Wright State University
9-4, 1-0HL
Milwaukee
8-4, 0-1HL
Women Win League Opener at Milwaukee
12/29/2016 5:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Wright State women's basketball team shot 50 percent for the game and outscored Milwaukee 42-18 in the paint in defeating the Panthers 69-51 Thursday night in the Horizon League opener for both teams at the Klotsche Center.
UWM went up 11-10 on two Steph Kostowicz free throws at the 2:26 mark of the opening period, but that turned out to be the final lead of the night for the Panthers as WSU closed out the quarter with an 11-4 run, seven of those coming from Lexi Smith.
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The Raiders then used a 9-0 run late in the second stanza, including five by Symone Simmons, to push the margin into double figures at 34-21 en route to a 36-23 halftime advantage.
WSU hit 16 of 31 shots in the opening 20 minutes for 52 percent while holding Milwaukee to nine of 32 shooting for 28 percent.
The Panthers closed the gap to 38-34 by opening the third quarter with an 11-2 run, but an Emily Vogelpohl three and a Chelsea Welch basket pushed the lead back up to nine.
Milwaukee would get no closer than six the rest of the way as the Raiders scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to go up 57-41 and extended the margin to as much as 21 on three different occasions.
Wright State shot 50 percent for the game compared to 32 percent for the Panthers and held a 41-32 rebounding advantage. WSU also led 42-18 in points in the paint and 18-13 in second-chance points.
Smith posted her fourth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for the Raiders. All four of her double-doubles have come over the last six games.
Simmons nearly had a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds while Mackenzie Taylor had 11 points and Vogelpohl nine.
Wright State (9-4, 1-0 Horizon) wraps up the Wisconsin trip on Saturday, December 31, with a 2:00 Eastern matchup at Green Bay (10-2, 1-0 Horizon), who received votes in this week's Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.
