Dec. 12, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

2007-08 RECORDS:
Wayne State 7-1, 2-0 GLIAC
Saginaw Valley 3-4, 0-3 GLIAC

RADIO: WDTK (1400)
Chad Bush and Kent Herriman

ONLINE AUDIO: wdtkam.com

ONLINE VIDEO: NA

GAMETRACKER: NA

SERIES:
Saginaw Valley leads 29-28

LAST MEETING:
WSU def. SVSU 82-66 on 2-17-2007

GAME 9 STORYLINES

Wayne State heads into its final GLIAC game of 2007, this Saturday at Saginaw Valley, with a 2-0 conference mark and a 7-1 overall record following two home court victories last week.

WSU closes out 2007 with participation in the Findlay Holiday Classic on Dec. 28-29.

This year's start is the best since the 1998 team began the campaign 7-1. The last time a WSU team started 8-1 was in 1969.

On Dec. 6 against Northwood, the Warriors scored a season-low 58 points but won their conference opener by 13 points (58-45).

Holding a slim 48-44 lead with five minutes remaining, Wayne State went on an 8-0 run including the middle four points by sophomore Lendyn Davis to put the game out of reach at 56-44 with only 2:40 left.

Wynn Sarden scored in double figures, with 13 points, for the seventh consecutive game and missed a double-double by one rebound. Jason Saddler also had 13 points and tallied in double figures for the sixth straight contest. Lorenzo McClelland also had 13 points, reaching double figures for the seventh time this season. Sarden had a team-best nine rebounds. WSU was held without a three-point basket for the first time since Jan. 11, 2003, vs. Michigan Tech.

On Saturday, WSU had a come-from-behind win over visiting Ashland to end the Eagles three game winning streak.

The Warriors trailed by eight (56-48) with 8:59 remaining but went on a 14-0 run in just over a four minute period. Junior Jeremy Lathan started the rally with a triple after three consecutive offensive rebounds from the much smaller WSU forwards. Lathan followed with a steal and another three point basket to cut the deficit to two. After back-to-back turnovers by the Eagles, Sarden sank two free throws to knot the game at 56.

Lathan nailed two more consecutive triples after back-to-back AU miscues. Sarden scored a game-high 20 points to lead four Warriors in double figures.

Fourteen (14) of Wayne State's 15 games in 2008 will be league contests with the lone non-GLIAC match taking place on Feb. 13 at California (Pa.).

IN THE POLLS

Wayne State was selected for second in the GLIAC South Division of the 2007-08 pre-season media poll, while Saginaw Valley was tabbed for the fifth in the GLIAC North Division of the media poll.

ON THE BENCH

Wayne State's David Greer is in his seventh season at WSU and eighth season overall with records of 98-78 and 115-90, respectively.

Saginaw Valley's Frankie Smith is in his first year with the Cardinals after serving as an assistant coach at Miami University.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Saginaw Valley leads 29-28 after WSU's home court win last year.

THIS AND THAT

All Wayne State men's basketball games can be heard on WDTK Radio (1400 AM).

Fans can also listen to all WSU men's basketball games online at wdtkam.com.

Selected home and away games will also be available online as video webcasts through an agreement with B2 Networks.

All WSU home game statistics can be followed using Gametracker at wsuathletics.com.

SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY

The Cardinals have lost four in a row after winning their first three games of the season.

Senior Mario Mackey is third in the GLIAC in scoring (17.9 points per game), while Lawrence Ross (16.4) is ninth.

Mike Zuiderveen is second in the league in rebounding (10.4) and third in field goal percentage (65.3) with Ross ranking second in assists (4.14 per game).

WSU'S BEST STARTS

2007 -- 7-1
1998 -- 6-0/6-1/7-1/7-2
1969 -- 4-0/4-1/8-1/8-2
1956 -- 6-0/6-1/8-1/8-2
1955 -- 1-0/1-1/18-1/loss to Kentucky in NCAA Sweet Sixteen