GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Davenport women's basketball team got a 43-41 win in the first meeting against Wayne State University on Saturday (Dec. 16) at the Student Center. The defensive battle went to the Panthers who have won two in a row improving to 4-7 overall and 2-3 in the GLIAC. Wayne State entered the game with a 7-3 overall record and were held to their lowest output of the season. DU also held the Warriors to 40 points below their season average.

HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Panthers did not have their shooting in sync during the first half and trailed 21-14 at halftime. The defense kept them in the game as the Warriors shot 8-of-31 in the first half. The team did a really good job defending the Warriors' top scorer Shannon Wilson. Wilson entered the game averaging 17.4 points per game but was held to three points on 0-of-9 shooting for the contest.
-The first quarter featured one tie and one lead change as Wayne State led 11-8. The Warriors led the entire second quarter before Davenport put the clamps on in the third. Wayne State scored just three points in the third and DU outscored them 17-3 to take a 31-24 lead with 10 minutes left. DU had 10 points in the paint in the quarter and eight of their points came off the bench.
-Davenport led the entire fourth quarter but the Warriors made things very interesting down the stretch. The Panthers led 41-36 with 2:00 remaining and increased their lead to six with one minute to go.
-Alex Matus cut the lead in half with a triple with 39 ticks left. After a DU turnover, Wilson got to the foul line and made both with 29 seconds to play to make it a one-point game. Davenport gave it back with a turnover on the inbound and Wayne State had a chance to take the lead. Claire Austin came up with a huge steal and was fouled with 16 seconds left. She made the second of two free throws for a two-point lead. Wayne State used a timeout and after that Wilson missed a jumper and Payton Birchmeier grabbed the rebound. Birchmeier put up a shot that went in which would have tied the game, but the shot came after the final horn.

INSIDE THE BOX
-Jenna Falkenberg had a major impact with 18 rebounds (season-high) and five blocks in 33 minutes (season-high).
-Hannah Wilkerson led the team for the first time this season with 11 points. She was 4-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-4 at the free throw line in 29 minutes.
-Taylor Smith scored eight points going 4-of-7 from the floor with three rebounds in 12 minutes.
-Wayne State shot just 22.2 percent from the floor making eight three-pointers and six two-pointers. Davenport had a 47-33 advantage on the glass which was the largest margin this season.
-Davenport shot 39.1 percent from the floor and were 6-of-10 at the free throw line.

UP NEXT
-The Panthers will break for two weeks and will be back on their home court on Saturday, December 30 against McKendree for a 1 p.m. start.