#4 Ferris State Bounces Back For Big Home Win Over Wayne State In Play4Kay Contest

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's basketball squad, which is ranked fourth nationally, bounced back in a big way by beating Wayne State 74-64 at home on Saturday (Feb. 17) afternoon inside Jim Wink Arena.

The Bulldogs claimed their 18th win of the year and topped the Warriors for the second time this season with a strong second-half performance. FSU outscored WSU by seven points in the third quarter en route to the 10-point win.

The two teams took part in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Play4Kay initiative in support of women's cancer research as part of the day's events.

In the contest, the Bulldogs got an impressive performance from junior Kadyn Blanchard, who tallied a game-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds in a double-double performance.

Additionally, senior floor leader Mallory McCartney returned to the lineup after missing Thursday's game and came up with 17 points, nine assists and rebounds along with four steals in 40 minutes of action. Fellow senior Chloe Idoni added 14 points for FSU, which improved to 18-3 overall and 12-2 in league play.

The Bulldgos shot 52.8% for the game and netted 11-of-24 (45.8%) three's to go with a seven-of-nine (77.8%) showing at the free throw line.

Meanwhile, Wayne State converted only 34.9% of its field goals and the Warriors finished eight-of-25 (32.0%) from deep along with 12-of-17 (70.6%) at the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs owned a 37-31 rebounding margin, but Wayne State tallied 14 offensive boards to seven for FSU, leading to a 14-5 scoring margin on the offensive glass.

However, the Bulldogs came up with 10 steals and 10 blockced shots on the defensive end while owning a 29-12 edge in fast break scoring overall. FSU did have 22 turnovers and the Warriors finished with 14 on the day.

Wayne State, which fell to 16-8 overall and 9-6 in conference action, was led by Shea Tripp's team-high 18-point performance. Both Taylor Thompson and Gabi Lutchka added 12 points each.

Ferris State will take on archrival Grand Valley State in a league showdown next Thursday (Feb. 22) evening in Allendale with tipoff set for 6 p.m. (ET) at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers own a one-game lead over FSU atop the conference standings with four games remaining in the regular season.