Women's Basketball 2/18/2020 12:00:00 PM Lauren Bryne, Sports Information Graduate Intern

Women's Basketball Travels to Northwood and SVSU for Final Road Games

The Warriors will face NU on Thursday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. tip-off at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University women's basketball squad (14-11 overall, 8-9 GLIAC) looks to extend its winning streak in the final two road contests of the regular season. The Warriors will travel to Northwood (8-17 overall, 6-11 GLIAC) on Thursday for a 6:00 p.m. contest, followed by a 1:00 p.m. tip-off at Saginaw Valley State (12-13 overall, 8-9 GLIAC) on Saturday.

STORYLINES
Wayne State will travel to Northwood and Saginaw Valley State for its final two road contests of the regular season. The Warriors will face NU on Thursday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. tip-off versus the Cardinals on Saturday.

THE SERIES
Wayne State leads 32-28 in the all-time series vs. Northwood, which started in 1980. Earlier this season, WSU notched a 68-59 home victory over the Timberwolves. The Warriors are 11-18 at NU.

Wayne State trails 35-39 against Saginaw Valley State in the all-time series that began in 1976. In the first meeting this season, the Green and Gold won 74-64 in Detroit. WSU is 15-22 in Cardinal territory.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northwood is 8-17 overall, with a 6-11 record in GLIAC contests. The Timberwolves split league play last week with a 75-70 victory at Davenport, followed by a 67-51 loss against sixth-ranked Grand Valley State. NU enters the week ninth in the conference standings.

Junior Ellie Taylor leads Northwood in both scoring (11.4 PPG) and rebounding (5.2 RPG). Freshman Makenzie Todd averages 9.0 points per game. Junior Kenzie Seeley dishes out 3.8 assists per contest, while freshman Alli Keyser contributes 1.3 steals per game.

Saginaw Valley State enters the week with an overall record of 12-13, including an 8-9 mark in league games. The Cardinals split GLIAC play last week with a 72-34 loss at No. 6-Grand Valley State on Feb. 13th, and a 75-52 home victory against Davenport on Feb. 15th. SVSU will host second-ranked Ashland this Thursday before playing WSU on Saturday. Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State are currently tied-for-sixth in the GLIAC standings.

Freshman Kaitlyn Zarycki leads the Cardinals in scoring at 14.3 points per game, along with 2.1 steals per contest. Senior Aaliah Hill (10.7 PPG) and sophomore Maddie Barrie (10.2 PPG) also average in double figures. Hill leads SVSU in rebounding at 5.2 boards per game, while sophomore Maddie Maloney dishes out 4.1 assists per contest.

LAST WEEK RECAP
Wayne State recorded an 81-58 home court victory against Purdue Northwest on Feb. 13th at the Matthaei. Wayne State shot 43 percent (30-of-70) from the field, compared to the Pride's 36 percent (22-of-61). The Warriors connected on 13-of-16 (81 percent) from the foul line, with PNW making just 8-of-12 (67 percent). WSU had a 50-31 edge in rebounding, while also leading 18-11 in assists and 6-3 in blocked shots. Junior Kara Wilson tallied a career-high 13 points. Sophomore Grace George earned her 10th double-double with 10 points and a game-best 15 rebounds. Senior Sadia Johnson also scored in double figures with 10 points, while dishing out a game-high and career-best five assists. Freshman Mercedes Wagner blocked a career-high three shots.

WSU upended Parkside, 81-62, in Detroit on Feb. 15th. Wayne State shot 49 percent (28-of-57) from the field, compared to 32 percent (20-of-62) for the Rangers. The Warriors connected on 6-of-13 (46 percent) from beyond the arc, with UWP making just 9-of-33 (27 percent). WSU had a 43-35 edge in rebounding, while also leading 9-3 in steals and 5-0 in blocked shots. Senior Sadia Johnson scored a game-best 21 points, including 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Sam Cherney notched her fourth career double-double with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Senior Nastassja Chambers (13) and sophomore Kate Sherwood (10) also scored in double figures, while classmate Grace George dished out a team-best three assists.

GLIAC RANKINGS
Sophomore Grace George leads the league in rebounding at 9.6 boards per game and 240 total rebounds. Classmate Sam Cherney is third in the GLIAC in both blocks per game (1.8 BPG) and rebounds (8.5 RPG).

Senior Sadia Johnson is seventh in the conference with an .838 free throw percentage (67-of-80).

Wayne State leads the conference with 41.7 rebounds per game, while ranking second in blocks per game (4.9), fourth in field-goal percentage defense (.340) and fifth in free throw percentage (.740).

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Three players recorded their first career double-doubles this season, including sophomores Sam Cherney and Grace George, and junior Tori Perez.

George has tallied 10 double-doubles this season. Her first nine 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, against Davenport (1/9) with 15 points and 11 boards, at Parkside (1/16) with 20 points and 18 rebounds, at Purdue Northwest (1/18) with 14 points and 11 boards, and at DU (2/8) with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Her most recent double-double was vs. PNW (2/13) with 10 points and a game-best 15 boards.

Cherney has four double-doubles. She notched her first three against Central State (11/13) with 10 points and 11 rebounds; vs. Saginaw Valley State (1/23) with 11 boards and 10 points; and versus Northwood (1/25) with 12 rebounds and a season-best 13 points. Her most recent double-double was in the win vs. Parkside (2/15) with 13 points and a game-best 10 rebounds.

Perez recorded her lone double-double versus Tiffin (11/26) with a career-high 12 points and 10 boards.

BUILDING BLOCKS TO SEASON HIGHS
On January 18, 2020, Wayne State had a season-high 10 blocks at Purdue Northwest. WSU's previous season best was eight blocks at Michigan Tech on January 2, 2020.

The 2019-20 team is currently first in single-season history with 4.9 blocked shots per contest. The current Warriors lead the 2012-13 squad that averaged 4.3 blocks per game. This season, Wayne State has tallied 122 blocks, which is second 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 46, which is second in single-season history. She has already passed her mark of 30 blocks from last year. Cherney is also second in blocked shots per game for a single season, at 1.8 blocks. Trena Sanders (1989-90) holds the current record of 1.9 blocked shots per game. In less than two seasons Cherney has accumulated 76 career blocks, which is fourth in Wayne State history.

REACHING MILESTONES
Many Warriors are moving up in both the WSU season and career rankings.

In single-season records, sophomore Grace George has grabbed a total of 240 rebounds this year to tie-for-18th. Classmate Sam Cherney needs four blocks to equal the single-school record with Trena Sanders (1989-90).

As for WSU career records, Cherney needs just seven blocks to set the school record. Jessica King (2000-03) currently holds the top spot with 82 blocks. Senior Alex Matus needs four three-pointers made to move into seventh place. Classmate Nastassja Chambers needs nine minutes played to rank third all-time, 26 points for second all-time, and four games played to tie-for-fourth all-time.

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 10th in three-point field goals made (131) and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.332 / 131-of-395 - min. 50 made).

By draining nine triples vs. Lake Superior State on Jan. 30, 2020, Matus tied the school record for three-point field goals made in a game. The only other time that a Warrior women's basketball player recorded nine long-distance baskets during a game was by Brooke Bowers in January 2008 vs. Mercyhurst. Matus' 32 points was a career high, with her previous career best at 18 points. The last WSU player to score at least 32 points in a game was Shareta Brown in January 2015 versus Grand Valley State.

NATIONAL STATUS
In the Division II NCAA rankings, Wayne State is 13th in blocked shots (122), 16th at 4.9 blocks per game, 32nd in free throws made (367), 38th in rebounds (1043), and 46th in defensive rebounds per game (28.7 RPG).

Sophomores Grace George and Sam Cherney appear in the top 45 multiple times. George is ranked 27th nationally in rebounds (240), 39th in boards per game (9.6 RPG), and 41st in defensive rebounds per contest (6.6 RPG). Cherney is 32nd in the nation in blocked shots (46) and 45th with 1.8 blocks per contest.

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.

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

#21 Kate Sherwood: G; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#23 Mercedes Wagner: C; 6' 1"; Freshman

#2 Kara Wilson: G; 5' 8"; 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

#21 Kate Sherwood
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Mercedes Wagner
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: C

#2 Kara Wilson
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G