Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University's men's basketball team faced a challenging game against Northern Michigan, resulting in a 66-61 defeat. The match took place at the Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon, where Wayne State trailed throughout the game.

In the first half, Northern Michigan gained an early lead by scoring 22 of the game's initial 29 points. During this period, Wayne State struggled offensively, making only three out of twelve field goal attempts and turning over the ball eight times. Rob Lee, Jr. and Carmelo Harris attempted to narrow the gap for Wayne State by contributing ten points collectively, but Northern Michigan maintained an 11-point lead at halftime with a score of 31-20.

The second half saw Gerald Gittens of Northern Michigan extending their lead further with an early two-pointer. However, Carlos Paul III and Ray Williams, Jr. managed to reduce Northern Michigan's advantage to single digits temporarily. Despite a spirited effort from Wayne State that included a significant run narrowing the margin to four points at one stage, Northern Michigan regained control and extended their lead again.

Wayne State shot 44.7 percent from the field compared to Northern Michigan's 41.4 percent. The Warriors struggled from long range with only three successful shots out of fourteen attempts while also facing challenges in maintaining possession with fourteen turnovers.

Rob Lee, Jr., Tamario Adley, and Carlos Paul III were notable contributors for Wayne State in terms of scoring, each reaching double figures in points during the game. For Northern Michigan, Jackson Dudek led his team with 18 points alongside Julien Smith and Dylan Kuehl who also made significant contributions.

Looking ahead, Wayne State will embark on a four-game road trip starting with Saginaw Valley State on Thursday night at University Center.