DAYTON, Ohio – Wright State closed out the game on a 19-5 run to erase a four-point Milwaukee lead midway through the fourth quarter as the Raiders eliminated the women's basketball team from the Barbasol Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship on Thursday evening, 70-60.
 
Anna Lutz had a big second half for the Panthers in attempts to keep MKE close, scoring 15 of the team's 30 points in the final 20 minutes. Lutz ended the game with 17 points, while Kamy Peppler scored 15 and Angie Cera potted a dozen points.
 
"We gave a great effort, but we just didn't execute the game plan fully," noted head coach Kyle Rechlicz postgame.  
 
The second half saw Wright State outscore Milwaukee 42-30, while the Raiders outrebounded the Panthers 24-16, and added nine points off five Milwaukee second-half turnovers.
 
"This was a 'big moment game', and when Wright State went up 59-57, we had the opposite reaction to what we had at Green Bay," added Rechlicz. "We started rushing shots, which was uncharacteristic of us instead of letting the offense work for each other."
 
"We didn't have that same level of aggressiveness this game," added Rechlicz on Milwaukee's rebounding effort, with Wright State holding a 42-34 advantage. "Give credit to Wright State, they boxed out a lot better … we gave them some easy opportunities in crunch situations, especially in the fourth quarter where they got a couple of offensive rebounds that really hurt us."

Wright State had 18 points in the fourth quarter from Layne Ferrell (10) and Alexis Hutchison (8). The duo led the Raiders throughout the night, as Hutchison finished with a game-high 23 and Ferrell ended with 17.

After an even first quarter, Milwaukee led 21-20 before going on a 7-0 run including a three-pointer by Kendall Nead to give the Panthers their largest lead of the game at 28-20. The Raiders made a pair of threes down the stretch and closed the quarter on an 8-2 run and trailed 30-28 at the break.
 
The lead changed hands three times in the third, with Wright State outscoring the Panthers 21-16 to take a three-point advantage into the final quarter.
 
Lutz scored a pair at the line before the Panthers grabbed a defensive rebound by Jada Donaldson, who fed the ball to Peppler and knocked down a three-pointer to give the Panthers the lead back at 53-51. Lutz added another pair from the line to give the Panthers a four-point advantage with 5:21 to go.
 
The Raiders scored the next 14 points taking advantage of Panther turnovers, offensive rebounds, and shots at the free throw line. Milwaukee got as close as seven points with a three-pointer by Cera, but the Raiders added three free throws to cap off the score.
 
Nead finished the game with seven points and a team-best five rebounds, while Jorey Buwalda scored eight points. Lutz led the Panthers with three blocks, and Nead added a team-best two steals on defense. Grace Crowley also scored two points, while Kalvina Eubanks saw time in the waning minutes of the game.
 
The game marks the end of the career for the Panthers' five seniors: Cera, Nead, Crowley, Eubanks and Lior Halevi.
 
"All five of our seniors are uniquely special and not just as players," Rechlicz concluded. "All of them are incredibly talented basketball players, but more importantly they're wonderful people, I couldn't have asked for a better senior group … they really made the chemistry on the team very special."
 
Milwaukee finished the season 16-16, with a 10-10 mark in the Horizon League. The Panthers will open their 54th season of collegiate competition in November 2024.