Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's men's basketball team has advanced to the GLIAC Semifinals for the first time since 2012. The Warriors secured their spot with an 87-78 victory over Lake Superior State on Wednesday evening. Wayne State demonstrated impressive shooting, hitting 60 percent from beyond the arc and a remarkable 96 percent from the free-throw line.

The last time Wayne State won a semifinal was in 2011, when they defeated Findlay. The following day, they narrowly beat Ferris State with significant contributions from Mike Hollingsworth and Bryan Smothers.

Ferris State also earned a place in the semifinals by defeating Parkside 84-82 at home. Four players, including Dolapo Olayinka, Ben Davidson, Amari Lee, and Ethan Erickson, each scored 16 points in that game.

Historically, Ferris State leads the all-time series against Wayne State with a record of 56-41. This upcoming match will be their fifth neutral court meeting in the series. Both teams have won twice before on neutral grounds.

Ferris State is currently on a four-game winning streak under head coach Andy Bronkema. Three players are averaging double figures: Ethan Erickson (14.2 PPG), Ben Davidson (13.7 PPG), and Dolapo Olayinka (12.3 PPG). Davidson leads in field goals made, while Erickson excels in three-point shooting.

In their recent win against Lake Superior State, Wayne State led for most of the game after an early tie by Colin Golson. Rob Lee Jr., who scored a career-high of 23 points without missing any free throws, was instrumental in securing the victory alongside Colin Golson and Carmelo Harris.

Wayne State's success marks its first opening round GLIAC Tournament win on the road or at a neutral site since February 1999. They now hold a record of 15-14 in GLIAC Tournament history.

Carmelo Harris leads Wayne State's scoring this season with an average of 12.9 points per game. Other key contributors include Colin Golson Jr., Rob Lee Jr., Ray Williams Jr., and Tamario Adley.

Kevin Brechmacher will provide audio coverage of the upcoming semifinal game through Warrior All-Access, while video streaming will be available via FloHoops.com.