Nov. 22, 2005

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• GAME STORYLINES
Starting the season with three road games for the first time since 2002-03 when Wayne State played its first seven on the road, the WSU women's basketball team hosts a pair of non-conference games Thanksgiving Week. WSU plays Concordia University of Ann Arbor Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. in the home opener. The Warriors then welcome regional opponent Northern Kentucky on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. with the WSU alumni game to follow.

The Lady Cardinals come to Detroit with a 2-5 record, while Northern Kentucky enters the week with a 1-0 mark and faces GLIAC foe Northwood on Tuesday.

The Warriors are coming off the opening week of the season with a 1-2 record.

• ON THE BENCH
WSU head coach Gloria Bradley is in her sixth season with a 67-72 mark. She is 181-141 in 12 overall seasons. Also returning to the coaching staff is Warrior alum LaTisha Martin who played for WSU from 2000-02. After completing her eligibility, Martin served as a student coach in 2002-03.

Josh Steffen compiled a 5-24 mark in his first year at Concordia. Meanwhile, Nancy Winstel recorded her 500th career win last year and owns a 473-163 overall mark in 23 seasons at NKU.

• THE SERIES
Wayne State is an undefeated 3-0 against Concordia, with all three meetings occurring in the `90s. However, the Warriors have never beaten NKU (0-5), with the last meeting a 69-62 Norse victory on Dec. 29, 2003, in Detroit.

• IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was selected to place sixth in South Division in the GLIAC coaches' preseason poll. The Norse picked up 25 points in third places in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East preseason poll. CUAA was selected seventh in the eight-team Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference poll.

• SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
After losing its first three games, CUAA has won two of its last four. However, Concordia does not have a single player averaging double-digits as the Cards' leading scorer, Jamie Rhodes, is scoring 8.4 points per game.

Eleven different players scored five points or more in NKU's win over Wilberforce on Nov. 16. Guard Nicole Chiodi had a game-best 11 points and Angela Healy had eight rebounds to lead all players.

• LAST GAME NOTES
Wayne State 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 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 hit a three-pointer and Monique George came up with a big block under the basket to keep the Warriors within reach.

Joy Nash 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 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 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, 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, 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.

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.