Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University's women's basketball team secured a victory against Hillsdale College with an 80-67 win at the Dawn Tibbets Potter Arena. The match was closely contested, tied at 51-51 after three quarters, but Wayne State outperformed Hillsdale in the final quarter with a 29-16 run.

In the first quarter, Wayne State's Shea Tripp, Gabi Lutchka, and Taylor Thompson contributed to an early lead. McKenna Ferguson helped maintain this momentum by scoring crucial points towards the end of the period. Hillary Griffin made her return to the court after recovering from an injury.

During the second quarter, Lexi Boyke scored on her first play since high school. However, Wayne State struggled offensively in the latter part of this period as Hillsdale took advantage with a 12-point run.

The third quarter saw both teams exchanging leads until it ended in a tie. Alyssa Leister's two three-pointers were pivotal for Wayne State during this phase.

In the decisive fourth quarter, Lutchka opened with a three-pointer that set off a series of successful plays for Wayne State. Contributions from Mackenzie Miller and Leister further extended their lead. The Warriors sealed their victory by making eight free throws in the final minutes.

Wayne State had a shooting accuracy of 48 percent overall and excelled at free throws with an 81 percent success rate. Despite being out-rebounded by Hillsdale, they capitalized on turnovers effectively.

Lutchka led Wayne State with 19 points and seven rebounds. Tripp added 14 points while Leister and Ferguson each scored 12 points; Leister also provided four assists. Thompson contributed with 11 points.

For Hillsdale, Savannah Smith scored 15 points while Kendall McCormick nearly achieved a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Lauren McDonald added another dimension to their game but faced challenges with five turnovers before fouling out.

Wayne State will next face Tiffin University at home on Saturday as they continue their season.