Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University's men's basketball team secured a narrow victory against Purdue Northwest with a 70-67 win at the WSU Fieldhouse. The Warriors improved their record to 7-7 overall and 3-3 in the GLIAC, while Purdue Northwest fell to 3-11 overall and 0-6 in conference play.

The first half saw Wayne State overcome the absence of two starters, Kareem Aburashed and Tamario Adley, as they took an early lead of 19-9. Guards Jordan Briggs and Carmelo Harris contributed significantly with successful shots from beyond the arc. However, Purdue Northwest responded with a 9-0 run, tying the game at multiple points before Kelvin Tamakloe's last-second lay-up gave Wayne State a slight edge at halftime.

In the second half, Ray Williams Jr.'s four-point play set the tone for Wayne State. Despite losing their lead briefly to Purdue Northwest, they regained it with key plays from Rob Lee Jr. and Carlos Paul III. A significant push increased their advantage to as much as 14 points midway through the second half.

Purdue Northwest mounted a comeback in the final minutes, narrowing Wayne State's lead to just one point. However, crucial free throws by Lee Jr., followed by Williams Jr.'s rebound and subsequent foul shots, sealed the victory for Wayne State.

Statistically, Wayne State shot 42 percent from the field compared to Purdue Northwest's 48 percent. They also held an edge in rebounding with a total of 39 compared to Purdue Northwest's 30 rebounds.

Rob Lee Jr. led Wayne State scorers with 15 points while contributing defensively alongside his teammates who also scored in double figures. Jailen Nelson matched this score for Purdue Northwest and Detalian Brown added another solid performance with 13 points.

Wayne State will continue its season on Thursday against Northern Michigan followed by a match against Michigan Tech on Saturday.