Victory is sweet for Warriors

Victory is sweet for Warriors: Juanita Cochran scored 25 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to lead the Wayne State women’s basketball team (22-8) to its first Sweet 16 appearance in school history with a 70-60 victory over the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers (21-10), March 16.

With 17 lead changes in the game, it was a close one throughout.

The No. 7 Rangers scored the first two points of the game, but the sixth-seeded Warriors scored the next four points to go on top.

Trailing by a point, Cochran hit a free-throw to knot the score up at 5 apiece – one of three ties in the first six minutes of play.

WSU took a 10-7 lead at the 14:35 mark of the first half, but two Ranger free-throws 40 seconds later gave UWP the lead.

The Warriors scored the next four points to make it a 14-11 game, which would eventually get tied up at 17.

Leading 20-19, WSU went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the half at 27-19 with 8:02 left until halftime. The Rangers responded though, closing the first half out on a 17-7 run to take a 36-34 lead into the intermission.

UWP scored the first two points out of the break, but another 7-0 Warriors run gave them a 41-38 lead.

The Rangers tied the game at 41 at the 16:45 mark, and the teams traded baskets and the lead over the next 14 minutes.

With 2:44 to play in the game and trailing 60-58, the Warriors took control. They scored the final 12 points of the contest, starting with two consecutive layups from Talisha Bridges to tie and take the lead.

WSU closed the game out with four free-throws and two field goals.

Cochran’s scoring and rebound totals were both game-highs, as well as her three blocks. Bridges added 19 points, a team-high four assists and three steals. Imari Redfield chipped-in with 10 points off the bench.

The Warriors will play the No. 1 team in the region and the No. 2 team in the country when they square off against the Ashland Eagles, Monday, March 18. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.