Wright State University
10-12, 6-5HL
Valparaiso
11-10, 6-5HL
Women Drop Decision at Valparaiso
2/8/2009 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wright State shot 42 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures, but could not overcome a 20 for 24 foul shooting performance by Valparaiso as the Crusaders held on for a 64-58 decision in Horizon League women's basketball action at the Athletics-Recreation Center Sunday afternoon.
A Shey Peddy three tied the score with 6:15 remaining in the first half, only to see Valpo follow with a 12-2 run over the next five minutes, five coming from Launa Hochstetler, to put the Crusaders up 35-25.
The Raiders outshot Valparaiso 52-45 percent in the opening 20 minutes, but the Crusaders had eight more attempted thanks to a 17-10 rebounding advantage, 6-0 on the offensive end, and they forced WSU into 13 turnovers while committing just eight.
Another Peddy triple in the final seconds of the first half made it a seven-point game at the break and Wright State scored the first five points of the second half, including a Maria Bennett three-point play, to cut the deficit to 35-33.
Valpo answered with eight straight to push the margin back into double figures, but the Raiders again made a comeback, tying the game at 46 on a Bennett three from the top of the key with 7:46 to play.
A Hochstetler three, however, put the Crusaders back up for good and despite WSU closing to within one at 53-52 on a Tatianna Hall baseline jumper at the 4:04 mark, Valparaiso sealed the win by hitting all seven foul shots attempts down the stretch.
The Raiders shot 42 percent for the contest, including 40 percent from three-point range, compared to 40 percent for the Crusaders, who were at 32 percent from behind the arc, but Valparaiso hit 20 of 24 free throw attempts, 15 of 18 in the second half, while Wright State was only six of eight for the game.
Peddy paced WSU with 15 points and added four assists and four steals, while Bennett had a season-high 14 points off the bench, nine of those coming in the second half. LaShawna Thomas chipped in 10 points.
Hochstetler led all scorers with 22 points for Valparaiso (11-10, 6-5 Horizon) while Aimee Litka had 14 and Whitney Farris and Agnieszka Kulaga 10 each.
Wright State (10-12, 6-5 Horizon) returns home for a pair of games next weekend, taking on League leader Green Bay on Thursday, February 12 at 7:00 followed by Milwaukee on Saturday, February 14, at 4:30 prior to the Raider men facing Detroit at 7:00.
