Women's Basketball | 1/5/2026 2:25:00 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After opening the 2026 season with two road contests in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Panthers return home to host Purdue Northwest and Wayne State. Davenport will tip off against the Pride at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, before hosting the Warriors at 1 p.m. Saturday as the Panthers honor alumni from the women's basketball program.

Despite a challenging week for Davenport, several Panthers delivered strong performances. Sophomore Maddie Geers totaled 28 points across two games, including a team-high 17-point outing against No. 12 Northern Michigan. Geers also added 11 rebounds and seven assists on the week, providing a spark on both the offensive and defensive ends for DU. Sophomore Anna Axtell contributed defensively as well, pulling down 13 total rebounds over two contests, highlighted by a team-high seven rebounds against No. 12 Northern Michigan.

Nevaeh Williams made her impact from beyond the arc against Northern Michigan, with nine of her 15 points coming from 3-point range. Williams totaled 26 points and seven assists on the week. Tangee Gagau added a boost off the bench, knocking down three 3-pointers across both games while contributing 15 points.

Scouting the Opponents
Purdue Northwest 

• Coming off a 12-point loss to SVSU in its most recent contest on Jan. 4, the Pride opened the 2026 season with a 70–66 win over Lake Superior State on Jan. 2. The Panthers also defeated LSSU earlier in GLIAC play, with both of their lone conference wins coming against the Lakers.
• Purdue Northwest carries the same overall record as the Panthers at 3-9 while holding a 1–3 mark in GLIAC play.
• Senior forward Alyssa Cole leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. More than half of her shot attempts have come from beyond the arc, where she is 23-of-64.
• Three other Pride players are averaging double figures, including Ciara Sims, Riley Milausnic and Cameryn Phillips. Phillips also leads Purdue Northwest with 45 rebounds and 44 assists.
• Head coach Jesse Ford enters his second season leading the Pride after posting a 6–22 overall record and a 3–17 mark in GLIAC play during his first year.

Wayne State (Alumni Day)

• Wayne State opens the week at No. 1 Grand Valley State on Jan. 8 in Allendale before traveling to Grand Rapids to face the Panthers on Jan. 10, when Davenport will celebrate Alumni Day.
• Wayne State enters Grand Valley State with a 9–3 overall record and an unblemished 4–0 mark in GLIAC play, with wins over Purdue Northwest, No. 18 Ferris State, Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State.
• Junior guard McKenna Ferguson is averaging 16.5 points per game, ranking in the top five in the GLIAC in scoring. Taylor Thompson and Gabi Lutchka follow, each averaging double figures. Thompson leads Wayne State with 93 total rebounds, ranks in the top three in the GLIAC in rebounding, and has dished out 40 assists.
• Head coach Carrie Lohr enters her 15th season at Wayne State. Lohr became the program's all-time winningest coach on Jan. 10, 2019, and recorded her 200th career win with the Warriors on Dec. 19, 2023.

Live Coverage: 
Thursday, Jan. 8 vs. Purdue Northwest (5:30 p.m.) - Live Video ($) - Live Stats
Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Wayne State (1:00 p.m.) - Live Video ($) - Live Stats