EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Wright State women's basketball program opened its 2023-24 season with a 67-63 loss at Southern Indiana on Monday night inside the Screaming Eagles Arena. 

The Raiders (0-1) trailed 51-36 at the 3:40 minute mark of the third quarter but rallied back to a 63-all tie with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter. However, Wright State was scoreless for the remainder of the game, going 0-for-4 on free throws in the span.

WSU had three players score in double figures, led by Alexis Hutchison with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting in her Raider debut. Layne Ferrell recorded 16 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Kacee Baumhower chipped in with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

As a team, Wright State shot 38.1 percent (24-of-63) from the floor, which included an efficient 37% (10-of-27) clip on 3-pointers. Hutchison and Ferrell went 3-for-8 from beyond the arc, while Cara VanKempen knocked down both of her 3-point attempts. The Raiders finished 35.7 (5-of-14) on free throws, which included a 2-for-10 mark in the fourth quarter. 

Wright State's defense recorded 15 steals and six blocks, forcing Southern Indiana (1-0) to 25 turnovers and edging the host team 20-11 in points off turnovers. Rachel Loobie led the defensive effort with a career-high five steals to go along with six rebounds and two blocks. Ferrell added four steals and two blocks. 

Despite struggling with turnovers, USI shot 44.8% (26-of-58) overall and 54.5% (6-of-11) on threes. The Screaming Eagles outscored Wright State 26-16 in bench points while holding a 45-31 edge in rebounding. 

The Raiders began the season opener on a strong note, as a 3-pointer by Ferrell made it 14-9 in favor of Wright State at the 4:45 minute mark of the first quarter. Southern Indiana ended the period on a 5-0 run, leading to a 14-all tie at the quarter break. Wright State was outscored 20-13 in the second quarter, which resulted in a 34-27 halftime deficit. 

USI kept the momentum out of the break, increasing its lead to 51-36 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. However, Wright State finished the quarter on an 8-2 run to get its deficit back down to single digits, 53-44. Hutchison sparked the comeback with 10 points in the period, 

The Raiders rallied their way to a 58-58 tie in the fourth quarter, punctuated by Makiya Miller's 3-pointer with five minutes to go. Southern Indiana got back in front 63-59, but Ferrell netted a 3-pointer, followed by a free throw to knot the game at 63-all with 1:15 left. USI held off the late charge with a game-ending 4-0 run.

Wright State will stay on the road for a matchup at Michigan State on Sunday, November 12. The non-conference matchup will tip-off at 2 p.m. and stream on Big Ten Plus.