DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (2-0 GLIAC) will conclude a stretch of four games in six days by visiting Davenport University (0-2 GLIAC) for a pair of contests this weekend.  Friday's tip-off at the DU Student Center is slated for 5 p.m., while Saturday's series finale starts at 1 p.m.

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads 4-2 in the all-time series against the Panthers.  Davenport won the first game in the series (December 16, 2017) and last year's second meeting, both in Caledonia.  The Warriors are 1-2 at the DU Student Center, with the lone triumph coming on December 6, 2018, as Grace George totaled a team-high 19 points.  Davenport's 74-63 win last season ended WSU's four-game winning streak in the series.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Davenport lost twice this past weekend at Northwood (99-67 and 87-58) to start its 2020-21 campaign.

The Panthers were led by Loni Sales, who scored 33 points vs. the Timberwolves on 12-of-25 shooting from the field, including 3-of-8 from behind the arc.  Toni Grace contributed 28 points and recorded team-best totals of seven assists and four steals, while Scout Nelson chipped in with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Taylor Opolka leads the squad with 15 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Head coach Rick Albro is in his fourth year with the DU women's basketball program.  He has led the Panthers to a 20-65 overall record.

LAKE SUPERIOR SERIES RECAP
Wayne State swept the visiting Lake Superior State Lakers (75-52 and 79-61) on Monday and Tuesday to conclude the opening weekend of GLIAC play.  All six league series ended in sweeps.

In Monday's contest, WSU concluded the first half on a 5-2 spurt to even the score at 31-31 at intermission.

The Warrior defense held Lake Superior State without a field goal for over nine minutes to start the third period (just two free throws by the Lakers), while totaling 25 points before LSSU's Rebecca Villanueva scored on a lay-up.

Sam Cherney led WSU with seven points in the frame, while Grace George added six points and Becca Fugate contributed five points.

George had a game-high 20 points (two shy of her career high), while Cherney notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-best 10 rebounds, along with three blocked shots.  Fugate chipped in with 10 points and four assists.  Alexis Miller dished out a game-high five assists.

In a script very similar to the day before, it was a close first quarter on Tuesday with four ties and neither team having a lead greater than three until Sam Cherney scored in the final 35 seconds of the opening stanza to give WSU a 21-16 lead after 10 minutes.

Approaching the mid-point of the second quarter, the Warriors led by one point (25-24) following a triple by Laker Abbey Krugh.  The margin would be one point four more times prior to intermission with Wayne State holding a 33-32 advantage at halftime.

In Tuesday's game, the Warriors outscored Lake Superior State 26-14 in the third quarter.

Cherney (8 points) and George (4 points) combined to score Wayne State's first 12 points of third quarter before five consecutive points by Becca Fugate in less than 30 seconds pushed the lead to 11 at 50-39.

George had a double-double with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.  Cherney shattered her previous career-best of 15 points with 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting.  She also chipped in with nine rebounds and five blocks.  Fugate scored in double figures for the second straight day with 10 points.  Alexis Miller contributed a team-high four assists.

WAYNE STATE SEASON PREVIEW
The Warriors lost four letterwinners from last year's squad that compiled a 16-14 overall mark.  Three of WSU's top-five scorers from a season ago (Sadia Johnson - 13.6 PPG, Nastassja Chambers - 10.9 PPG, and Alex Matus 43 triples) have graduated.

The cupboard is not bare for 10th-year head coach Carrie Lohr, as junior Grace George, who was a Preseason All-GLIAC South Division selection after nearly averaging a double-double with 11.4 PPG and nine rebounds per contest, returns along with classmate Sam Cherney, a 2019-20 All-GLIAC Defensive Team honoree.  Cherney recorded a school record 62 blocked shots and grabbed 8.7 boards per game as a sophomore.

Also back are a quartet of seniors in Tori Perez, Anna Ruhstorfer, Kara Wilson and Ariel Bethea.

Juniors Alexis Miller and Kate Sherwood both played over 400 minutes last year.  The sophomore class consists of guard Becca Fugate, who scored 100 points and Central Michigan transfer Kate McArthur.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Junior forward Grace George was named to the All-GLIAC South Division Preseason Team.

TABBED FOR FOURTH
Wayne State was voted fourth in the GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll.  

Ashland was selected first in the South Division with 11 first-place votes and 61 points.  Grand Valley State earned the other first-place vote and 43 points.  Saginaw Valley State (39 points) and Wayne State (28 points) were ahead of Northwood (27 points) and Davenport (18 points).

WARRIOR COACHES
Assistant coach Karen Lafata has been by head coach Carrie Lohr's side almost since day one of Lohr's tenure.  

Graduate assistant Christina Green joined the coaching staff in the summer of 2019.  Green played basketball for the Warriors between 2013 and 2017.  She finished her collegiate experience ranked sixth in career field goal percentage (.510 / 173-339, min. 150 made) and tied-for-19th in blocked shots (33).  Green also scored in double figures 19 times, 10 of which were during her senior year.

WARRIOR ALL-ACCESS
Every home basketball game this season will be streamed live for free at WSUAthletics.com/watch.