Ferris State Drops Regular-Season Finale To Wayne State In Close Contest

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's basketball squad fought Wayne State to the wire for a second-straight day before coming up short 59-54 on Saturday (Feb. 27) in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season finale at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.

The Bulldogs jumped in front early and held the lead at the end of the first period, but Wayne State came back with a strong second period. The second half was close throughout until WSU pushed the margin to as many as 11 points with five minutes left. The Bulldogs trimmed the lead down, but could not pull it out down the stretch.

Freshman guard Kadyn Blanchard paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 21 points while adding nine rebounds. She was joined in double-figures by senior Samantha Krauss, who had 13 points and seven boards.

The Bulldogs and the Warriors both had strong defensive performances for the second-straight day, limiting each other to less than 33% shooting overall. FSU went six-of-21 (28.6%) from beyond the three-point arc with WSU finishing at five-of-18 (27.8%) overall from long distance.

Ferris State held a slim 42-38 rebounding margin and both teams totaled 11 second chance points on 11 offensive rebounds apiece. FSU finished with 13 turnovers to 12 for the Warriors.

Wayne State, which was playing without standout Kate Sherwood, who was injured in Friday's game, was paced by Becca Fugate, who totaled 13 points. Alexis Miller added 10 points and Sam Cherney had eight points and 10 boards despite missing a large portion of the second half due to injury.

For Ferris State, sophomore guard Mallory McCartney had five assists and added six boards and three steals while playing all 40 minutes

The Bulldogs fell to 6-12 overall and in the GLIAC with Wayne State finishing regular-season play at 11-7 overall and in league play.

The GLIAC Tournament First Round will take place on Tuesday, March 2. Official pairings and the tournament bracket will be announced later this evening by the league office. Stay tuned to FerrisStateBulldogs.com for additional information.