Few teams this season have been able to handle the big, powerful Wayne State University Warriors women's basketball team. Hillsdale College kept up very well for much of Thursday night's matchup.
But in the end, the Warriors were too big and strong, and came away with a 72-64 win over the Chargers at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. Hillsdale is now 8-3 overall and 4-3 in the GLIAC, while Wayne State, ranked 8th in the most recent WBCA Division II Top 25 poll, are 10-1 on the season.
The Chargers did a lot right in Thursday's game. They outrebounded the Warriors 41-38 and held Wayne State in check from the perimeter - WSU went just 1-for-11 from the 3-point line. But Wayne State committed 11 fewer turnovers in the game, and had Shareta Brown on its side.
Brown, the GLIAC's leader in scoring and rebounding, was tough to contain, as she finished with 32 points and 14 rebounds, going 12-for-13 from the field. She often got deep position in the post and just powered through the active Hillsdale defense.
A three-point play by senior Megan Fogt gave Hillsdale its last lead of the game, 50-49, with 8:03 to go. But the Warrior defense picked up in intensity from there, as they scored 17 points off turnovers in the second half. A 3-pointer by senior Kadie Lowery made it a three-point game, 65-62 with 1:48 to go. But Wayne State forced turnovers on three of the next four possessions to hold the lead for good.
Sophomore guard Moegan Blair has been getting better every game, and played this one with confidence and skill, setting a career-high in scoring for the fourth straight game. She finished with 14 points in addition to 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a fine all-around performance.
Junior Kelsey Cromer set a new season-high and tied her career high with 20 points on an efficient 7-for-11 performance from the field. She played tough inside, with 8 rebounds and 2 assists for the Chargers. Lowery and Fogt each scored 9.