 |
 Casey Banks had a career-high 18 points. |
Jan. 3, 2006
DETROIT - A career-high 18 points by senior Casey Banks (Detroit, Mich.) helped the Wayne State women's basketball team (4-7) outscore Marygrove (5-12) by 20 points in the second half and overcome a 10-point halftime hole to win, 86-76, in the first-ever meeting between the two Detroit schools on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
The Mustangs opened the game with a four-point play and went on to outscore the Warriors 11-2 in the first 2:41 of the contest. WSU scored four straight points before committing seven team fouls in less than four minutes, putting MC in the bonus at the 16:02 mark.
Marygrove led by as many as 14 at 24-10 before junior Cherita Smith (Grand Rapids, Mich.) knocked down her fourth shot of the game with 12:56 on the clock. Two more Smith baskets in a row cut the deficit down to eight points as she scored 12 of WSU's first 16 points.
The Warriors continued their 11-0 run with a Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich.) layup and a three-pointer by sophomore Brittany White (Chicago, Ill.) to climb within three points at 24-21.
Marygrove answered with an 11-3 run until Banks found Daijon Jefferson (Riverdale, Ill.) open for a three. The Mustangs, who shot 18-of-25 at the line in the first half, held a 46-36 halftime lead.
The WSU defense stepped up in the second half with a shot clock violation along with blocks by Kristen Rogers (Lansing, Mich.), Nicole Rogers (Lansing, Mich.) and Banks. Offensively, Kristen Rogers hit a pair of three-pointers to make it a two-point game with 14:56 left. After a five-second call on the Mustangs' inbound play, Nicole Rogers tied the game at 51 with a pair free throws. Then freshman Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) had back-to-back steal and layup combinations to take a 55-51 lead.
Wayne State remained ahead as Miller scored on consecutive layups. The Warriors took a 63-53 lead after Miller's assist to Nicole Rogers completed a 20-point swing in the first 9:53 of the second half.
The Mustangs closed within four points, but Monique George (Detroit, Mich.) hit a turnaround jumper and Jefferson stole the inbound pass that gave senior Shatona Clark (Detroit, Mich.) her first points of the game. Banks made four of WSU's next four field goals during a stretch of 1:19 and pulled down the final two Warrior rebounds to seal the win.
Banks finished with a career-high 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting. She also tied her career rebound mark with nine. Smith ended the game with 14 points and Miller had a career-best 13 points and six assists.
Marygrove's Tiffany Burt had a double-double with 25 points and 12 of her team's 22 steals.
WSU returns to GLIAC action on Saturday when Northwood visits the Matthaei for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.
