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 Nicole Rogers scored a team-high 21 points. |
Nov. 11, 2005
DETROIT - Wayne State hosted the Michigan Free Agents, a team made up of former collegiate players, in a women's basketball exhibition game Friday, Nov. 11 at the Matthaei. The Free Agents came away with an 83-79 victory as 15 Warriors saw action on the court.
Sophomore Nicole Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett) hit back-to-back three-pointers to give WSU an 8-7 lead. Freshman point guard Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) then scored on consecutive jumpers as Nash and Rogers combined to account for all of Wayne State's first 16 points.
MFA held a 25-23 advantage with 8:59 to play in the first half when they went on 10-2 run the next three minutes for a 35-25 lead. A three-pointer by senior guard Kristen Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett) cut the deficit down to four with 4:24 left, but the Free Agents' lead grew back to seven minutes later.
Jumpers by Kristen Rogers and newcomer Pam Wingate (Southfield, Mich./Lathrup) brought WSU within two at 46-44 with just over a minute to go in the half, but MFA scored five unanswered points to hold a 51-44 halftime lead as they shot 51.4 percent (18-35) from the floor.
The Michigan Free Agents extended their lead to 12 points at the 13:27 mark of the second half when junior Cherita Smith (Grand Rapids, Mich./Union) knocked down a three. Bethany Mesko's (Traverse City, Mich./Central) then hit a three-pointer of her own that cut into the MFA lead (76-71) with 5:23 remaining. Another Warrior three, this one by senior Shatona Clark (Detroit, Mich./Cody), had them within four points at 81-77. The WSU defense held the Free Agents to two points in the final 3:39 of the contest, but the Warriors missed three of their final four shots in the closing minutes.
Nicole Rogers was a rebound shy of a double-double with a team-best 21 points and nine boards. Smith added 11 points, while Clark had 10.
Michelle James, a Detroit Mercy standout, had a game-high 35 points that included 15-of-17 at the foul line. Former WSU All-American Keneisha Moss lead all players with 14 rebounds, while Wayne State Hall of Famer Delonda Little-Nathan had seven points, five rebounds, two steals and a block in her return to the Matthaei.
The Warriors open their regular-season schedule on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Indianapolis.
