Wright State University
10-10, 6-3HL
Detroit
6-14, 2-7HL
Bench Helps Women Defeat Detroit
1/31/2009 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Behind 32 points from freshmen Molly Fox and Maria Bennett, Wright State outscored Detroit 41-5 off the bench as the Raiders held on for a 65-58 win over the Titans in Horizon League women's basketball action at the Nutter Center Saturday afternoon.
Neither team had more than a four-point advantage until WSU broke a 17-17 deadlock with five straight points, all coming from Fox, to take the lead for good with five minutes remaining in the first half. A Bennett three, her third of the half, extended the margin to 31-25, but a Jaleesa Truseell layup in the final seconds trimmed the Raider lead to 31-27 at the break.
The first half shooting percentages were similar as Wright State hit for 39 percent compared to Detroit's 37 percent, but the Raiders were also five of 11 from three-point range and four of five at the foul line while the Titans were three of 10 from behind the arc and two of four at the stripe.
A Brigid Mulroy three made it 33-31 early in the second half, but the Raiders gradually pulled away from there, eventually going up 50-38 on a Fox putback with 7:51 to play. The Titans, however, scored the next five points and later cut the deficit to 59-56 on two Sandi Brown foul shots at the 1:23 mark.
Four consecutive Shey Peddy free throws, however, pushed the WSU lead back up to seven and despite two from Brown at the stripe with 21.5 seconds left, Detroit would get no closer than five the rest of the way.
Wright State hit for 46 percent in the second half to end up at 42 percent overall while Detroit shot just 29 percent the final 20 minutes to finish at 33 percent, but the Titans were 13 of 25 at the foul line the second half compared to nine of 15 for the Raiders.
WSU held a 44-36 rebounding advantage and led in points in the paint (28-16) and points off of turnovers (25-23) despite committing 32 turnovers and forcing 22.
Fox led all scorers with a season-high 19 points off the bench on eight-of-nine shooting and had a near double-double as she added nine rebounds. Shey Peddy nine along with seven assists coming off the bench as the Raider reserves outscored the Titan bench 41-5.
Mulroy had 18 to pace Detroit (6-14, 2-7 Horizon) while Brown had 16.
Wright State (10-10, 6-3 Horizon) begins the second round of League play on Friday, February 6, with a visit to Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on the Butler Bulldogs. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.
