Males’s Hoops to Host Northwood and Journey to No. 23 Findlay for In-Region Battles

DETROIT — The Wayne State University males’s basketball crew will host its third recreation in a row to start the 2025-26 season when Northwood involves the Fieldhouse on Saturday for a 3 p.m. begin.  Then on Tuesday, the Warriors will hit the highway for the primary time as they head to Twenty third-ranked Findlay for a 7:30 p.m. tip inside Croy Gymnasium.

STORYLINES

At 1-1 to start the 2025-26 season, the Wayne State University males’s basketball crew is ready for 2 extra contests towards Midwest Region foes.  The Warriors will host Northwood on Saturday at 3 p.m. contained in the Fieldhouse earlier than going to Findlay the next Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip in Ohio.  WSU made fast work of Michigan-Dearborn on Nov. 14 (101-66), however will look to bounce again from a 12-point defeat (76-64) by the hands of Ashland on Nov. 16.

SERIES HISTORY

Wayne State leads the all-time sequence towards Northwood by 12, 46-34, however the groups have cut up their final 10 conferences.  Despite a highway document of 19-22 vs. the Timberwolves, the Warriors will get to host this time round the place they’ve gone 27-12.

Findlay has had Wayne State’s quantity within the sequence historical past, to the tune of 31-17.  The Oilers have crushed the Warriors in seven straight video games.  WSU’s final victory over UF got here when each had been a member of the GLIAC on Jan. 5, 2013, 65-61 in time beyond regulation in Detroit.

SCOUTING NORTHWOOD

Northwood was predicted to complete second-to-last within the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll.  Guided by second-year chief Tom Church (11-20 total document, .355 profitable share), the Timberwolves have received two of three to start their 2025-26 marketing campaign.  NU rolled previous Ferris State 97-71, dropped a decent affair to Lake Superior State 83-81 and dealt with Great Lakes Christian 102-55.

So far statistically, Jamison Eklund is the ringleader with 21 factors per recreation, however is one in every of 4 scoring in double-figures.  The different three are John Simpson (14.7 PPG), Will Young II (14.7) and Parker Day (12.3).  Simpson is sort of averaging a double-double with 9.3 boards per effort and the squad’s main help man is Brayden Szamrej with 4 per contest.

SCOUTING FINDLAY

Findlay was picked to win the 12-team G-MAC beneath Fifteenth-year head coach Charlie Ernst.  Ernst owns a 299-115 total document in 14+ seasons, good for a .722 profitable share.  Ranked No. 23 within the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) preseason high 25, the Oilers are off to a 3-0 begin, with all three wins coming towards Midwest Region opponents.  UF defeated Truman State 103-79, Quincy 75-74 and Ferris State 102-70.

Individually, 5 gamers which have seen time in all three contests are placing up not less than 10 factors per recreation.  That quintet consists of Alex Kendall (13.3), Mason Brandt (12.0), Ian Ioppolo (11.0), Anthony Johnson (11.0) and Mekhi Elmore (10.0). Luke Denbow has performed in a single contest, however scored 12 factors.  Brandt leads the way in which on the glass (6.7 RPG) whereas Steele Meister is allotting three assists per outing.

LAST GAME RECAP

Ashland opened the sport with a 13-2 run that lasted practically six minutes.  That lone Wayne State basket was a Jotham Nweke two-pointer that opened both crew’s scoring simply 21 seconds in.

At the 13-2 juncture, the Warriors rattled off seven straight factors to tug inside 4, 13-9.  That spurt included a Marshall Thorn layup, two Chase Kuiper free throws and an Adam Ayrault three-pointer.

However, the Eagles countered with 10 factors in a row and pushed their lead again to 14, 23-9, with simply over 9 minutes remaining within the half.

Back got here the house crew, although, with 10 consecutive factors of its personal to slim the margin to 4, 23-19.  In that outburst, Devin Belle was answerable for six factors on two triples whereas Nweke added a pair of deuces.

From there till halftime, the scoring was rather more even at 13-12 in favor of the guests.  At the intermission, AU’s benefit was 5, 36-31. 

Prior to Ashland’s 20-6 second-half run, Wayne State outscored the away crew by one, 11-10, via the preliminary five-plus minutes of the half.

Right after the Eagles went up by 18 on the 4:29 mark, the Warriors made issues attention-grabbing by scoring 16 of the following 20 factors.  Four totally different gamers accounted for these 16 factors together with Carlos Paul III with eight, Jalen Jenkins with 4, Nweke with two and Jordan Briggs with two.

After that, WSU was unable to attain one other level as AU went 4-of-4 on the charity stripe to go together with a layup and no turnovers.

Ashland shot the ball extra effectively than Wayne State in all three phases, 51 % to 40.6 % from the sphere, 50 % to 18.2 % from lengthy vary and 94.4 % to 85.7 % on the free throw line.  Total rebounds, assists, turnovers and steals had been both deadlocked or inside one in every of one another.  The Eagles did try 11 extra free throws than the Warriors, 17-of-18 in comparison with 6-of-7. 

Three Warriors scored in double-figures together with Nweke (17), Paul III (13) and Belle (10).  Nweke and Belle every introduced down 5 rebounds whereas Briggs was on high of the help division with 4.  Defensively, Briggs notched a trio of steals and Nweke racked up 4 blocks.