“We have played a lot of games, and we are better than what we showed that last four minutes from a rebounding standpoint and from taking care of the ball,” WSU coach Katrina Merriweather said after watching the Raiders (22-7, 14-3) drop their second in a row after reeling off a school-record 13 consecutive wins.
After sophomore forward Symone Simmons gave WSU a 50-48 lead with 2:31 to go, Green Bay (23-5, 14-3) outrebounded WSU 5-2 down the stretch while forcing five of the Raiders’ season-high 22 turnovers.
Two of the turnovers came on errant inbounds passes, the first with WSU down three with 27 seconds to go and the second with the deficit at five with 20 ticks remaining.
“They’re the ones we’ve run at practice,” Merriweather said. “I think there was a lack of concentration.”
Wright State led by as many as 11 in the first half, but Green Bay closed within four by halftime.
Simmons carried the Raiders through the third quarter, scoring seven of her team-high 17 points while grabbing five of her game-high 11 rebounds to help WSU take a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Seven of the game’s 11 lead changes came in the fourth quarter, with the final one being a 3-pointer by Green Bay’s Mehryn Kraker with 1:41 remaining to start the game-ending 10-1 run.
Kraker led all scorers with 18, while Jessica Lindstrom and Allie LeClaire added 16 for Green Bay.
Chelsea Welch had 16 points and a game-high five assists for the Raiders, who can still earn a share of the first regular-season league title in program history with a victory at home Sunday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“There’s no question that it’s meaningful,” Merriweather said. “Winning on Senior Night is meaningful for (Antania) Hayes. Getting back on track is meaningful. And obviously, tying for the championship for the regular season would be great.”
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