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 Joy Nash recorded a game-high 18 points in a loss at Hillsdale. |
Feb. 24, 2007
Hillsdale, Mich. - The Wayne State University women's basketball team (10-17 overall, 8-9 GLIAC) lost its fourth consecutive contest falling 69-62 at Hillsdale College (17-8 overall, 12-5 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors last three defeats were by a combined 24 points, but WSU will have a chance during the "second" season when the GLIAC tournament begins on Tuesday. Wayne State will make a return trip to Hillsdale for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
In the regular-season finale, the Warriors fell behind 2-0 but tied the game on a lay-up by sophomore Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering). After a triple by HC's Jessie Miller gave the hosts a 5-2 lead, senior Ralphanee Peyton (Detroit, Mich./Cody) hit a jumper, and junior Nicole Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett) scored from inside after an offensive rebound giving WSU a 6-5 lead. Rogers hit a triple a few seconds later following a steal. Sophomore Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) made two free throws extending the Warrior lead to five at 10-5.
Yvonne Hamood made a jumper at the 13:03 mark ending nearly four minutes of scoreless basketball for the Chargers. Sophomore Monique George (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) answered back for WSU with a jumper after recording an offensive rebound.
Following a lay-up by HC, senior Cherita Smith (Grand Rapids, Mich./Union) drained a three-pointer giving WSU a 15-9 lead. After a jumper by freshman Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) regained the six point Warrior lead, Hillsdale responded with an 11-0 run as Wayne State went scoreless for over five minutes. Peyton stopped the drought with a lay-up from Rogers with 3:41 remaining.
After two foul shots by Hillsdale, WSU went on a 6-1 run as Peyton scored twice from inside and Miller made two foul shots making the halftime score 25-25. The teams combined for 29 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes and both squads were under 40 percent shooting from the floor (WSU 10 of 27 for 37.0 percent; HC 9 of 29 for 31.0 percent).
With 2:11 remaining in the first half, Miller attempted two foul shots breaking the WSU single-season mark of 153 set by Mary Rogers in 1990-91 and equaled by Ebony Vincent in 2003-04.
Hillsdale scored the first five points of the second half as WSU went scoreless until Nash hit a jumper with 16:53 left. After going zero-for-seven from the floor in the first half, Nash made five of 10 in the second half.
After another Nash jumper, the Chargers increased their lead to eight points at 35-27 with 15:57 remaining. WSU was able to get within a point at 37-36 with 12:47 left on another bucket by Nash. Hillsdale answered by scoring nine of the next 11 points for another eight point advantage.
A Miller jumper pulled the Warriors within six at 46-40, but HC scored the next five points. Wayne State responded with a 14-5 run keyed by seven of eight from the foul line (Miller 2-2, Bowers 3-4, Nash 2-2), a jumper by Nash and ended with a triple by sophomore Jessica Howard (W. Bloomfield, Mich.). It was Howard's first three-pointer since Nov. 21, 2006, versus Central State.
Hillsdale scored the next four points, but WSU answered with four made foul shots (two by Brittany White and two by Nash). The Chargers replied with eight of the next 10 points for an eight-point lead at 68-60 with 20 seconds remaining.
Notes:
Wayne State had its best game of the season from foul line (18 of 21) shooting 85.7 percent.
The Warriors recorded their second highest rebound total of the season with 51 including 14 on the offensive end.
WSU turned the ball over 30 times at Hillsdale, the second highest total this year.
Wayne State tied a season-low with two three-pointers made.
The Warriors had their second lowest three-point shooting percentage (.154) on two of 13 from beyond the arc.
Joy Nash set a WSU season-high with 17 field goal attempts.
Nash also set a Warrior record by going eight for eight from the foul line. Chastidy Miller was seven for seven at the foul line earlier this year against Central State on Nov. 21. Nash's performance from the charity stripe was the best a WSU player since current graduate assistant coach Kristen Rogers went 11 for 11 at Florida Southern on Dec. 29, 2004.
Ralphanee Peyton grabbed a Wayne State season-best 12 rebounds. The most by a Warrior since Nicole Rogers had 14 rebounds on Feb. 21, 2006, at IPFW.
