Box Score Wayne State 74 UC-Colorado Springs 51

            Wayne State College led from start to finish, building a 22-8 first quarter lead, as the Wildcats defeated UC-Colorado Springs 74-51 Sunday afternoon in non-conference women's college basketball played at Rice Auditorium in Wayne.  The host Wildcats improve to 6-3 on the year with the visiting Mountain Lions dropping to 0-5.
            The Wildcats never trailed in the contest, building a 15-4 lead less than seven minutes into the contest.  WSC ended the first quarter with a 22-8 lead thanks to 7 of 12 shooting (58.3%) in the opening 10 minutes.
            WSC maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter and finished the first half with their biggest lead of the half at 42-23 following a layup by freshman Erin Norling to end the half.
            Wayne State held an 18-13 scoring advantage in the third quarter and led 60-36 entering the fourth quarter as reserves closed out the contest with the Wildcats winning 74-51.
            Norling led 12 different Wildcat players who scored in the contest with a game-high 15 points, going 6 of 7 from the field and 3 for 4 at the charity stripe.  Freshman reserve center Brittany Bongartz also hit double digits with 13 points thanks to 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 5 at the free throw line.
            Wayne State shot 49 percent from the field making 25 of 51 shots, but was just 2 of 13 from the 3-point line.  The Wildcats were 22 for 30 at the free throw line for 73.3 percent.
            Shanah Leaf was the lone player for UC-Colorado Springs in double figures with 11 points followed by Maddie Golla with nine.
            The Mountain Lions made 22 of 60 shots from the field for 36.7 percent, including 2 for 13 behind the arc.  UCCS was just 5 of 9 at the free throw line.
            WSC won the rebounding battle over UCCS 43-27 thanks to nine caroms from Maggie Schulte and six by Andrea Larson.  The Wildcats held a 40-14 edge on points in the paint and 14-6 in points off turnovers. WSC was charged with 16 turnovers to 14 on the Mountain Lions.
            Freshman guard Halley Busse had six of Wayne State's 15 assists and also led the team in steals with three. 
            The Wildcats return to Northern Sun Conference play next weekend with road trips to Minnesota State Friday night at 6 p.m. and Concordia-St. Paul Saturday in a 4 p.m. contest.