Feb. 23, 2006

Wayne State (9-16, 6-10 GLIAC) vs.
Hillsdale (17-9, 10-6 GLIAC)
Feb. 25 - 1 pm

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GAME STORYLINES
Casey Banks and Kristen Rogers will be honored on Senior Day as the Wayne State's women's basketball team hosts GLIAC South rival Hillsdale College on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors can clinch the final spot in the conference tournament with a win against the Chargers, or a loss by Findlay (hosts Ashland). The fourth seed in the South Division will travel to top-seeded AU Tuesday for a GLIAC Quarterfinal contest.

WSU has improved its 2004-05 league record by three wins. The Warriors have also increased their scoring average by 6.4 points per game, while all nine of Wayne State's wins have come against teams with a non-winning record.

ON THE BENCH
Wayne State head coach Gloria Bradley has a 75-85 mark in her sixth season at WSU. Bradley is 189-154 in 12 seasons overall. Hillsdale's Claudette Charney owns a 68-40 record in her fourth season with the Chargers. The Grand Valley State alum is 384-227 in her 22nd season of collegiate coaching.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Chargers lost their last two games, but have the South's second seed locked up. Junior forward Nikki Wustman leads Hillsdale in scoring (13.0) and rebounding (5.0). Jenn Carlson, a junior guard who scored 27 points in the first meeting at Jesse Philips Arena back in December, is averaging 12.2 ppg.

THE SERIES
Wayne State looks to snap a six-game losing streak to the Chargers dating back to February 22, 2003. But in a close historical battle, Wayne State leads Hillsdale, 26-25, in the all-time series.

IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was selected to place sixth in the South Division of the GLIAC coaches' preseason poll. The Chargers were tied with Gannon atop the South standings with 21 points and three first-place votes.

LAST GAME NOTES
Wayne State University senior guard Kristen Rogers became the school's all-time leading three-point shooter, but WSU fell, 80-51, to IPFW at Gates Sports Center Tuesday night.

Rogers hit a three to start the scoring in the first minute of the game. The Mastodons came right back with a 9-2 run, all on three-pointers by Hilary O'Connell. Then at the 15:53 mark, Rogers drained another three to break Jessica King's career three-pointer record (162, 2000-03), and pull WSU within one at 9-8.

IPFW grabbed a 27-13 lead as it went on an 18-5 run over the next seven minutes. Sophomore Brittany White and junior Cherita Smith hit consecutive three-pointers for Wayne State to make the score 34-23 with 3:56 to play in the first half.

The Warriors got within 10 in the final two minutes, but the `Dons held a 38-26 halftime lead.

The second half began with a 13-2 IPFW sprint. WSU didn't score a field goal until another Rogers three with 15:30 on the clock. But the Mastodons got into foul trouble early, allowing WSU to climb back with the help of free throws. Bethany Mesko's pair from the line made it a 10-point game (53-43) with just over 12 minutes left.

IPFW pulled away with the win as the Mastodons scored 12 of the next 13 points over the following six minutes to extend its lead to 21 points.

Rogers, who now has 165 three-pointers in her four years in the Green & Gold, led the Warriors with 12 points, while her sister Nicole Rogers had a team-leading 14 rebounds, tying her career-high.