Women's Basketball | 2/3/2026 5:12:00 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Davenport is coming off a split week highlighted by a historic win over Michigan Tech. The victory marked just the second time in program history the Panthers have defeated the Huskies and served as head coach Shonda Sanders' first career win. DU followed the milestone with a tough matchup against No. 12 Northern Michigan, ultimately falling to one of the nation's top teams.

The Panthers now turn their attention to a two-game road trip, traveling to Wayne State on Thursday and Purdue Northwest on Saturday. Wayne State enters the week 9–3 in GLIAC play, sitting fourth in the conference standings and tied with Northern Michigan. Purdue Northwest currently sits at the bottom of the standings at 1–11 in conference play, with its lone win coming against Lake Superior State (70–66) earlier in January.

Leading the way in last week's historic win, senior Ellie Toney paced the Panthers with 19 points while also adding eight rebounds, two assists, and a block. Over her last five games, Toney has averaged 17 points per contest, totaling 85 points during that stretch, and will look to continue her hot streak as her senior campaign rolls on.

Also stepping up against Michigan Tech, the junior transfer from Danville CC took on the role of primary point guard, contributing 14 points, seven rebounds, and a steal to help power the Panthers to the win.

Scouting the Opponents 
Wayne State 

• The Panthers and Warriors first met on Jan. 10 during the 2026 season, with Wayne State edging Davenport 68–59.
• In that matchup, Taylor Thompson led the Panthers with 23 points and currently ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. Thompson also leads the team in blocks (14) and assists (66).
• McKenna Ferguson leads the Panthers in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field, the second-highest mark on the team. She also leads Davenport in free throw percentage (87.5 percent) and three-point shooting (43.2 percent).
• Senior Gabi Lutchka earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Jan. 20 after posting a career-high 32 points against Parkside, while also collecting nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. She followed that performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Roosevelt, marking her third double-double of the season.
• WSU has suffered just three GLIAC losses this season, coming against No. 1 Grand Valley State (81–80), No. 16 Northern Michigan (91–71), and No. 21 Ferris State (86–71). In their narrow loss to the Lakers, the Warriors shot 50 percent from the field but surrendered the lead in the final 17 seconds. Wayne State will look for redemption heading into its matchup with Davenport.

Purdue Northwest 

• Purdue Northwest and Davenport met earlier this season on Jan. 8, with the Panthers securing a decisive 72–42 victory.
• PNW enters the week with a 3–17 overall record and a 1–11 mark in GLIAC play, with its lone conference win coming against Lake Superior State (70–66) on Jan. 2. The Pride has also been competitive in several close early-season contests, including a double-overtime victory over the University of Indianapolis and a one-point loss to Thomas More University.
• Alyssa Cole leads the team in scoring with an average of 13.7 points per game, steals with 30, and rebounds with an average of 3.9 per game, while Ciara Sims leads the team in field goal percentage at 45.5 percent and ranks second in scoring with 11.3 points per game, and Phillips Cameryn leads the team in assists with 70 and three-point percentage at 35.2 percent.
• Overall, Purdue Northwest leads the series with Davenport 11-4, with DU's most recent loss against PNW coming on January 23, 2025, by a score of 69-66.

Live Coverage: 
Thursday, Feb. 5 vs. Wayne State (5:30 p.m.) - Live Video ($) - Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Purdue Northwest (1:00 p.m.) - Live Video ($) - Live Stats