The Malone University women's basketball team fell short at home Thursday night to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opponent Wayne State University (MI) by the final score of 76-68.

A pair of three-pointers by senior Alyssa Brandon would lift Malone to a 14-9 lead with 16:06 remaining in the first half. The Warriors, ranked 10th in the most recent NCAA Division II National Poll, would then go on a 11-0 run in the next four minutes to take the lead 20-14. Kristen Massey, Audrey Myers and Leslie Raifsnider then made back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to regain the lead for Malone 23-20 with 10:32 left in the first. The two squads would trade baskets over the next several minutes before the Warriors opened up some breathing room, outscoring the Pioneers 12-6 over the final five minutes of the period to take a 41-36 advantage into the locker room at halftime..

In all, the Pioneers made eight three-pointers in the first half. Brandon led the squad with three.

Wayne State would tack on to their lead at the start of the stanza, using a 12-4 surge to make the score 53-40 with 15:24 on the clock. The WSU advantage grew to as many as 14 points before a three-pointer by Myers kick started a 7-0 Pioneer run that cut the deficit to 65-58 with 6:20 remaining. Forward Bri Libertore would then pull Malone to within three on two separate occasions - the first on a lay-up with 2:47 to go that made the score 69-66 and the second on an offensive rebound and put-back that trimmed the margin to 71-68 with 1:59 left in regulation. However, the Pioneers were unable to get any closer the rest of the way as Wayne State notched the final five points of the evening with a three-point shot and a pair of made free throws, sealing the 76-68 victory .

Myers led Malone with 13 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Brandon and Rachel Goddard each chipped in with 12 points. Brandon went 4-for-8 at the three point line on the night and also grabbed five rebounds. Libertore added 11 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.  

Shareta Brown paced the Warriors with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

In all, the Pioneers drained 12 three-pointers and enjoyed a 39-31 edge on the boards.  Wayne State countered by scoring a total of 24 points off 22 Malone turnovers.

The Pioneers will go on the road to face conference opponent the University of Findlay on Saturday, January 31st. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Fans can catch all of the action live on the Malone Sports Network (ESPN 990 AM and streaming audio at www.espn990.com) Findlay will also provide a live video stream.