Wright State University
13-13, 10-5HL
Loyola
6-20, 4-11HL
Women Move Into Second; Defeat Loyola 64-57
2/28/2008 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wright State trailed by one at the half, but scored the first four points of the second half to take the lead for good and then held on down the stretch for a 64-57 victory over the Loyola Ramblers at the Nutter Center Thursday night, a win that moves the Raiders into sole possession of second place in the Horizon League standings.
Baskets by Shey Peddy and LaShawna Thomas opened the scoring and Thomas extended the Raider lead to 13-5 at the 11:01 mark with a layup and a three. Loyola, though, followed with a 13-3 run, including two threes from Maggie McCloskey and one by Jessica Hylton, to take the lead for the first time at 18-16 with 7:35 remaining in the first half.
The Ramblers eventually went up 27-22 on a Brittany Boeke layup, but layups from Peddy and Charne Dixon in the closing seconds trimmed the deficit to one at the break.
Wright State shot 38 percent from the field in the first half compared to Loyola's 35 percent, but the Raiders were just two of nine from three-point range and two of four from the foul line while the Ramblers were three of seven and 10 of 14, respectively.
After an Erica Richardson free throw tied the game, WSU went in front to stay on a Whitney Lewis three 1:32 into the second half. The Raiders, though, could not manage more than a six-point advantage over the next 16 minutes until a Peddy jumper made it 59-51 with 2:39 left.
Two Keisha Collins layups cut the margin to 61-57 at the 1:22 mark, but Loyola would go scoreless the rest of the way as Peddy hit three of four foul shots in the final minute to round out the scoring.
Both teams shot well the final 20 minutes as Loyola hit for 54 percent and Wright State 58 percent, but the Raiders also made 15 of 23 at the line to just two for two for the Ramblers.
Loyola held a 31-29 rebounding edge, but WSU led 6-5 in second-chance points and 21-13 in points off of turnovers as the Raiders forced 23 turnovers while committing 17.
Thomas paced all scorers with a season-high 24 points, 14 of those coming in the first half, as she hit 11 of 13 shots on the night. Peddy added 21, 17 after halftime, as she made 11 of 12 foul shots and added six assists.
Collins led Loyola (6-20, 4-11 Horizon) with 15 points, 11 in the second half, while Cierra Thurman had 12 off the bench and Boeke 10.
With the win and Cleveland State's loss to Valparaiso, the Raiders are now in second place in the League at 10-5, one game ahead of the Vikings and idle Milwaukee (9-6). The win also assures that the Raiders will finish no lower than a tie for fourth in the final standings.
Wright State, now 13-13 overall and 10-5 in the Horizon League, wraps up the home portion of the regular-season schedule Saturday at 1:00 against UIC. The three Raider seniors--Sierra Crayton, Danielle Duncan and Whitney Lewis--will be honored before the game.
