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 Joy Nash led WSU with 16 points against Hillsdale. |
Feb. 23, 2008
DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's basketball team (14-11 overall, 9-8 GLIAC) suffered a 76-60 setback to visiting 19th-ranked Hillsdale College (23-3 overall, 15-2) Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei in the final game of the regular season.
The Warriors had previously clinched a playoff spot and will play at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 1 in a GLIAC quarterfinal contest at Hillsdale. The game will air on 1400 AM (WDTK) and also online at wdtkam.com with broadcasters Chad Bush and Kent Herriman. This will mark the second straight year that WSU will play a first round GLIAC tournament game at Hillsdale.
The Chargers scored the first seven points of the game as WSU before a steal and fast break lay-up by junior Jasmine McCall (Detroit, Mich./CMA) at the 18:08 mark.
Wayne State pulled within four at 9-5 after junior Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) split a pair from the foul line with 16:15 remaining in the first half.
Hillsdale scored the next six points and lead by 18 at 30-12 with 8:36 left before intermission.
The closest WSU would get in the opening half was 11 at 38-27 following a lay-up by Nash with 85 seconds left.
The Warriors trailed 42-27 after 20 minutes as Hillsdale held a 53 percent (17-32) to 31 percent (9-29) advantage in field goal shooting. The Chargers also led 34-23 on the boards with Katie Cezat recording 12 points and 11 rebounds in the first half.
Wayne State had a 10-2 run to start the second half to pull within seven at 44-37 with 14:48 remaining. Four different Warriors scored during the stretch with senior Monique George (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) recording four points.
The Chargers answered with a 9-2 run to regain the 14 point lead at 53-39. WSU responded with an 8-2 run making it an eight-point contest at 55-47 with 8:21 remaining following a lay-up by George.
Hillsdale pushed its lead to 20 at 72-52 with 3:02 left following a pair of free throws by Julie Slot.
The second half scoring was nearly even with Hillsdale holding a 34-33 advantage.
Cezat led all players with 30 points and 16 rebounds. Nash led WSU with 16 points and two assists. It was Nash's 11th game this season and 30th in her career in double figures. Senior Nicole Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett) had a team-high five boards for the Warriors.
Also scoring in double figures for Wayne State were sophomore Lindsey West (Royal Oak, Mich./Kimball) with 11 points and George with 10 points. The 11 points for West were one shy of her career high (12 at Findlay on Jan. 3). George reached double figures for the seventh time this year and 13th in her career.
Notes:
Jasmine McCall recorded four steals increasing her season total to 97 and moving past Pearly Cunningham (1984-85) for third place on the WSU single-season list. Cunningham had 94 steals.
It was the final home game for four Warrior seniors: Monique George, Daijon Jefferson, Bethany Jury and Nicole Rogers.
Junior Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering) made 5-of-8 free throw attempts to move into second place on the WSU all-time chart with 293 foul shots made surpassing Ebony Vincent (2000-04), who made 291.
Wayne State has lost four straight games to Hillsdale since an 85-67 win at home on Dec. 9, 2006.
The 23 free throws attempted by WSU was the second-highest total this year, while the six blocked shots were also the second-highest mark this season.
The four three-point field goals made ties the mark for the lowest single-game output this year, while Hillsdale's two three-pointers made is tied for second lowest by an opponent this year (Grand Valley made one triple last Saturday - Feb. 16).
