Carrie Lohr Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
Carrie Lohr Head Coach | Wayne State University Athletics Website
The Wayne State University women's basketball team concluded their regular season with a 77-72 loss against Saginaw Valley State University. The game took place on Saturday afternoon in University Center, Michigan. Despite the setback, Wayne State secured the No. 6 seed for the upcoming Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tournament and will face Northern Michigan in a quarterfinal match scheduled for Wednesday, March 6th, at 5:30 p.m.
In the first quarter, Wayne State started strong with junior Alyssa Leister and senior Becca Fugate contributing to an early lead. However, Saginaw Valley managed to narrow the gap by the end of the period.
During the second quarter, Saginaw Valley took an initial lead thanks to free throws but was quickly challenged by Wayne State's efforts led by Tripp and other players. The Warriors entered halftime with a slim two-point advantage.
The third quarter saw fluctuating leads as both teams exchanged points. Sophomore Mackenzie Miller's inside score briefly put Wayne State ahead before Saginaw Valley responded. By the end of this period, SVSU held a four-point lead.
In the final quarter, Saginaw Valley extended their lead to eight points before Wayne State mounted a comeback attempt. Key contributions from Fugate and Polk kept the Warriors competitive until late-game free throws from SVSU's Aleshia Jones and Lydia Meredith sealed their victory.
Wayne State shot 45 percent from the field compared to Saginaw Valley's 50 percent accuracy. The Cardinals also outperformed at the free-throw line with a 91 percent success rate versus WSU’s 75 percent. Rebounding saw SVSU hold a slight edge over WSU.
Becca Fugate led Wayne State with 20 points while Gabi Lutchka added 12 points and six rebounds. For Saginaw Valley, Aleshia Jones scored a game-high 23 points, largely from free throws, while Lydia Meredith contributed significantly with both scoring and rebounding efforts.
As they look ahead to Wednesday’s GLIAC Tournament opener against Northern Michigan, Wayne State aims to leverage their experience and improve upon their recent performance.