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 Cherita Smith led WSU with 21 points on Saturday. |
Nov. 19, 2005
WHEELING, W.V. - The Wayne State women's basketball team fell to host Wheeling Jesuit University, 83-69, on Saturday at the McDonough Center in Wheeling, W.V.
The scoring went back and forth in early going, until eight straight points by Wheeling Jesuit forced Wayne State to take a timeout with 15:09 remaining in the half.
The Cardinals extended their run to 14-0, giving them a 23-11 lead at the 13:24 mark. Wheeling Jesuit led by as many as 14 in the first half.
Cherita Smith (Grand Rapids, Mich./Utica) had the hot hand for the Warriors, as she scored nine of WSU's first 16 points of the game. She finished the half with 12 points, shooting 62.5 percent (5-8) from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.
With just over six minutes until halftime, Nicole Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett) hit a three-pointer and Monique George (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) came up with a big block under the basket to keep the Warriors within reach.
Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.) narrowed the Cardinals' lead to 10 as she drove the length of the court for a layup, making the score 35-25 with 2:08 left in the half.
A nasty collision occurred on Wheeling Jesuit's next possession, as Lindsey Piar smacked into Jenna Cooper (Detroit, Mich./Renaissance) as Piar was bringing the ball down the court. Piar was injured on the play and would leave the game.
A three-pointer by Smith pulled the Warriors within single digits, and the teams went into the locker room with Wheeling Jesuit leading, 37-28.
Wheeling Jesuit's Sarah Setcavage was 8-for-10 from the free throw line and had 12 points overall in the first half. Jade Eckleberry made all four of her free throw attempts, as the Cardinals shot 81.3 percent (13-16) from the line in the first 20 minutes of play.
Wheeling Jesuit began the second half on a 14-8 run, including a three-pointer by Katie Hine, and Wayne State found itself down 51-36 with 14:49 left to play.
George came up with another block, this time on a three-point attempt, and created a turnover on the ensuing inbound play, which led to a field goal by Kristen Rogers (Lansing, Mich./Everett), making the score 55-42 at 11:27. Rogers made five straight points for WSU with less than nine minutes remaining, but a pair of Cardinal three-pointers kept WJU in front, 65-51.
After two straight field goals by Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering), the Warriors were within 10 points, 67-57, with 4:48 to go, but Wheeling Jesuit went on a 13-5 run and eventually closed out the 83-69 Cardinal victory.
Wheeling Jesuit only outscored Wayne State by five points, 46-41, in the second half. The Warriors had a higher shooting percentage than the Cardinals overall (38.9 to 38.1) and in the second half (44.7 to 36.1). Fouls and resulting free throws, however, worked heavily in favor of the Cardinals.
The Warriors had 22 fouls called against them in the game, to the Cardinals' nine. Wheeling Jesuit converted on 30 of its 41 trips to the line, while Wayne State only had nine free throw attempts, making six. Two technical fouls called against Wayne State's bench also resulted in four points for Wheeling Jesuit.
Smith led the Warriors with 21 points, shooting 50 percent (9-18) from the field, including three from outside the arc. Nash had 12 points and six assists, and George and Kristen Rogers each had eight points off the bench.
Eckleberry had a game-high 22 points for Wheeling Jesuit and was a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line. Setcavage had 14 points, eight of those coming from the line.
Wayne State will play its home opener Tuesday, Nov. 22, against Concordia at 5:30 p.m.
