The Wayne State University women’s basketball team, ranked No. 31, secured an 84-63 victory over No. 12 Northern Michigan University on Thursday at the WSU Fieldhouse in Detroit. This win marks the first time in program history that Wayne State has defeated two top-25 teams in consecutive games, following a recent win against No. 1 Grand Valley State.
Wayne State’s win is also notable as it is the first time since February 16, 2013, that the team has beaten Northern Michigan by more than 15 points at home.
The Warriors led for most of the game after trailing early. In the first quarter, Northern Michigan started with a five-point lead before Wayne State responded with a scoring run to take control and finish the quarter ahead 22-16.
In the second quarter, Wayne State extended its lead to double digits and maintained momentum into halftime with a score of 48-30. The majority of points in the first half came from inside the paint or free throws.
Northern Michigan opened the third quarter strong but could not close the gap significantly as Wayne State held a steady advantage throughout. By the end of three quarters, Wayne State led by 14 points.
In the final period, Wayne State continued to build on its lead and finished with a comfortable margin.
Statistically, Wayne State shot 50 percent from the field while holding Northern Michigan to just over 36 percent shooting. Both teams struggled from three-point range; however, Wayne State made up ground at the free throw line and forced more turnovers than their opponent.
Taylor Thompson led all scorers with 26 points and added nine rebounds and four steals for Wayne State. McKenna Ferguson contributed 21 points and is now four points away from reaching 1,000 career points. Gabi Lutchka scored all of Wayne State’s three-pointers and finished with 13 points overall. Mackenzie Miller added ten points and six rebounds.
For Northern Michigan, Sydney Whitehouse scored twelve points while CJ Romero added ten.
Wayne State will next play at home against Michigan Tech on Saturday.
Wayne State Warriors Women’s Basketball plays its home games in Detroit as part of intercollegiate athletics within NCAA Division II’s Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The team has earned NCAA Tournament berths and GLIAC division titles such as those won in North Division (2012-13) and South Division (2014-15), according to their official website. The team’s mascot is “W the Warrior.”
