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 Joy Nash led WSU with 19 points in the win over NMU. |
Dec. 6, 2008
DETROIT - The Wayne State University women's basketball team (2-3 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) recorded a 78-63 home court victory over Northern Michigan (4-2, 1-1 GLIAC) Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei.
After the Wildcats took an early 2-0 lead, the Warriors scored the next six points on back-to-back triples by senior Joy Nash (Muskegon, Mich.). The contest was tied at six and eight, before WSU went on an 8-0 run with junior Brooke Bowers (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson) scoring four points during that stretch.
NMU answered with a 9-2 spurt to pull within one at 18-17 with 7:11 remaining in the first half.
Seniors Jasmine McCall (Detroit, Mich./CMA) and Chastidy Miller (White Lake, Mich./Waterford Kettering) keyed a 6-0 run with four and two points, respectively giving the hosts a 24-17 advantage with 5:48 left.
Wayne State's lead was between three and eight points the rest of the half, with the Warriors holding a 33-27 halftime advantage.
WSU scored the first six points of the second half as the Wildcats were held scoreless for the first 2:30. Nash, junior Lindsey West (Royal Oak, Mich./Kimball) and Miller all scored from the paint for the Warriors.
Northern Michigan had a 7-2 run to pull within seven at 41-34 with 15:32 remaining as Kellie Rietveld had four points.
The Warriors responded with an 8-2 stretch over the next two minutes for a 13-point advantage at 49-36, which included triples by Miller and Nash.
Wayne State's lead went below double digits only once (52-43) following a lay-up by Christa Erickson with 10 minutes left, but WSU tallied the next four points on a pair of free throws by sophomore Chelsea Kouri (Clarkston, Mich.) and a jumper by Bowers.
Nash led four Warriors in double figures with 19 points (five shy of her career high set against Grand Valley). McCall added 17 points, six assists and six steals while Bowers (16 points) and Miller (11 points) also reached double digits.
NMU's Kelsey Deacon scored a game-high 21 points with 11 in the first half and 10 in the final 20 minutes.
Wayne State shot 45 percent (28-62) from the floor to Northern Michigan's 35 percent (19-54). The Wildcats had a 41-40 rebounding edge but had 25 turnovers to WSU's 15.
Wayne State concludes its three-game home stand on Thursday (Dec. 11) with a 5:30 p.m. tip-off against Northwood.
Notes:
Senior Chastidy Miller increased her career point total to 991 with 11 vs. NMU.
The Warriors have won four straight overall against the Wildcats.
Joy Nash had two assists giving her 300 for her career, only the eighth player in WSU women's basketball history with 300 career assists.
Jasmine McCall had six steals after recording seven against Michigan Tech. She has 23 steals in five games this season.
