginaw Valley State is 8-9 overall, with a 4-5 record in GLIAC contests. The Cardinals split their conference contests last week. SVSU notched a 78-69 victory at Davenport on Jan. 16th, but fell at home (57-42) to fourth-ranked Grand Valley State on Jan. 18th.

Freshman guard Kaitlyn Zarycki leads Saginaw Valley State in both scoring at 13.4 points per game and steals (28). Two other players average in double digits, including senior Aaliah Hill (10.7 PPG) and sophomore Maddie Barrie (10.6 PPG). Junior Kaitlyn Geers leads the Cardinals in rebounding (5.9 RPG), while sophomore Maddie Maloney averages 4.3 assists per contest.

Northwood enters the week with an overall record of 4-13, including a 2-7 mark in league games. The Timberwolves split their GLIAC contests last week. NU was upended 74-35 at fourth-ranked Grand Valley State on Jan. 16th, but tallied a 64-39 home court win vs. Davenport on Jan. 18th. Northwood will travel to third-ranked Ashland this Thursday before facing the Warriors on Saturday.

Junior Ellie Taylor is the lone Timberwolf averaging in double figures (12.5 PPG), while also leading the team in rebounding (4.8 RPG). Freshman Alli Keyser averages 2.8 assists per game, while senior Hunter Viitala leads NU in steals (1.2 SPG).

LAST WEEK RECAP
The Warriors fell, 83-77, at Parkside on Jan 16th. Wayne State shot 44 percent (30-of-69) from the floor, while UWP shot 49 percent (30-of-61) from the field. WSU was 6-of-18 (33 percent) from beyond the arc, with the Rangers connecting on 50 percent (12-of-24) of their shots from three-point range, including 6-of-10 in the second half. The Warriors were 11-of-14 (79 percent) from the charity stripe, while Parkside was 11-of-12 (92 percent). The Warriors had a 42-27 edge in rebounding, while also leading 5-1 in blocked shots. Senior Nastassja Chambers recorded a game-high 24 points (just two shy of her career high), while also contributing a team-best four blocks and three steals. Sophomore Grace George (20) and junior Tori Perez (10) also scored in double digits. George's game-high 18 rebounds contributed to her seventh career double-double. Senior Alex Matus dished out a career-best and team-high six assists.

Wayne State notched a 71-59 victory at Purdue Northwest last Saturday. WSU shot 47 percent (27-of-58) from the floor, while the Pride connected on 24-of-69 (35 percent) from the field. The Warriors were 11-of-14 (79 percent) from the charity stripe, with PNW connecting on all thre of its foul shots. Wayne State had a 48-30 edge in rebounding, while also leading 10-4 in blocked shots. Senior Sadia Johnson scored a game-best 22 points, including five buckets from long distance. Chambers contributed 15 points and a season-high eight rebounds in her 100th career contest for the Green and Gold. George earned her eighth double-double of the year with 14 points and a game-best 11 boards. George led the team with a career-high four assists. Sophomore Sam Cherney nearly had a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points.

GLIAC RANKINGS
Sophomore Grace George leads the league in rebounding at 10.3 boards per game and 175 total rebounds. Classmate Sam Cherney is fifth in the GLIAC with 144 rebounds and sixth at 8.5 boards per contest.

Senior Nastassja Chambers is third the conference with an .865 free throw percentage (45-of-52), while classmate Sadia Johnson ranks fifth (.842 // 48-of-57).

Wayne State leads the conference with 42.9 rebounds per game, while ranking second in blocks per game (4.4).

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 and Perez each have one double-double. Cherney notched hers against Central State (11/13) with 10 points and a season-best 11 rebounds, while Perez earned her double-double versus Tiffin (11/26) with a career-high 12 points and 10 boards.

BUILDING BLOCKS TO SEASON HIGHS
On January 2, 2020, Wayne State had a season high of eight blocks at Michigan Tech. Prior to that, WSU most recently blocked eight shots on February 22, 2018, once again at MTU.

The 2019-20 team is currently ranked first in single-season history with 4.4 blocked shots per contest. The Warriors surpassed the 2012-13 squad that averaged 4.3 blocks per game. This season, Wayne State has tallied 74 blocks, which is tied-for-16th 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 31, which is seventh in single-season history. She passed her mark of 30 blocks set last year. Cherney is also second in blocked shots average for a single season, with 1.8 blocks per contest. In less than two seasons she has accumulated 61 career blocks, ranking eighth 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 tied-for-10th in three-point field goals made (114) and 15th in three-point field goal percentage (.329 / 114-of-347 - min. 50 made).

TOUGH COMPETITION
Wayne State has played three top-25 teams this season. Walsh, previously unranked when the teams met in the season opener (L, 66-96), is now 19th in the nation. No. 2-Ashland was ranked fourth at the last meeting (L, 54-79), while No. 3-Grand Valley State was ranked third (L, 41-67). The Warriors will play AU and GVSU once more before the season concludes.

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.

LOCKER ROOM REPORT
Check WSUAthletics.com every week to watch Carrie Lohr's weekly locker room report. She will recap the week's previous games and preview upcoming opponents.

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