Feb. 8, 2006

Wayne State (9-11, 4-8 GLIAC) vs.
Mercyhurst (17-5, 7-5 GLIAC)
Gannon (10-12, 4-8 GLIAC)
Feb. 9 - 7:30 pm & Feb. 11 - 3:00 pm

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 GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University men's basketball team makes its final push of the season as the Warriors host a pair of GLIAC South rivals this week as Mercyhurst (Thursday, 7:30 pm) and Gannon (Saturday, 3:00 pm) visit the Matthaei.

WSU will honor the 1955-56 men's basketball team at halftime of Saturday's contest. The squad advanced to the NCAA Division I Sweet Sixteen by defeating DePaul, before losing to Kentucky in the Midwest Region. Meanwhile, Thursday is the final installment of "Jazz & Jump Shots" sponsored by V98.7 Smooth Jazz.

Following this weekend, Wayne State will play two games on the road (Ferris State and SVSU), before its final home game of the season against Hillsdale.

 SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Lakers have won six of their last seven games, but have just one league road win. Junior Avi Fogel is tied for third in the GLIAC at 17.0 points a contest and sixth at 4.23 assists per game. The first-year Laker is also third in free throw percentage (82.8) and second in minutes played (35.36) behind WSU's Kris Krzyminski.

Like Mercyhurst, the Golden Knights have struggled on the road, going just 1-6 away from Erie. Junior Aurimas Truskauskas was GLIAC South Player of the Week as he averaged a double-double last week with 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

 ON THE BENCH
David Greer is in his fifth year at Wayne State and has a 77-61 record. Gannon's John Reilly is in his first season as the head coach. MC's Gary Manchel is 41-36 in his third year with the Lakers.

 IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was tied with Gannon for second place in the South Division of the GLIAC coaches' preseason poll. Both teams earned one first-place and 18 total points behind Findlay's 24 points. MC was picked sixth with six points.

 THE SERIES
Gannon leads the all-time series, 14-11, but WSU has won 13 of 21 meetings against the Lakers.

 LAST GAME NOTES
Wayne State held Ashland to just a pair of free throws in the final 3:11, and the Eagles missed two three-point attempts in the last 10 seconds, as WSU held on for a 59-56 win at Kates Gymnasium and earned a season sweep of AU. Wayne State also out-rebounded Ashland by nine to hold the Eagles to their second-lowest output of the season.

The Warriors trailed 11-9 before Will Pierce hit a three and Herb Goliday scored on a layup with 10:23 to play in the first half. Just over a minute later, Kris Krzyminski's three-point play put WSU up 19-13.

The Eagles got within three points with just five minutes left, but WSU outscored Ashland 10-6 the rest of the half, including another Krzyminski three-point play to lead 33-26 at the break.

Goliday made a layup six and a half minutes into the second half to give Wayne State its largest lead of the game at 45-34.

Ashland went on an 11-2 run to tie the game with 5:26 left, but Krzyminski's jumper on WSU's next possession gave the Warriors the lead for good.

Krzyminski's 19 points led all players. Goliday was the only other Warrior in double digits with 10, giving him 19 double-digit games this season.