Wayne State Upsets Regionally-Ranked Ashland, 75-64
January 29, 2004

By Joe Monaco, AU Sports Information

Jodi Young scored a game-high 20 points and Ebony Vincent added 19 points as Wayne State pulled a 75-64 upset against regionally-ranked Ashland at the Matthaei Center in Detroit, MI, on Thursday (Jan. 29).

After Alanna Buurma (Willard, OH) connected on a baseline jumper to give Ashland a 4-2 lead at the 16:27 mark, Wayne State answered with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes, highlighted by five Vincent points. The Warriors would never relinquish the lead.

Despite only shooting 28 percent (8-28) from the floor in the first half, Ashland only trailed the Warriors by 11 points going into the break. The Eagles quickly cut the lead down to 33-28 in the second half after a Buurma jumper at the 17:26 mark. Buurma finished the game with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Warriors countered with a 10-2 run and held a 13-point advantage after two free throws by Vincent at 13:22. The Eagles once again cut into the lead and got within eight points at 55-47 after a layup by freshman guard Amber Rall (Bucyrus, OH/Wynford) with 9:11 remaining in the game. Rall finished with 15 points. However, costly turnovers late in the game proved to be Ashland’s downfall as Wayne State held on for the victory.

AU junior Jackie Mason (Olmsted Falls, OH) scored 17 points and added 20 rebounds, including 17 defensive boards. Her 20 rebounds tied a single-game record held by Carissa Mahoney. The Eagles held a 41-31 advantage on the boards.

Wayne State forced Ashland to commit 23 turnovers, which resulted in 18 points for the Warriors. Wayne State only coughed up the ball six times in the game. The Warriors also connected on 13 three-pointers while Ashland only hit three.

With the loss, Ashland, who was ranked fourth in the Great Lakes region, fell to 15-5, 6-4 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. Wayne State improved to 7-10, 4-6 in the conference.

The Eagles will be in action on Saturday (Jan. 31) against Findlay on the road. Game time is slated for 1 p.m.