Andy Ayrault Assistant Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Andy Ayrault Assistant Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Wayne State University's women's basketball team is set to face Lake Superior State and Ferris State in two of its final three road games this week. The Warriors will play against Lake Superior State on Thursday, February 15, at 5:30 p.m. in Sault Ste. Marie, followed by a match against the fourth-ranked Ferris State on Saturday, February 17, at 1 p.m. in Big Rapids.
The Wayne State team currently holds a record of 15-7 overall and an 8-5 standing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), with five regular-season games remaining.
In their series history with Lake Superior State, Wayne State has a narrow lead of 44-42. This includes an earlier victory this season where they won decisively with a score of 87-57 on January 27 in Detroit. Since 2010, Wayne State has won 21 out of the last 25 meetings against Lake Superior State.
Ferris State leads its all-time series against Wayne State with a record of 43-40 after an impressive win earlier this season. However, Wayne State has been successful in Big Rapids, winning its last eight games there since January 4, 2018.
Lake Superior State's current form sees them struggling with an eleven-game losing streak since their last win on December 31. Despite being winless within the GLIAC this season, they pose potential challenges as they have previously defeated Wayne State at home.
Sophomore forward Grace Bradford stands out for Lake Superior as she leads the league in rebounds per game and is close to averaging a double-double. Brandon Lokken coaches LSSU and is currently in his seventh season.
Ferris State enters the week on a ten-game winning streak and ranks second in both points scored and allowed per game within the GLIAC. Their starting lineup has remained consistent throughout most of the season.
Wayne State recently split their home games last week against Grand Valley State and Davenport but managed to secure a strong victory over Davenport following a narrow loss to Grand Valley.
Currently sitting fourth in the GLIAC standings alongside Michigan Tech, Wayne State aims to secure one of the top four seeds that would allow them to host a quarterfinal match-up during the upcoming conference tournament scheduled for early March.
The team's success this season is largely attributed to their ability to maintain leads when ahead at halftime or tied at intermission—winning all such encounters so far—and their performance in closely contested matches decided by five points or less.
Individually notable performances include Shea Tripp leading nationally ranked statistics for steals while Becca Fugate reached significant career milestones including surpassing the program's all-time games played record and nearing another milestone for three-pointers made.
All remaining GLIAC contests will be available via FloSports streaming service while Kevin Brechmacher provides audio commentary through Warrior All-Access for away games.