Five Wayne State players scored in double figures as the Wildcat women's basketball team held off Quincy University 69-62 Saturday at the Subway Tip Off Classic Women's Basketball Tournament, played at Pepsi Arena in Quincy, Illi.
Wayne State held the lead for most of the first quarter until the host Hawks came back to take a one-point lead, 17-16, after the opening 10 minutes of play. Wayne State led 10-5 after an Erin Norling 3-pointer, but the hosts scored the final five points of the quarter to take the advantage.
It was a reversal of fortune in the second period, as the Hawks led for much of the quarter before the Wildcats closed the half with a Norling layup and a jumper and pair of free throws from Haley Vesey to take a 29-28 halftime advantage.
After Quincy scored the first basket of the second half, the Wildcats scored the next six points to take the lead for good. An Andrea Larson three-point play along with a Halley Busse layup and free throw gave the Wildcats a 35-30 lead and they never looked back.
The Hawks got within one at 37-36 at the 4:53 mark, but Wayne State scored 10 points in the next 90 seconds to take a 47-38 lead, leading by as many as 10 before taking a 54-47 advantage to the final period.
Quincy rallied with a 10-2 run to get within two at 56-54 with just under six minutes to go, but a 3-pointer from Vesey got the Wildcats going again and Quincy never got as close as four after that.
Basse paced a balanced scoring attack for Wayne State with 17 points. Maggie Lowe followed with 15 points while Norling produced 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots. Vesey added 12 points with Larson scoring 10.
Wayne State (3-1) will host Peru State College Saturday at 4 p.m.
