Amazing comeback: Warriors 35, Storm 31: The Lions aren’t the only football team in Detroit that has a knack for the theatrics.
The other team is the Wayne State Warriors.
Evident by its improbable run to the Division II national championship game last season, WSU football is nothing short of exciting.
And Saturday was no different.
Trailing the Lake Erie College Storm 31-13 with 13:08 remaining in the contest, the 19th-ranked Warriors staged a spectacular comeback to win the game, 35-31, at Adams Field.
“One of the quotes that we have is ‘Don’t flinch, never let losing enter your mind,” Warriors head coach Paul Winters said. “And I think that that was a great example of not flinching.”
While Winters and the Warriors came away with the victory, they were undoubtedly outplayed by the Storm for the first 55 minutes. But it was the final five that put the Warriors over the top. Forcing WSU to punt the ball on its first drive, LEC blocked the Stefan Terleckyj punt attempt and corralled the ball at the WSU 15-yard line. The Storm would convert the takeaway into a touchdown.
But the Warriors tied the game quickly with a four play, 75-yard drive, which ended with a Toney Davis one-yard touchdown run with 7:37 to go in the first quarter. The drive was highlighted by a 62-yard pass from Mohner to Dominique Maybanks.
But the Storm took over from there. A 40-yard field goal gave them a 10-7 lead, and LEC extended it to 17-7 after a 67-yard scoring drive.
The Warriors weren’t able to get anything going offensively and went without scoring for five consecutive possessions. Meanwhile, the LEC offense continued to move the ball – led by running back Anthony Bilal, who ran for 115 yards in the first half alone. He scored with 1:57 remaining in the half, as the Storm marched 86 yards downfield to take a 24-7 halftime lead.
On LEC’s first possession of the second half, WSU linebacker Nick Thomas sacked LEC quarterback Patrick Nicely, jarring the ball loose in the process. Houghton recovered the ball at the LEC nine-yard line.
“I think that was big time for us because we got some momentum to get us through the rest of the game,” Houghton said.
But the Warriors would have to settle for a field goal, a 22-yarder from Terleckyj, to make the score 24-10.
WSU recorded two sacks on the Storm’s next possession, which ended with a punt. Once again, the Warriors would have to settle for a field goal, this one being 25 yards.
After Houghton blocked a Storm field goal attempt to give the ball back to Mohner, he gave it right back to the Storm with an interception. LEC made the Warriors pay as Balil ran the ball in for another touchdown, extending the Storm’s lead to 31-13.
“We need to go to the no-huddle and score,” is what was going through Winters’ mind as LEC took an 18-point lead.
“We just had to get it going,” Mohner said. “We knew we had it in us, it was just kind of getting this game down to executing and just putting the ball in the end zone.”
Mohner and the Warriors responded with a seven-play, 76-yard drive, concluding with a 20-yard swing pass to Davis for the touchdown. LEC seemed to have Davis stopped around the 20-yard line, but he broke free and scurried into the end zone. Mohner’s pass to James Jackson on the two-point conversion made the score 31-21 with 10:32 remaining in the game.
“They probably had it defended pretty well and he broke about three tackles,” Winters said. “Finally someone had made an individual effort within the scheme that was exceptional. I think everybody felt better about themselves when he made that play.”
The Warriors defense recorded another sack fumble on the Storm’s next possession. Linebacker Ed Viverette and defensive tackle Ryan Hankins forced the fumble, with Houghton recording his second fumble of the game.
Taking over at the LEC 10-yard line, Davis took the handoff from Mohner and scampered in for his third touchdown of the day, cutting the deficit to 31-28 with 8:43 left in the game.
Trying to run the clock out, the LEC offense recorded two first downs, burning over four minutes off the clock. But the Warriors defense forced a punt and got the ball at their seven-yard line with 4:02 remaining.
Mohner meticulously led the Warriors 75-yards downfield to the LEC 18-yard line. With the clock running under one minute, Mohner stepped back and launched a pass to the corner of the end zone where he found Maybanks’ outstretched arms for the touchdown.
The Storm turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession, which was punctuated by an Aaron Cornett sack on fourth down.
“The bad are happening all around you and you just want the next play so that you can change things,” Winters said. “That’s the attitude that everybody had. That’s what I’m proud about these guys. They never flinched. I never looked in anyone’s eye’s and said ‘oh, no.’ They were determined and they played that way that second half, it was just beautiful to watch.”
After a Warriors’ kneel down, the final buzzer sounded and the Warriors celebrated the victory with the student section, which according to Winters, made a huge difference in the game.
“I noticed it,” he said, speaking of the crowd noise. “It was just a combination of the excitement on the field and excitement in the stands that I think carried us to the win. I have not experienced anything like that.”
Now that WSU has recorded its first win of the season, it can work on keeping the momentum going for the rest of the season.
“For us to come out and win the way we did,” Mohner said, “hopefully it will get us rolling into the rest of the season.”
The Warriors hit the road Sept. 22 for a matchup with Malone University in Canton. Kick off is 7:00 p.m.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Women's hoops fall in overtime; five-game winning streak snapped
Women's hoops fall in overtime; five-game winning streak snapped: The Wayne State women's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking loss Saturday, Jan. 5, as the 24th-ranked Findlay Oilers snapped the Warriors' five-game winning streak with a 90-84 overtime victory. Talisha Bridges hit a jumper to force overtime with five seconds remaining to force OT, but the Oilers pulled away in the extra period to come away with a road victory.
"That was definitely a heartbreaker," said Warriors head coach Carrie Lohr. "I will say that I thought that we definitely showed some character."
Going up against Findlay's full-court pressure and zone defense, the Warriors held a 13-10 lead eight minutes into the game. The two teams played each other close for most of the first half, as the game was tied at 26 with 4:45 remaining in the opening half. But the Oilers went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to take a double-digit advantage.
Looking for a spark, Deanna Crumpton provided just that for the Warriors off of the bench. Her seven points and blocked shot got WSU back into the game, making it a three-point contest, 36-33, at the half.
After trading scores to open the second half, Findlay extended its lead to 10 points, 56-46, with a 10-2 run.
The Oilers still led by double-digits - building their lead to as many as 13 - at the 10:41 mark. But the Warriors went on an 8-0 run that made it a one-score game.
Findlay held on to a slim lead until there was 4:25 left in the game, when a Juanita Cochran layup gave the Warriors their first lead since they led 13-10 midway through the first half.
Cochran played a big role in WSU's comeback, giving the Warriors multiple opportunities on the offensive end with eight offensive rebounds.
The Oilers regained the lead and were on top 75-73 with the ball and 45 seconds remaining in the game.
WSU played defense for 24 seconds when an attempted three-pointer by Findlay missed. Cochran grabbed the rebound and gave the ball up to Bridges, who raced down court and found Crumpton for a mid-range shot attempt. Crumpton's shot missed, but Bridges snagged one of WSU's offensive rebounds. With nine seconds left, Lohr called a timeout.
In-bounding the ball under their own basket, the Warriors got the ball to Bridges and let her take over.
Bridges corralled the ball around half-court, dribbled to her right, stopped at the free-throw line, popped and sank the game-tying bucket with five seconds left.
"(The play) was designed for her, it wasn't designed for her to catch it that high, not exactly in that spot," Lohr said. "But she's a good player and good players make plays and she executed."
The Oilers' last-second heave from half-court missed the mark and the game headed to overtime.
In the extra frame, the two teams played to a 78-78 tie with 3:14 to go. Findlay took a one-point lead on a free-throw and never relinquished the lead. Despite their best effort, turnovers, foul trouble and the Findlay attack proved to be too much for the Warriors, as Findlay held on for the win.
"We had our chances," Lohr said. "But we can't look back. We definitely showed some life and showed that we can come back and that's good to know. That says a lot about our team.
"We gotta keep our heads up [because] we got a lot of basketball to play."
Bridges tallied a season-high 25 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Cochran recorded a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Crumpton finished with 15 points and four rebounds.
The Warriors continue its homestand with an 8 p.m. matchup with Northwood on Jan. 8.
"That was definitely a heartbreaker," said Warriors head coach Carrie Lohr. "I will say that I thought that we definitely showed some character."
Going up against Findlay's full-court pressure and zone defense, the Warriors held a 13-10 lead eight minutes into the game. The two teams played each other close for most of the first half, as the game was tied at 26 with 4:45 remaining in the opening half. But the Oilers went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to take a double-digit advantage.
Looking for a spark, Deanna Crumpton provided just that for the Warriors off of the bench. Her seven points and blocked shot got WSU back into the game, making it a three-point contest, 36-33, at the half.
After trading scores to open the second half, Findlay extended its lead to 10 points, 56-46, with a 10-2 run.
The Oilers still led by double-digits - building their lead to as many as 13 - at the 10:41 mark. But the Warriors went on an 8-0 run that made it a one-score game.
Findlay held on to a slim lead until there was 4:25 left in the game, when a Juanita Cochran layup gave the Warriors their first lead since they led 13-10 midway through the first half.
Cochran played a big role in WSU's comeback, giving the Warriors multiple opportunities on the offensive end with eight offensive rebounds.
The Oilers regained the lead and were on top 75-73 with the ball and 45 seconds remaining in the game.
WSU played defense for 24 seconds when an attempted three-pointer by Findlay missed. Cochran grabbed the rebound and gave the ball up to Bridges, who raced down court and found Crumpton for a mid-range shot attempt. Crumpton's shot missed, but Bridges snagged one of WSU's offensive rebounds. With nine seconds left, Lohr called a timeout.
In-bounding the ball under their own basket, the Warriors got the ball to Bridges and let her take over.
Bridges corralled the ball around half-court, dribbled to her right, stopped at the free-throw line, popped and sank the game-tying bucket with five seconds left.
"(The play) was designed for her, it wasn't designed for her to catch it that high, not exactly in that spot," Lohr said. "But she's a good player and good players make plays and she executed."
The Oilers' last-second heave from half-court missed the mark and the game headed to overtime.
In the extra frame, the two teams played to a 78-78 tie with 3:14 to go. Findlay took a one-point lead on a free-throw and never relinquished the lead. Despite their best effort, turnovers, foul trouble and the Findlay attack proved to be too much for the Warriors, as Findlay held on for the win.
"We had our chances," Lohr said. "But we can't look back. We definitely showed some life and showed that we can come back and that's good to know. That says a lot about our team.
"We gotta keep our heads up [because] we got a lot of basketball to play."
Bridges tallied a season-high 25 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Cochran recorded a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Crumpton finished with 15 points and four rebounds.
The Warriors continue its homestand with an 8 p.m. matchup with Northwood on Jan. 8.
Women's basketball roll through WSU Holiday Classic
Women's basketball roll through WSU Holiday Classic: The holiday season has been good to the Wayne State women’s basketball team (6-3 overall, 4-1 GLIAC), as the Warriors have won six of their last seven contests, including two wins in the inaugural WSU Holiday Classic presented by Waste Management, Dec. 28 -29.
“I think our success is generated from the buy-in from the entire team to play defense and to play every possession and to play for 40 minutes,” Warriors head coach Carrie Lohr said.
With Urbana University, Northwood University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis as fellow participants, WSU tallied victories against UMSL and Urbana to claim the title.
In their last four victories, the Warriors have never trailed.
“I’m not really sure how that really started,” Lohr said. “I think that just happened naturally because of [the team’s] commitment to play defense and share the basketball.”
**Dec. 28**
On the first day of the tournament, the Warriors went up against the USML Tritons. WSU got off to a quick start, taking a 7-1 lead in the opening minutes of the game.
USML trailed by four points at the 12:20 mark, 15-11, but a 10-0 run by the Warriors put them up by double figures.
WSU dominated the first half leading by as many as 19 points and no less than 12.
But the Tritons finished half on a 9-2 run, as the Warriors led 41-29.
USML continued to make a run as the second half began, outscoring the Warriors 14-4 in the first six minutes to pull within a bucket.
WSU responded with five consecutive points, but the Tritons cut the deficit to one point on three occasions (51-50, 53-52, and 55-54) within an 82-second span.
WSU’s Deanna Crumpton scored the next six points to extend the Warriors lead, 61-54. Crumpton scored 13 points off the bench, as the WSU bench outscored UMSL’s bench 50-23.
“Our bench did a great job,” Lohr said. “That separated our starting five from their starting five.”
The Warriors added to their lead, taking a 10-point advantage, 69-59, with 3:30 remaining in the game. The Tritons weren’t done, though, as they made it just a four-point game with 1:48 left at 71-67.
But WSU hit its free-throws down the stretch to earn a 79-69 victory.
“We maintained our composure,” Lohr said. “But we can’t let that happen (letting teams back into games) in our league. We have to eliminate that.”
Talisha Bridges finished with 16 points off the bench, which tied for a game-high. Juanita Cochran helped the Warriors win the battle of the boards, 45-39, grabbing a game-high nine rebounds to go along with 12 points.
**Dec. 29**
In the final game of the tournament, the Warriors took on the Urbana Blue Knights.
“I think our success is generated from the buy-in from the entire team to play defense and to play every possession and to play for 40 minutes,” Warriors head coach Carrie Lohr said.
With Urbana University, Northwood University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis as fellow participants, WSU tallied victories against UMSL and Urbana to claim the title.
In their last four victories, the Warriors have never trailed.
“I’m not really sure how that really started,” Lohr said. “I think that just happened naturally because of [the team’s] commitment to play defense and share the basketball.”
**Dec. 28**
On the first day of the tournament, the Warriors went up against the USML Tritons. WSU got off to a quick start, taking a 7-1 lead in the opening minutes of the game.
USML trailed by four points at the 12:20 mark, 15-11, but a 10-0 run by the Warriors put them up by double figures.
WSU dominated the first half leading by as many as 19 points and no less than 12.
But the Tritons finished half on a 9-2 run, as the Warriors led 41-29.
USML continued to make a run as the second half began, outscoring the Warriors 14-4 in the first six minutes to pull within a bucket.
WSU responded with five consecutive points, but the Tritons cut the deficit to one point on three occasions (51-50, 53-52, and 55-54) within an 82-second span.
WSU’s Deanna Crumpton scored the next six points to extend the Warriors lead, 61-54. Crumpton scored 13 points off the bench, as the WSU bench outscored UMSL’s bench 50-23.
“Our bench did a great job,” Lohr said. “That separated our starting five from their starting five.”
The Warriors added to their lead, taking a 10-point advantage, 69-59, with 3:30 remaining in the game. The Tritons weren’t done, though, as they made it just a four-point game with 1:48 left at 71-67.
But WSU hit its free-throws down the stretch to earn a 79-69 victory.
“We maintained our composure,” Lohr said. “But we can’t let that happen (letting teams back into games) in our league. We have to eliminate that.”
Talisha Bridges finished with 16 points off the bench, which tied for a game-high. Juanita Cochran helped the Warriors win the battle of the boards, 45-39, grabbing a game-high nine rebounds to go along with 12 points.
**Dec. 29**
In the final game of the tournament, the Warriors took on the Urbana Blue Knights.
The Warriors got the scoring started, taking a 4-0 lead in the early going. The Blue Knights tied the game at 8-8.
WSU seemingly took the game over from there.
Over the next six minutes, the Warriors outscored Urbana 15-0 to take a 23-8 lead and kept the Blue Knights scoreless for nearly eight minutes.
But trailing 24-9, Urbana went on a run of its own. The Blue Knights outscored WSU 14-6 to make it a seven-point game, 30-23, with just under three minutes to go in the half.
The Warriors extended its lead to 12 points, 37-25, after outscoring Urbana 7-2 to close out the half.
WSU continued to separate itself from Urbana as it opened up the second half on a 14-1 run in the first four minutes.
The Warriors led by at least 20 points the rest of the way, leading by as many as 25 points.
WSU’s defensive pressure kept the Blue Knights at bay, as they only shot 30.4 percent from the floor – 13 percent from behind the arc – a day after shooting 50 percent from the field. The poor shooting allowed the Warriors to dominate the boards, outrebounding Urbana 64-37.
The Warriors didn’t light the nets on fire, though, shooting 35.4 percent from the field – 22.2 percent from three. But 29 offensive rebounds gave the Warriors 21 second-chance points.
“We were just a stronger team,” Lohr said, attributing the Warriors’ strength and conditioning staff as the reason they were able to dominate the glass. “Having that strength in our post players, I think makes the big difference.
“[The players] know that if they defend and rebound that they’re going to get to play,” Lohr said. “That keeps them hungry.”
Talisha Bridges and Paige Sickmiller led the Warriors with 16 points each. Deanna Crumpton finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Phaebre Colbert came off the bench to score 13 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Warriors continue GLIAC play with an 8 p.m. contest at the Matthaei against Hillsdale on Jan. 3.
*The 2012 WSU/Waste Management Holiday Classic All-Tournament team consisted of Northwood freshman center Jordyn Nurenberg (33 points, 18 rebounds), UMSL sophomore guard Kelly McGovern (18 points, 7 assists, 5 steals), Urbana junior guard DeVonyea Johnson (26 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists and 8 steals), WSU senior guard Paige Sickmiller (27 points, including six triples), and WSU senior forward Deanna Crumpton (27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals). The MVP was WSU senior forward Talisha Bridges (32 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists).
WSU seemingly took the game over from there.
Over the next six minutes, the Warriors outscored Urbana 15-0 to take a 23-8 lead and kept the Blue Knights scoreless for nearly eight minutes.
But trailing 24-9, Urbana went on a run of its own. The Blue Knights outscored WSU 14-6 to make it a seven-point game, 30-23, with just under three minutes to go in the half.
The Warriors extended its lead to 12 points, 37-25, after outscoring Urbana 7-2 to close out the half.
WSU continued to separate itself from Urbana as it opened up the second half on a 14-1 run in the first four minutes.
The Warriors led by at least 20 points the rest of the way, leading by as many as 25 points.
WSU’s defensive pressure kept the Blue Knights at bay, as they only shot 30.4 percent from the floor – 13 percent from behind the arc – a day after shooting 50 percent from the field. The poor shooting allowed the Warriors to dominate the boards, outrebounding Urbana 64-37.
The Warriors didn’t light the nets on fire, though, shooting 35.4 percent from the field – 22.2 percent from three. But 29 offensive rebounds gave the Warriors 21 second-chance points.
“We were just a stronger team,” Lohr said, attributing the Warriors’ strength and conditioning staff as the reason they were able to dominate the glass. “Having that strength in our post players, I think makes the big difference.
“[The players] know that if they defend and rebound that they’re going to get to play,” Lohr said. “That keeps them hungry.”
Talisha Bridges and Paige Sickmiller led the Warriors with 16 points each. Deanna Crumpton finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Phaebre Colbert came off the bench to score 13 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Warriors continue GLIAC play with an 8 p.m. contest at the Matthaei against Hillsdale on Jan. 3.
*The 2012 WSU/Waste Management Holiday Classic All-Tournament team consisted of Northwood freshman center Jordyn Nurenberg (33 points, 18 rebounds), UMSL sophomore guard Kelly McGovern (18 points, 7 assists, 5 steals), Urbana junior guard DeVonyea Johnson (26 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists and 8 steals), WSU senior guard Paige Sickmiller (27 points, including six triples), and WSU senior forward Deanna Crumpton (27 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals). The MVP was WSU senior forward Talisha Bridges (32 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists).
Women's basketball upends Tiffin
Women's basketball upends Tiffin: The Wayne State women’s basketball team (1 -2 overall, 1-0 GLIAC) opened GLIAC play with an impressive victory at Tiffin University (2 -2 overall, 0-1 GLIAC), 84-57, Nov. 29.
The Dragons jumped to a 5-4 lead 1:44 into the game, but a 17-5 run by the Warriors over the next seven minutes gave them a 21-9 advantage. WSU was paced by Talisha Bridges, who scored 10 points over this stretch and finished with a game-high 21 points.
Still trailing by 13 points with 10:20 remaining in the first half, 24-11, the Dragons went on a run of their own to get them back in the game. They outscored the Warriors 13-2, which cut the deficit to 26-24 with 5:39 left to play in the half.
Scoring the next two buckets, WSU extended its lead to six points at 30-24, but the Dragons evened the score at 31-31. A Bridges free-throw gave the Warriors a one-point lead at halftime.
With both teams struggling to hit their shots coming out of the half, Phaebre Colbert scored twice to extend WSU’s lead, 36-31.
Leading 36-33 with 16:28 to go in the contest, the Warriors began to pull away slightly.
They took a 10-point advantage at the 11:50 mark thanks to 11 combined points from Bridges – six - and Paige Sickmiller - five. Sickmiller finished with 16 points off the bench.
Tiffin cut the deficit to seven points, 49-42. But that’s as close as the Dragons would get for the rest of the game, as WSU outscored them 35-15 over the last 11:37.
Colbert finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals, while Kristen Long came off the bench to tally 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Warriors outrebounded the Dragons 48-37, finished with 11 more assists – 18-7, and had seven fewer turnovers – 12 compared to Tiffin’s 19, which all contributed to the blowout win.
WSU will be at Ohio Dominican on Saturday, Dec. 1 for a 3 p.m. tip-off.
The Dragons jumped to a 5-4 lead 1:44 into the game, but a 17-5 run by the Warriors over the next seven minutes gave them a 21-9 advantage. WSU was paced by Talisha Bridges, who scored 10 points over this stretch and finished with a game-high 21 points.
Still trailing by 13 points with 10:20 remaining in the first half, 24-11, the Dragons went on a run of their own to get them back in the game. They outscored the Warriors 13-2, which cut the deficit to 26-24 with 5:39 left to play in the half.
Scoring the next two buckets, WSU extended its lead to six points at 30-24, but the Dragons evened the score at 31-31. A Bridges free-throw gave the Warriors a one-point lead at halftime.
With both teams struggling to hit their shots coming out of the half, Phaebre Colbert scored twice to extend WSU’s lead, 36-31.
Leading 36-33 with 16:28 to go in the contest, the Warriors began to pull away slightly.
They took a 10-point advantage at the 11:50 mark thanks to 11 combined points from Bridges – six - and Paige Sickmiller - five. Sickmiller finished with 16 points off the bench.
Tiffin cut the deficit to seven points, 49-42. But that’s as close as the Dragons would get for the rest of the game, as WSU outscored them 35-15 over the last 11:37.
Colbert finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals, while Kristen Long came off the bench to tally 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
The Warriors outrebounded the Dragons 48-37, finished with 11 more assists – 18-7, and had seven fewer turnovers – 12 compared to Tiffin’s 19, which all contributed to the blowout win.
WSU will be at Ohio Dominican on Saturday, Dec. 1 for a 3 p.m. tip-off.
Women's basketball lose heartbreaker at Edinboro
Women's basketball lose heartbreaker at Edinboro: In its first road game of the season, the Wayne State women’s basketball team (0-2) fell to the No. 15 Edinboro Fighting Scots (2-1), 77-74.
Featuring six ties, the game was close for most of the way. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Edinboro was on top at the end.
After nearly eight minutes of play, the teams played to a 13-13 tie. The Fighting Scots went on a 7-0 to take the lead with 10:42 to play in the half.
The Warriors cut the lead to four at 24-20 with a Paige Sickmiller layup. But Edinsboro scored six consecutive points to extend its lead to 10 points with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. WSU cut the deficit to four again after reeling off six consecutive points.
But the Fighting Scots pulled away again, and at halftime they led 44-34.
The Fighting Scots kept a sizeable lead to start the second half. The Warriors got to within four points once again at 53-49, but Edinboro extended its lead to nine, 59-50, with 10:53 to go in the game.
The Warriors didn’t go away, though, as they began to climb back into the ballgame. A layup from Phaebre Colbert and a 3-pointer from Sickmiller – who scored a game-high 22 points – got WSU back to within four points.
Edinboro held a still held a four-point advantage until the 5:37 mark when a score from Talisha Bridges made it a two-point game, 65-63.
The Warriors took their first lead since early in the first half, 68-67, when Juanita Cochran converted a 3-point play. The lead would not last long, though, as the Fighting Scots scored on the ensuing possession.
Edinboro remained on top until there was 3:06 to go in the game. Two free-throws from Talisha Bridges tied the score at 71, but the Fighting Scots followed with a 6-0 run.
Trailing 77-71 with 42 seconds remaining and Talisha Bridges at the line, she hit one-of-two from the stripe. After missing the second, Colbert grabbed the rebound and laid it in to make it a three-point game with 39 seconds left.
Edinboro missed a jumper and the rebound was grabbed by Sickmiller with seven seconds to go. Trying to tie the game, Brittany Streetman’s three-point attempt was partially blocked, sealing the game for the Fighting Scots.
Colbert finished with 18 points and four rebounds. Talisha Bridges contributed with eight points, two boards and two assists, while Kayla Bridges tallied five points and eight rebounds.
The Warriors begin GLIAC play Nov. 29 at Tiffin.
Featuring six ties, the game was close for most of the way. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Edinboro was on top at the end.
After nearly eight minutes of play, the teams played to a 13-13 tie. The Fighting Scots went on a 7-0 to take the lead with 10:42 to play in the half.
The Warriors cut the lead to four at 24-20 with a Paige Sickmiller layup. But Edinsboro scored six consecutive points to extend its lead to 10 points with just under seven minutes remaining in the half. WSU cut the deficit to four again after reeling off six consecutive points.
But the Fighting Scots pulled away again, and at halftime they led 44-34.
The Fighting Scots kept a sizeable lead to start the second half. The Warriors got to within four points once again at 53-49, but Edinboro extended its lead to nine, 59-50, with 10:53 to go in the game.
The Warriors didn’t go away, though, as they began to climb back into the ballgame. A layup from Phaebre Colbert and a 3-pointer from Sickmiller – who scored a game-high 22 points – got WSU back to within four points.
Edinboro held a still held a four-point advantage until the 5:37 mark when a score from Talisha Bridges made it a two-point game, 65-63.
The Warriors took their first lead since early in the first half, 68-67, when Juanita Cochran converted a 3-point play. The lead would not last long, though, as the Fighting Scots scored on the ensuing possession.
Edinboro remained on top until there was 3:06 to go in the game. Two free-throws from Talisha Bridges tied the score at 71, but the Fighting Scots followed with a 6-0 run.
Trailing 77-71 with 42 seconds remaining and Talisha Bridges at the line, she hit one-of-two from the stripe. After missing the second, Colbert grabbed the rebound and laid it in to make it a three-point game with 39 seconds left.
Edinboro missed a jumper and the rebound was grabbed by Sickmiller with seven seconds to go. Trying to tie the game, Brittany Streetman’s three-point attempt was partially blocked, sealing the game for the Fighting Scots.
Colbert finished with 18 points and four rebounds. Talisha Bridges contributed with eight points, two boards and two assists, while Kayla Bridges tallied five points and eight rebounds.
The Warriors begin GLIAC play Nov. 29 at Tiffin.
Football runs past Northwood, 21-11
Football runs past Northwood, 21-11: The 18th-ranked Wayne State football team (3-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) handed the Northwood Timberwolves its first loss of the season Sept. 29 with a 21-11 road victory.
This is the third consecutive victory for the Warriors after starting the season off with a loss.
“First of all we’re playing good defense,” said Warriors head coach Paul Winters, speaking of how WSU has won its last three contests. “The offense has stepped up recently and we’ve been able to run the football. I think it’s just kind of every phase coming together.”
Northwood (4-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) put the first points on the board with a 28-yard field goal.
Junior running back Toney Davis gave the Warriors a 7-3 lead with a three-yard touchdown run. The score was the culmination of a five-play, 75-yard drive. Senior quarterback Mickey Mohner completed a 51-yard pass to junior wide receiver Dominique Maybanks to set up the score.
“He played well,” Winters said, speaking of Toney Davis and his 162 yards on 29 carries. “He ran hard, he ran tough. His strength wore their defense out. [It was a] really good game for him.”
The Timberwolves drove down the field on the ensuing possession, but the drive stalled in the red zone. They were kept scoreless as kicker Alex Faust missed the field goal attempt.
WSU kicker Stefan Terleckyj missed a field goal attempt as well on the ensuing possession for the Warriors.
Northwood drove down the field and again the Warriors defense kept the Timberwolves off the board. On first-and-goal at the WSU eight-yard line, Northwood coughed the ball up as senior defensive tackle Zach Houghton forced a fumble.
But the Warriors weren't able to turn the turnover into points as Northwood forced WSU to punt the ball.
Sophomore cornerback Gerren DuHart forced another Northwood turnover, recording his second career interception.
WSU made the Timberwolves pay for their mistake as senior wide receiver Steve Conway caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mohner. It was Conway's first reception for a touchdown at WSU and his first collegiate touchdown reception since Sept. 27, 2008, when he was at Albion College, according to wsuathletics.com.
The Warriors held a 14-3 lead at the half.
On the Timberwolves first possession of the second-half and inside the red zone, WSU sophomore linebacker Nores Fradi jarred the ball loose when he sacked Northwood quarterback Aaron Shavers. Fradi also recovered the fumble.
Fradi forced fumble and recovery were the Warriors’ ninth forced fumble and fifth recovery of the season.
“We always stress strips and trying to get the ball out,” Winters said. “I think that’s just the coaches’ emphasis [on stripping the ball].”
Mohner and the rest of the Warriors' offense went 74-yards down the field on a 13-play drive. The drive ended with an 11-yard touchdown run from Davis, giving WSU an 18-point lead.
Davis' second rushing touchdown of the game moved him into second place on the WSU all-time rushing touchdowns list with 38, as well as the WSU career points chart with 234 points scored, according to wsuathletics.com.
After punting on its ensuing possession, Northwood followed that with a nine-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass. It cut the Warriors' lead to 21-11 with eight minutes left in the game after a successful two-point conversion.
The touchdown was Northwood’s first of the game, as it only converted on two of its five chances in the red zone.
“The defense, they were obviously challenged against a good football team,” Winters said. “They made plays when they had to. Our team speed helped us because their quarterback was really fast and I think as the field narrowed, it kind of put him in a little box and that helped us.”
The Warriors burned over five minutes off the clock before being forced to punt the ball.
Northwood turned the ball over on downs after three consecutive incomplete passes and a sack on fourth down.
Northwood forced and recovered a fumble at its own four-yard line with 1:24 remaining. After picking up two first downs, the Timberwolves turned the ball over on downs, with a sack on fourth down by WSU junior linebacker Moe Davenport.
The Warriors head home to Adams Field for a noon matchup with Hillsdale College next Saturday.
“Hillsdale is a really smart team,” Winters said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes so [we] have to be sound. They’re a good football team.”
This is the third consecutive victory for the Warriors after starting the season off with a loss.
“First of all we’re playing good defense,” said Warriors head coach Paul Winters, speaking of how WSU has won its last three contests. “The offense has stepped up recently and we’ve been able to run the football. I think it’s just kind of every phase coming together.”
Northwood (4-1 overall, 3-1 GLIAC) put the first points on the board with a 28-yard field goal.
Junior running back Toney Davis gave the Warriors a 7-3 lead with a three-yard touchdown run. The score was the culmination of a five-play, 75-yard drive. Senior quarterback Mickey Mohner completed a 51-yard pass to junior wide receiver Dominique Maybanks to set up the score.
“He played well,” Winters said, speaking of Toney Davis and his 162 yards on 29 carries. “He ran hard, he ran tough. His strength wore their defense out. [It was a] really good game for him.”
The Timberwolves drove down the field on the ensuing possession, but the drive stalled in the red zone. They were kept scoreless as kicker Alex Faust missed the field goal attempt.
WSU kicker Stefan Terleckyj missed a field goal attempt as well on the ensuing possession for the Warriors.
Northwood drove down the field and again the Warriors defense kept the Timberwolves off the board. On first-and-goal at the WSU eight-yard line, Northwood coughed the ball up as senior defensive tackle Zach Houghton forced a fumble.
But the Warriors weren't able to turn the turnover into points as Northwood forced WSU to punt the ball.
Sophomore cornerback Gerren DuHart forced another Northwood turnover, recording his second career interception.
WSU made the Timberwolves pay for their mistake as senior wide receiver Steve Conway caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Mohner. It was Conway's first reception for a touchdown at WSU and his first collegiate touchdown reception since Sept. 27, 2008, when he was at Albion College, according to wsuathletics.com.
The Warriors held a 14-3 lead at the half.
On the Timberwolves first possession of the second-half and inside the red zone, WSU sophomore linebacker Nores Fradi jarred the ball loose when he sacked Northwood quarterback Aaron Shavers. Fradi also recovered the fumble.
Fradi forced fumble and recovery were the Warriors’ ninth forced fumble and fifth recovery of the season.
“We always stress strips and trying to get the ball out,” Winters said. “I think that’s just the coaches’ emphasis [on stripping the ball].”
Mohner and the rest of the Warriors' offense went 74-yards down the field on a 13-play drive. The drive ended with an 11-yard touchdown run from Davis, giving WSU an 18-point lead.
Davis' second rushing touchdown of the game moved him into second place on the WSU all-time rushing touchdowns list with 38, as well as the WSU career points chart with 234 points scored, according to wsuathletics.com.
After punting on its ensuing possession, Northwood followed that with a nine-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass. It cut the Warriors' lead to 21-11 with eight minutes left in the game after a successful two-point conversion.
The touchdown was Northwood’s first of the game, as it only converted on two of its five chances in the red zone.
“The defense, they were obviously challenged against a good football team,” Winters said. “They made plays when they had to. Our team speed helped us because their quarterback was really fast and I think as the field narrowed, it kind of put him in a little box and that helped us.”
The Warriors burned over five minutes off the clock before being forced to punt the ball.
Northwood turned the ball over on downs after three consecutive incomplete passes and a sack on fourth down.
Northwood forced and recovered a fumble at its own four-yard line with 1:24 remaining. After picking up two first downs, the Timberwolves turned the ball over on downs, with a sack on fourth down by WSU junior linebacker Moe Davenport.
The Warriors head home to Adams Field for a noon matchup with Hillsdale College next Saturday.
“Hillsdale is a really smart team,” Winters said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes so [we] have to be sound. They’re a good football team.”
Leix becomes first WSU student-athlete to win Academic All-American award
Leix becomes first WSU student-athlete to win Academic All-American award: In the 60-year history of the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year for the Division II Woman’s At-Large program, no Wayne State student-athlete has ever won the award.
But that changed earlier this month when WSU swimmer Catherine Leix – who was a senior captain on the 2012 national champion women’s swimming and diving team – was voted the Academic All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Leix also received the Detroit Athletic Club Michigan College Female Athlete of the Year Award last month – she is the first WSU student-athlete to win the award and only the second Division II recipient in the award’s seven-year history.
“I have felt so honored to be a part of such an amazing program and be recognized for these awards,” Leix said. “Having been chosen is a great, great honor.”
Graduating with a degree in science education, secondary with a minor in biology and a cumulative 3.95 grade point average, Leix exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete.
A 16-time All-American and a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection, Leix had a perfect 4.0 term GPA six times, earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence accolades the last two years, was voted to the 2011 and 2012 CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large First Team and was the WSU Department of Athletics Deans' Award winner in 2012 from the College of Education, according to wsuathletics.com.
“I have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to get to where I am today,” Leix said. “I am very grateful for the recognition this work has earned me.”
Leix credited her coaching staff, specifically head coach Sean Peters, for developing her into the accomplished swimmer she is today.
“Sean, along with all of my coaches here at Wayne State, has provided me with the skills and rigorous training necessary to compete at the college level,” she said.
Peters praised Leix for her performance in the pool and in the classroom during her five years at WSU.
“Catherine was truly, truly a spectacular representative of Wayne State athletics,” he said. “[She] is a one of a kind.”
Asked how he would replace Leix, he said “you don’t” while chuckling. Although she has received numerous awards and accolades, Leix’s greatest moment at WSU was hoisting the national championship trophy.
“The team standing together on the podium as national champions is the best memory I have of swimming at Wayne State,” she said. “I could not have asked for a better end to my swimming career.”
National champion, All-American and College graduate—Catherine Leix has done it all at the collegiate level.
She has been busy these days post-swimming, finishing her student-teaching and was accepted into WSU’s pharmacy program, where she will study in the fall, she said.
As for swimming, she plans to stay out of the pool for a while.“I know I will start swimming again someday,” she said.“But after a 14-year career, I think it is time for a little break.”
A well-deserved break it is.
But that changed earlier this month when WSU swimmer Catherine Leix – who was a senior captain on the 2012 national champion women’s swimming and diving team – was voted the Academic All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Leix also received the Detroit Athletic Club Michigan College Female Athlete of the Year Award last month – she is the first WSU student-athlete to win the award and only the second Division II recipient in the award’s seven-year history.
“I have felt so honored to be a part of such an amazing program and be recognized for these awards,” Leix said. “Having been chosen is a great, great honor.”
Graduating with a degree in science education, secondary with a minor in biology and a cumulative 3.95 grade point average, Leix exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete.
A 16-time All-American and a four-time GLIAC All-Academic Team selection, Leix had a perfect 4.0 term GPA six times, earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence accolades the last two years, was voted to the 2011 and 2012 CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large First Team and was the WSU Department of Athletics Deans' Award winner in 2012 from the College of Education, according to wsuathletics.com.
“I have put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to get to where I am today,” Leix said. “I am very grateful for the recognition this work has earned me.”
Leix credited her coaching staff, specifically head coach Sean Peters, for developing her into the accomplished swimmer she is today.
“Sean, along with all of my coaches here at Wayne State, has provided me with the skills and rigorous training necessary to compete at the college level,” she said.
Peters praised Leix for her performance in the pool and in the classroom during her five years at WSU.
“Catherine was truly, truly a spectacular representative of Wayne State athletics,” he said. “[She] is a one of a kind.”
Asked how he would replace Leix, he said “you don’t” while chuckling. Although she has received numerous awards and accolades, Leix’s greatest moment at WSU was hoisting the national championship trophy.
“The team standing together on the podium as national champions is the best memory I have of swimming at Wayne State,” she said. “I could not have asked for a better end to my swimming career.”
National champion, All-American and College graduate—Catherine Leix has done it all at the collegiate level.
She has been busy these days post-swimming, finishing her student-teaching and was accepted into WSU’s pharmacy program, where she will study in the fall, she said.
As for swimming, she plans to stay out of the pool for a while.“I know I will start swimming again someday,” she said.“But after a 14-year career, I think it is time for a little break.”
A well-deserved break it is.
Baseball season review
Baseball season review: The Wayne State baseball team’s season ended in the second round of the NCAA Midwest Regional on May 19, at the hands of the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds.
The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, but couldn’t hold it, as the Hounds took the game, 8-4.
“We just ran into two tough innings in the middle of the ballgame from a defensive pitching standpoint,” Warriors head coach Ryan Kelley said. “We gave up too many runs back-to-back.”
WSU advanced to its third consecutive NCAA regional after appearing in the GLIAC tournament championship round, a loss to the Grand Valley Lakers.
“In the GLIAC tournament, we showed some good resiliency, good leadership [and] some good competitiveness,” Kelley said. “We just ran out of enough pitching and depth. We just couldn’t capitalize in the very final game.”
Despite the disappointing finish, the 2012 campaign was still a successful one.
“We’ve built a program that we want to have success every season,” Kelley said. “We’ve had three straight 30-plus win seasons, which is the first in the 72 year history of our program. “
WSU finished 34-21 overall, placed second in the GLIAC with a 21-12 conference record and advanced to its fifth NCAA regional.
While the Warriors had success on the field, they had success off of it as well.
“We had nearly 850 community service hours [and] our team grade point average is a 3.1,” Kelley said. “We’ve had a lot of guys do some successful things on and off the field.”
On the field, the team hit .305 for the season – .323 in conference play – and finished with a respectable 4.50 team ERA.
But the Warriors will lose some key players to graduation, as seven players received their diplomas this May.
“We had a good senior class,” Kelley said. “Our seniors this year founded some leadership trends and we look forward to carry over into next year and the year after that,” he said, noting the influence the seniors had.
Seven Warriors received All-GLIAC honors: Brad Guenther, Andrew Ciennik, Alex Trojan, Kyle Vessey and Billy Hurley were voted to the second team, while Alex Pierse and Ethan Vasiliauskas received honorable mention accolades.
Kasey Koster, Ciennik, Trojan and Pierse were named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.
Ciennik and Phil Swanson were selected to the Academic All-District Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their athletic and academic accomplishments.
“[Those guys] had quality seasons on and off the field. They performed well between the lines and they took care of business in the classroom,” Kelley said. “They all earned it, they worked hard and they represented the university very well.”
Despite losing some key players, Kelley doesn’t see his team taking a step back next season – on or off the field.
“Graduate and win,” he said. “We’re here to graduate, get good grades and we’re also here to win. We’ve got great work ethic and we’ve got great resources at Wayne State. We’re going to continue to use everything we have to push forward and win.”
The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, but couldn’t hold it, as the Hounds took the game, 8-4.
“We just ran into two tough innings in the middle of the ballgame from a defensive pitching standpoint,” Warriors head coach Ryan Kelley said. “We gave up too many runs back-to-back.”
WSU advanced to its third consecutive NCAA regional after appearing in the GLIAC tournament championship round, a loss to the Grand Valley Lakers.
“In the GLIAC tournament, we showed some good resiliency, good leadership [and] some good competitiveness,” Kelley said. “We just ran out of enough pitching and depth. We just couldn’t capitalize in the very final game.”
Despite the disappointing finish, the 2012 campaign was still a successful one.
“We’ve built a program that we want to have success every season,” Kelley said. “We’ve had three straight 30-plus win seasons, which is the first in the 72 year history of our program. “
WSU finished 34-21 overall, placed second in the GLIAC with a 21-12 conference record and advanced to its fifth NCAA regional.
While the Warriors had success on the field, they had success off of it as well.
“We had nearly 850 community service hours [and] our team grade point average is a 3.1,” Kelley said. “We’ve had a lot of guys do some successful things on and off the field.”
On the field, the team hit .305 for the season – .323 in conference play – and finished with a respectable 4.50 team ERA.
But the Warriors will lose some key players to graduation, as seven players received their diplomas this May.
“We had a good senior class,” Kelley said. “Our seniors this year founded some leadership trends and we look forward to carry over into next year and the year after that,” he said, noting the influence the seniors had.
Seven Warriors received All-GLIAC honors: Brad Guenther, Andrew Ciennik, Alex Trojan, Kyle Vessey and Billy Hurley were voted to the second team, while Alex Pierse and Ethan Vasiliauskas received honorable mention accolades.
Kasey Koster, Ciennik, Trojan and Pierse were named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.
Ciennik and Phil Swanson were selected to the Academic All-District Team, which recognizes student-athletes for their athletic and academic accomplishments.
“[Those guys] had quality seasons on and off the field. They performed well between the lines and they took care of business in the classroom,” Kelley said. “They all earned it, they worked hard and they represented the university very well.”
Despite losing some key players, Kelley doesn’t see his team taking a step back next season – on or off the field.
“Graduate and win,” he said. “We’re here to graduate, get good grades and we’re also here to win. We’ve got great work ethic and we’ve got great resources at Wayne State. We’re going to continue to use everything we have to push forward and win.”
Warriors lose to Greyhounds 8-5; eliminated from postseason
Warriors lose to Greyhounds 8-5; eliminated from postseason: The Wayne State baseball team’s season came to an end in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional, as the Warriors dropped an 8-5 decision to the Indianapolis Hounds on May 18.
The Warriors needed a victory to keep their season alive, but instead were eliminated, ending the season with a 34-21 record overall.
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when the Warriors got on the board, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning as Kyle Vesey and Kasey Koster each drove-in a run.
Justin DeFrancis made it a 3-0 game in the fifth inning when he scored Chris Gebara – who singled to lead off the inning with a bunt single.
WSU starter Alex Pierse kept the top-seeded Hounds scoreless for the first four innings, but unraveled in the fifth. Pierse gave up four hits – a double and three consecutive singles – and two walks in the inning, which led to four runs for the Hounds and his exit from the game.
Pierse’s day ended after 4 2/3 innings pitched, allowing four runs on six hits and five walks. Justin Sylvester replaced Pierse to finish the inning for the Warriors.
With Sylvester on the mound to start the sixth inning, the Hounds added four more runs – one off of Sylvester’s replacement, Billy Hurley, which was unearned thanks to a WSU error – to take an 8-3 lead.
Singles from Brad Guenther, DeFrancis and Kyle Zimmerman in the seventh inning led to one run for the Warriors, with the RBI going to Zimmerman. Andrew Ciennnik – who reached on a fielder’s choice – scored on Vesey’s RBI single – his second RBI of the game – to make it 8-5.
WSU’s rally attempt in the late innings fell short, as it left seven runners on base over the final three innings.
The Warriors finished one win shy of matching the school record set last season of 35 wins. WSU is also 6-10 all time in five NCAA Regionals.
The Warriors needed a victory to keep their season alive, but instead were eliminated, ending the season with a 34-21 record overall.
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when the Warriors got on the board, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning as Kyle Vesey and Kasey Koster each drove-in a run.
Justin DeFrancis made it a 3-0 game in the fifth inning when he scored Chris Gebara – who singled to lead off the inning with a bunt single.
WSU starter Alex Pierse kept the top-seeded Hounds scoreless for the first four innings, but unraveled in the fifth. Pierse gave up four hits – a double and three consecutive singles – and two walks in the inning, which led to four runs for the Hounds and his exit from the game.
Pierse’s day ended after 4 2/3 innings pitched, allowing four runs on six hits and five walks. Justin Sylvester replaced Pierse to finish the inning for the Warriors.
With Sylvester on the mound to start the sixth inning, the Hounds added four more runs – one off of Sylvester’s replacement, Billy Hurley, which was unearned thanks to a WSU error – to take an 8-3 lead.
Singles from Brad Guenther, DeFrancis and Kyle Zimmerman in the seventh inning led to one run for the Warriors, with the RBI going to Zimmerman. Andrew Ciennnik – who reached on a fielder’s choice – scored on Vesey’s RBI single – his second RBI of the game – to make it 8-5.
WSU’s rally attempt in the late innings fell short, as it left seven runners on base over the final three innings.
The Warriors finished one win shy of matching the school record set last season of 35 wins. WSU is also 6-10 all time in five NCAA Regionals.
Warriors fall behind early, drop Regional opener
Warriors fall behind early, drop Regional opener: The Wayne State baseball team tried to put the disappointing end to its GLIAC tournament run behind on the opening day of the 2012 NCAA Midwest Regional, but the third-seeded Warriors (34-20 overall) dropped its opening round game to the Northern Kentucky University Norse (36-20 overall) 6-4, May 17 at Oestrike Stadium.
NKU got on the board first, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning off of WSU starter Josh Wedesky. The Norse extended its lead by adding three more runs in the third inning – capitalizing on two Warrior errors, making it a 5-0 game. The deficit ultimately proved to be too much to overcome for WSU.
After 2 2/3 innings pitched, Wedesky – who gave up five runs on eight hits and walked three – was replaced by Ethan Vasiliauskas.
The Warriors got on the board in the fourth inning with a four-run rally, cutting the deficit to one. Alex Trojan led off the inning with a single and later scored on Chris Gebara’s RBI single. Brad Guenther drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Kasey Koster – who reached on a fielder’s choice.
Eric Cunningham – who also drew a base on ball – scored as NKU turned a double play, and Andrew Ciennik’s RBI single plated Gebara to make it a 5-4 game.
Vasiliauskas shut the Norse down for three consecutive innings, but became erratic in the seventh, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch. Those two mistakes led to a run for the Norse – which scored without tallying a hit in the inning.
That run gave NKU an insurance run, as the Warriors’ comeback came up short.
Needing a victory to stay alive in the tournament, WSU will play the top-seeded University of Indianapolis Hounds on May 18 at 2:30 p.m.
NKU got on the board first, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning off of WSU starter Josh Wedesky. The Norse extended its lead by adding three more runs in the third inning – capitalizing on two Warrior errors, making it a 5-0 game. The deficit ultimately proved to be too much to overcome for WSU.
After 2 2/3 innings pitched, Wedesky – who gave up five runs on eight hits and walked three – was replaced by Ethan Vasiliauskas.
The Warriors got on the board in the fourth inning with a four-run rally, cutting the deficit to one. Alex Trojan led off the inning with a single and later scored on Chris Gebara’s RBI single. Brad Guenther drew a bases loaded walk, scoring Kasey Koster – who reached on a fielder’s choice.
Eric Cunningham – who also drew a base on ball – scored as NKU turned a double play, and Andrew Ciennik’s RBI single plated Gebara to make it a 5-4 game.
Vasiliauskas shut the Norse down for three consecutive innings, but became erratic in the seventh, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch. Those two mistakes led to a run for the Norse – which scored without tallying a hit in the inning.
That run gave NKU an insurance run, as the Warriors’ comeback came up short.
Needing a victory to stay alive in the tournament, WSU will play the top-seeded University of Indianapolis Hounds on May 18 at 2:30 p.m.
Women's basketball win fifth straight game
Women's basketball win fifth straight game: The Wayne State women's basketball team looked to continue its hot streak into the new year against the Hillsdale Chargers (4-6 overall, 1-6 GLIAC), Jan. 3. Winners of four in a row and six out of their last seven, the Warriors extended its winning streak to five games with a hard-fought 70-66 victory.
The win did come with bad news, though, as WSU (7-3 overall, 5-1 GLIAC) learned that leading scorer Paige Sickmiller will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered during practice earlier in the week.
"That has certainly been a drastic and dramatic loss for us," head coach Carrie Lohr said. "We missed her tonight and we're going to miss her the rest of the season.
"It's just really a tough loss for all of us, especially her."
With Sickmiller on the bench, the rest of the WSU team took on a struggling Hillsdale team, losers of four consecutive games.
The Warriors started the game off on an 8-0 run, as Lena Thomas drained two 3-pointers to help give WSU the early advantage. But the Chargers followed with an 8-0 run of their own to tie the game. They continued their run, scoring another six points to the Warriors' two, to take a four-point lead, 14-10.
WSU regained the lead with a 14-4 run that gave the Warriors a six-point lead, 24-18, with 5:24 remaining in the first half.
Hillsdale continued to answer the Warriors, and trailed by one, 29-28, going into halftime. Although they held the lead, Lohr was none too pleased with the team's performance in the opening half.
"I was actually really surprised we were up at halftime considering how poorly we had played," Lohr said. "My main concern was us not sharing the basketball. There was not good chemistry on the floor."
The Chargers scored the first four points of the second half until a Brittany Streetman 3-pointer tied the game at 32. Hillsdale followed with a three, taking a 35-32 lead.
The Warriors trailed by that score until the 17:23 mark when Talisha Bridges scored a layup. That is also when Bridges and teammate Phaebre Colbert began to take over for WSU.
"I was really dissapointed with Talisha in the first half," Lohr said. "I think she has the opportunity to be a leader for us, and she really was a leader for us most of this early season, and she wasn't playing like a leader in the first half. I think she did that [in] the second half by being more physical, rebounding more [and] attacking the basket from the inside-out.
"Phaebre really just came out and kept things simple. We were able to get her the ball in the low block areas [and] there were times where she was double and triple-teamed, and easlily I guess she could have kicked it back out, but I'm glad with the decisions that she made to go up and finish strong."
Bridges and Colbert combined for 18 of the Warriors' next 24 points. Grabbing offensive rebounds, scoring second-chance points and drawing fouls, they helped give WSU a seven-point lead, 58-51, with six minutes to play. It extended its lead to 12 points at 65-53 with 3:09 to go in the game.
But, as they did all night, the Chargers responded. They got to within four points on three occasions (66-62, 68-64 and 70-66), but their comeback bid ultimately come up short.
"We kind of just had to grind [the win] out," Lohr said. "Hillsdale just wouldn't go away. The game could have gone either way, but we did what we were supposed to and we did solidify the win.
"I'm happy about that."
As conference play continues for the remainder of the season, Lohr was adamant about the team's need to play at a high level every night.
"We certainly need to play better than [tonight's performance] if we're going to contend for anything in the division."
The Warriors were led by Colbert, as she finished with a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Bridges recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas contributed with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
WSU is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 5, as Findlay pays a visit to the Matthaei for a 3 p.m. start.
The win did come with bad news, though, as WSU (7-3 overall, 5-1 GLIAC) learned that leading scorer Paige Sickmiller will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered during practice earlier in the week.
"That has certainly been a drastic and dramatic loss for us," head coach Carrie Lohr said. "We missed her tonight and we're going to miss her the rest of the season.
"It's just really a tough loss for all of us, especially her."
With Sickmiller on the bench, the rest of the WSU team took on a struggling Hillsdale team, losers of four consecutive games.
The Warriors started the game off on an 8-0 run, as Lena Thomas drained two 3-pointers to help give WSU the early advantage. But the Chargers followed with an 8-0 run of their own to tie the game. They continued their run, scoring another six points to the Warriors' two, to take a four-point lead, 14-10.
WSU regained the lead with a 14-4 run that gave the Warriors a six-point lead, 24-18, with 5:24 remaining in the first half.
Hillsdale continued to answer the Warriors, and trailed by one, 29-28, going into halftime. Although they held the lead, Lohr was none too pleased with the team's performance in the opening half.
"I was actually really surprised we were up at halftime considering how poorly we had played," Lohr said. "My main concern was us not sharing the basketball. There was not good chemistry on the floor."
The Chargers scored the first four points of the second half until a Brittany Streetman 3-pointer tied the game at 32. Hillsdale followed with a three, taking a 35-32 lead.
The Warriors trailed by that score until the 17:23 mark when Talisha Bridges scored a layup. That is also when Bridges and teammate Phaebre Colbert began to take over for WSU.
"I was really dissapointed with Talisha in the first half," Lohr said. "I think she has the opportunity to be a leader for us, and she really was a leader for us most of this early season, and she wasn't playing like a leader in the first half. I think she did that [in] the second half by being more physical, rebounding more [and] attacking the basket from the inside-out.
"Phaebre really just came out and kept things simple. We were able to get her the ball in the low block areas [and] there were times where she was double and triple-teamed, and easlily I guess she could have kicked it back out, but I'm glad with the decisions that she made to go up and finish strong."
Bridges and Colbert combined for 18 of the Warriors' next 24 points. Grabbing offensive rebounds, scoring second-chance points and drawing fouls, they helped give WSU a seven-point lead, 58-51, with six minutes to play. It extended its lead to 12 points at 65-53 with 3:09 to go in the game.
But, as they did all night, the Chargers responded. They got to within four points on three occasions (66-62, 68-64 and 70-66), but their comeback bid ultimately come up short.
"We kind of just had to grind [the win] out," Lohr said. "Hillsdale just wouldn't go away. The game could have gone either way, but we did what we were supposed to and we did solidify the win.
"I'm happy about that."
As conference play continues for the remainder of the season, Lohr was adamant about the team's need to play at a high level every night.
"We certainly need to play better than [tonight's performance] if we're going to contend for anything in the division."
The Warriors were led by Colbert, as she finished with a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Bridges recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Thomas contributed with eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
WSU is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 5, as Findlay pays a visit to the Matthaei for a 3 p.m. start.
Baseball splits doubleheader at GVSU
Baseball splits doubleheader at GVSU: The Wayne State baseball team (25-14, 16-10 GLIAC) split its doubleheader with the 8th-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers (31-11, 21-7 GLIAC) April 28 in Allendale. The Warriors topped the Lakers in game one, 7-6, but could not get the sweep, dropping game two 7-2.
*Game One*
WSU got on the scoreboard first when an Alex Trojan ground out scored Brad Guenther in the opening inning. The Lakers tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning.
The Warriors took the lead again in the second, scoring on a Kasey Koster sacrifice fly, plating Eric Cunninham – who singled to lead off the inning. Kyle Vesey’s three-run homerun in the third made it a 5-1 game.
The Lakers cut WSU’s lead to two runs in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs thanks to a WSU error.
The Warriors scored again in the fourth on Kenny Davis’ RBI single.
GVSU got a run back in the fifth to make it a 6-4 game.
J.J. Ciennik’s RBI single added an insurance run for the Warriors in the sixth. That run would turn out to be an important one, as the Lakers scored two runs in the seventh. But Billy Hurley got the final two outs to earn his eighth save of the season.
*Game Two*
As in game one, the Warriors opened up the scoring in the second. Trojan – who doubled to lead off the inning – scored on an RBI triple by Vesey. Cunningham plated Vesey on a RBI ground out.
The Lakers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Their four-run fourth inning busted the game wide open, and a run in the sixth more than secured the game for GVSU.
The teams wrap up their series April 29, with game one slated for a noon start.
*Game One*
WSU got on the scoreboard first when an Alex Trojan ground out scored Brad Guenther in the opening inning. The Lakers tied the game with a run in the bottom of the inning.
The Warriors took the lead again in the second, scoring on a Kasey Koster sacrifice fly, plating Eric Cunninham – who singled to lead off the inning. Kyle Vesey’s three-run homerun in the third made it a 5-1 game.
The Lakers cut WSU’s lead to two runs in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs thanks to a WSU error.
The Warriors scored again in the fourth on Kenny Davis’ RBI single.
GVSU got a run back in the fifth to make it a 6-4 game.
J.J. Ciennik’s RBI single added an insurance run for the Warriors in the sixth. That run would turn out to be an important one, as the Lakers scored two runs in the seventh. But Billy Hurley got the final two outs to earn his eighth save of the season.
*Game Two*
As in game one, the Warriors opened up the scoring in the second. Trojan – who doubled to lead off the inning – scored on an RBI triple by Vesey. Cunningham plated Vesey on a RBI ground out.
The Lakers tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. Their four-run fourth inning busted the game wide open, and a run in the sixth more than secured the game for GVSU.
The teams wrap up their series April 29, with game one slated for a noon start.
Baseball splits doubleheader at GVSU
Baseball splits doubleheader at GVSU: The Wayne State baseball team (26-15, 17-11 GLIAC) split its doubleheader with the 8th-ranked Grand Valley State Lakers (32-12, 22-8 GLIAC) April 29, earning a split in the series. The Warriors dropped the opener, 4-2, but recovered for an 11-8 victory in the series finale. It was the second straight day the Warriors split with GVSU.
*Game One*
The Lakers took the lead early, scoring a run in the first. They followed that with another run in the second, and added two more runs in the third for a 4-0 advantage.
GVSU did all of its scoring on WSU starter Chris Waha, who gave up seven hits and struck out five in his four innings pitched.
Kenny Davis led off the sixth with a base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Kyle Vesey double. An RBI single by Phil Swanson drove-in Vesey.
WSU threatened the Lakers in the seventh by putting two men on base, but the rally was cut short.
*Game Two*
The Warriors got on the board first, plating two runs in the first. Davis drove-in Brad Guenther – who reached on an error – with a single. Davis later scored on a Kyle Zimmerman RBI groundout.
The Lakers tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
WSU regained the lead in the second when a RBI single by Davis scored Swanson. But the Lakers scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
The Warriors scored three runs in the third to take a 6-4 lead. Vesey’s RBI single and Zimmerman’s two-run homer made it a 9-4 game in the fourth.
WSU followed a two-run fifth from GVSU with runs in the sixth and seventh. GVSU scored two runs in the seventh.
The Warriors are on the road again May 2 for a doubleheader with Saginaw Valley State.
*Game One*
The Lakers took the lead early, scoring a run in the first. They followed that with another run in the second, and added two more runs in the third for a 4-0 advantage.
GVSU did all of its scoring on WSU starter Chris Waha, who gave up seven hits and struck out five in his four innings pitched.
Kenny Davis led off the sixth with a base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Kyle Vesey double. An RBI single by Phil Swanson drove-in Vesey.
WSU threatened the Lakers in the seventh by putting two men on base, but the rally was cut short.
*Game Two*
The Warriors got on the board first, plating two runs in the first. Davis drove-in Brad Guenther – who reached on an error – with a single. Davis later scored on a Kyle Zimmerman RBI groundout.
The Lakers tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
WSU regained the lead in the second when a RBI single by Davis scored Swanson. But the Lakers scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
The Warriors scored three runs in the third to take a 6-4 lead. Vesey’s RBI single and Zimmerman’s two-run homer made it a 9-4 game in the fourth.
WSU followed a two-run fifth from GVSU with runs in the sixth and seventh. GVSU scored two runs in the seventh.
The Warriors are on the road again May 2 for a doubleheader with Saginaw Valley State.
Baseball wins GLIAC tournament opener
Baseball wins GLIAC tournament opener: The Wayne State baseball team (31-7 overall) defeated the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals (24-25 overall), 4-2, in its opening game of the 2012 GLIAC tournament at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. It was the Warriors’ fourth-straight postseason victory over SVSU.
“Saginaw Valley and our team have had some battles the last few years,” Warriors head coach Ryan Kelley said prior to the game on wsuathletics.com. “We’ve got to play a full nine innings.”
And that they did. The pitching duel between both starting pitchers stole the show.
WSU starter Josh Wedesky (6-3 record) and SVSU’s Carson Beauchaine (3-5 record) were locked in, with Wedesky going 7 2/3 innings and both only gave up a combined 10 hits.
Wedesky, however, got off to a shaky start in the top of the first. He alternated strike outs and walks to the first four batters, and gave up a single and a run. But then he settled in.
Beauchaine, on the other hand, kept the Warriors off the board through four innings. But the Warriors broke through in the fifth when Chris Gebara drove-in Kyle Vesey. Kenny Davis then scored Alex Trojan with a sacrifice fly to give WSU a 2-1 lead.
Trojan led off the seventh with a single and scored on Gebara’s two-run homer, which made it a 4-1 game.
After giving up a run and surrendering two walks in the eighth, Wedesky was replaced by Ethan Vasiliauskas. He hit the first batter he faced, but recovered by striking out Andy Orr to end the inning.
Billy Hurley came on in the ninth, retiring the Cardinals in order to pick up his 11th save of the season and 19th of his career, which both broke Jon Venuto’s school records for saves in a single season and career.
The Warriors continue postseason play May 10 against Lake Erie College at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Kelley said.
“Saginaw Valley and our team have had some battles the last few years,” Warriors head coach Ryan Kelley said prior to the game on wsuathletics.com. “We’ve got to play a full nine innings.”
And that they did. The pitching duel between both starting pitchers stole the show.
WSU starter Josh Wedesky (6-3 record) and SVSU’s Carson Beauchaine (3-5 record) were locked in, with Wedesky going 7 2/3 innings and both only gave up a combined 10 hits.
Wedesky, however, got off to a shaky start in the top of the first. He alternated strike outs and walks to the first four batters, and gave up a single and a run. But then he settled in.
Beauchaine, on the other hand, kept the Warriors off the board through four innings. But the Warriors broke through in the fifth when Chris Gebara drove-in Kyle Vesey. Kenny Davis then scored Alex Trojan with a sacrifice fly to give WSU a 2-1 lead.
Trojan led off the seventh with a single and scored on Gebara’s two-run homer, which made it a 4-1 game.
After giving up a run and surrendering two walks in the eighth, Wedesky was replaced by Ethan Vasiliauskas. He hit the first batter he faced, but recovered by striking out Andy Orr to end the inning.
Billy Hurley came on in the ninth, retiring the Cardinals in order to pick up his 11th save of the season and 19th of his career, which both broke Jon Venuto’s school records for saves in a single season and career.
The Warriors continue postseason play May 10 against Lake Erie College at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Kelley said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)