Box Score Wayne State 92 Minnesota State 73

            Wayne State matched a season-high making 30 free throws while Paige Ballinger and Andrea Larson scored 21 points each to lead the Wildcats in a 92-73 victory over Minnesota State Saturday afternoon in Northern Sun Conference women's basketball played in Wayne at Rice Auditorium.  WSC is now 14-4 and 8-2 in the NSIC while Minnesota State drops to 4-11 and 2-7 in league games.
            The first half was a high-scoring contest as WSC scored its second-highest total in a quarter this season in the opening stanza to take a 31-25 lead thanks to 12 of 22 shooting. 
            After Minnesota State scored the first six points of the second quarter to even the score at 31-31, WSC went on a 13-3 run and took their first double-digit lead of the night at 44-34 on a layup from Evelyn Knox at the 3:06 mark of the second quarter. 
            WSC used a Maggie Lowe 3-pointer with 53 seconds left in the half to take their biggest lead of the first half into the locker room at 51-40.  It was the second-most points scored in a half this season by WSC, one short of the 52 point first half vs. Wisconsin-Parkside on November 5^th.
            Both teams started sluggish in the third quarter, but WSC still outscored the Mavericks 20-12 to take a 71-52 lead after three quarters.  A Haley Vesey trey at the 2:33 mark gave the 'Cats their biggest lead of the quarter at 67-47.
            Wayne State took their biggest lead of the game at 76-52 with 9:25 remaining on a pair of free throws with 9:25 to play and the Wildcats finished with a 92-73 win.
            The Wildcats were led in scoring by senior center Paige Ballinger and junior reserve Andrea Larson with 21 points each.  Larson was 5 of 7 from the field and 11 for 15 at the charity stripe while Ballinger was 6 of 12 from the floor and a perfect 12 of 12 at the charity stripe.
            Senior Maggie Schulte also hit double digits with 13 points while freshman reserve guard Haley Vesey added 11 points without missing a shot, going 3 for 3 from the field (2 of 2 from the 3-point line) and 3 for 3 at the stripe.
            WSC finished the game making 27 of 62 shots for 43.5 percent.  The 'Cats were 8 of 22 from the 3-point line and 30 of 35 from the free throw line (85.7%).
            Claire Ziegler had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Minnesota State.  Taylor Drost accounted for 12 points with Monica Muth scoring 10.
            The Mavericks made 27 of 68 shots for 39.7 percent, including 4 for 12 behind the arc.  MSU was 15 for 20 at the free throw line.
            Minnesota State held a 42-39 edge in rebounding over the Wildcats.  Ballinger hauled in eight boards for WSC.
            MSU had 23 turnovers compared to 18 on WSC, resulting in a 22-16 edge for the Wildcats in points off turnovers.
            Schulte had five of Wayne State's 17 assists while Ballinger had three blocked shots. 
            Wayne State is on the road next weekend playing at #19 Northern State Friday at 6 p.m. and MSU Moorhead Saturday in a 4 p.m. contest.