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 Jasmine McCall had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the win over Ashland. |
Dec. 8, 2007
DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's basketball team (4-2 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) held an opponent to exactly 52 points for the third time this season, and for the third time WSU grabbed a victory, this one, 58-52, over visiting Ashland University (5-4, 1-2 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei.
The Warrior victory also snapped WSU's three-game home court losing streak to the Eagles. The last time Wayne State defended home court against AU was Jan. 29, 2004, a 75-64 Warrior triumph.
WSU shot just 21 percent (7-33) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes and had just two leads (5-3, 7-6) before intermission. Despite trailing by nine (23-14) with four minutes remaining in the first half, the Warriors battled scoring seven of the final 11 points of the stanza. Junior Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering) had the first five WSU points of the run, while classmate Jasmine McCall (Detroit, Mich./CMA) added a lay-up.
Wayne State trailed by six (27-21) at the break thanks to an advantage in turnovers (AU 13, WSU 5).
Ashland was able to regain a nine point lead (32-23) just two minutes into the second half before the Warriors rallied for eight of the next nine points. Senior Daijon Jefferson (Riverdale, Ill./Thornton) started with a triple, sophomore Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) scored inside and junior Kim Gear (Watervliet, Mich./Watervliet/Kalamazoo Valley C.C.) recorded the next three WSU points.
AU's Lisa Graue answered with a triple to end WSU's run. The Warrior deficit remained between three and eight for the next nine minutes until a jumper by Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) from just inside the three-point line made it a two-point ballgame at 48-46.
Gear blocked a Graue jumper and forced AU into a shot clock violation. At the other end of the floor, Gear grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to knot the game at 48. McCall had a steal which led to Nash's fast break lay-up giving WSU the lead for good at 50-48. Ashland's Alethea Lamberson missed inside and Nash answered with another jumper. After back-to-back offensive rebounds by the Eagles, Lynsey Warren scored inside to end Wayne State's 9-0 run.
McCall drove down the lane for two to regain the four point lead at 54-50 with 1:21 left. Neither team could score for nearly a minute as WSU missed the front end of a one-and-one, while Ashland missed two foul shots and a jumper. Bowers made both ends of a one-and-bonus but Lamberson answered with a jumper following an offensive rebound by Lindsey Gaut.
McCall, who led Wayne State with 16 points, nine rebounds and six steals, sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds. Nash had 13 points and three assists. Betsy Morrison had a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Ashland.
WSU shot a season-low 30.9 percent (21-68) from the floor but had 13 fewer turnovers (25-12) than Ashland. The 12 miscues by WSU is a season-best.
WSU concludes its three-game home stand with a 5:30 p.m. tip on Tuesday in a non-league contest against Tiffin.
