Jan. 5, 2006

Wayne State (4-7, 1-2 GLIAC) hosts Northwood (4-7, 0-4 GLIAC)
Jan. 7 - 1 pm • Matthaei - Detroit, Mich.

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• GAME STORYLINES
Wayne State's women's basketball team plays its third home game in nine days on Saturday, Jan. 7 as Northwood University visits Detroit. It is WSU's first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game since Dec. 10 at Hillsdale as the Warriors enter Saturday with a 4-7 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the league.

The Warriors are coming off Tuesday's come-from-behind win over Marygrove College that snapped their four-game losing streak. Wayne State out-rebounded the Mustangs by 20, marking WSU's most rebounds (55) under sixth-year head coach Gloria Bradley.

Wayne State's five-game homestand continues next week against South Division rivals Ashland (Jan. 12) and Findlay (Jan. 14).

• ON THE BENCH
Wayne State head coach Gloria Bradley has a 70-76 mark in her sixth season at WSU. Bradley is 184-145 in 12 seasons overall. Northwood's second-year head coach Jeff Curtis has a 13-25 record.

• SCOUTING THE TIMBERWOLVES
The Timberwovles won their last two games after starting the season with a 2-7 record. Northwood is 0-4 in the GLIAC and winless on the road in five attempts. Senior guard Maureen Elliott leads the team in scoring (16.3 points per game) and steals (25).

• IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was selected to place sixth in South Division in the GLIAC coaches' preseason poll. NU collected 15 points and placed fifth in the GLIAC North voting.

• THE SERIES
Wayne State leads the all-time series, 23-14, as the Warriors have won the last four games against Northwood. WSU won last year's meeting 75-72 as senior Shatona Clark hit two free throws with 7.4 seconds left.

• LAST GAME NOTES
A career-high 18 points by senior Casey Banks helped the Wayne State women's basketball team outscore Marygrove by 20 points in the second half and overcome a 10-point halftime deficit 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 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 layup and a three-pointer by sophomore Brittany White to climb within three points at 24-21.

Marygrove answered with an 11-3 run until Banks found Daijon Jefferson 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, Nicole Rogers 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 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 hit a turnaround jumper and Jefferson stole the inbound pass that gave senior Shatona Clark her first points of the game. Banks made four of WSU's next six 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.