SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team will travel to Detroit, Mich. to play the Wayne State Warriors in the opening round of the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, March 2 at 6:00 p.m. The Lakers, who are the No. 12 seed in the tournament, will face off against the No. 5 seeded Warriors at the Matthaei Basketball Facility.
Due to COVID-19 related changes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) scheduling process for the 2021 season, the format for the 2021 Basketball Tournament will allow all 12 teams to participate. The opening round will take place at campus sites, with the advancing teams traveling to Purdue Northwest who will host the remainder of the Tournaments at both their Hammond and Westville campuses.
The Lakers
Heading into the playoff matchup against Wayne State, Lake Superior State has posted a 1-17 overall record in GLIAC play. Most recently, the Lakers played a pair of home games against Ashland, dropping both games to the Eagles in two very close contests.
With the regular season games wrapped up, the Lakers have been led by sophomore forward Mattison Rayman, who has started all 16 games she's played in this season. Rayman has averaged 13.7 points per game while also leading the team in rebounds per game with 7.4. The sophomore ranks ninth among all WCHA players in points per game and fourth in the conference in rebounds per game. The sophomore forward, who averages 25.1 minutes per game, ranks second on the Lakers with a 48.1 shooting percentage this season.
Most recently, Rayman scored 13 points against Ashland while also adding 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Rayman finished the regular season with 12 games with double-digit point totals and has strung together a streak of nine consecutive games with 10 or more points to close out the regular season.
Newcomer Makenzie Bray, a transfer from Truman State University, has made an impact on the floor in her first season with the Lakers. Bray ranks second on the team with 9.9 points per game and averages 26.3 minutes per game on the floor. In the Lakers series against Ashland, Bray scored a season-high 19 points in Friday's game. Bray, who has recorded 10 or more points in 10 games this season, has strung together five consecutive games with double digit point totals.
As a team, the Laker offense is combining for 57.0 points per game this season on a 36.1 shooting percentage and a 26.0 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 31.4 rebounds per game this season.
The Season Series
The Lakers and Warriors met in the opening weekend of the 2021 season as the Lakers traveled for a road series in Detroit, Mich. Wayne State swept the two game series against the Lakers by final scores of 75-52 and 79-61.
Scouting the Warriors
Wayne State, the No. 5 seed, will host the Lakers for the single game to qualify for the tournament at Purdue Northwest. The Warriors are led by head coach Carrie Lohr, who is in her 10th season in the role at Wayne State. Lohr has led the Warriors to an 11-7 overall record this season.
Last weekend, the Warriors closed out the regular season with a pair of road wins over Ferris State. On Friday, Wayne State won in the final seconds by a score of 48-47 and followed with another win (59-54) on Saturday.
The Eagles are led by the duo of Kate Sherwood and Sam Cherney, who have both averaged over 11 points per game this season. Sherwood, a junior guard, averages 31.3 minutes per game to lead the Warriors while posting 11.5 points per game this season. Sherwood has started 12 of the 15 games she has played in this season and has compiled a 39.1 shooting percentage and a 37.5 mark from three.
Cherney, a junior forward, averages 28.9 minutes per game this season for the Warriors and has started 15 of the 18 games she has played in this year. Cherney has posed a 45.9 shooting percentage this season to average 11.3 points per game for Wayne State. Defensively, Cherney leads her team and all GLIAC players in rebounds per game this season with 11.9.
Sophomore guard Becca Fugate rounds out the top three scorers for Ashland this season with 10.0 points per game.
As a team, the Warriors offense is combining for 67.1 points per game this season on a 40.5 shooting percentage and a 32.7 percentage from three. Ashland has recorded an average of 41.5 rebounds per game this season.
Follow the Lakers
Fans looking to watch the game can access the stream by clicking here.
Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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