DAYTON, Ohio – While going out and looking for its first six-game winning streak since 2003, the Indiana State Sycamores ran into a dangerous Wright State squad who were coming off back-to-back overtime losses. Despite holding a five-point advantage at the half, the Sycamores fell victim to a 13-0 Raider run over a four and a half minute stretch early in the second period as ISU dropped a 60-52 decision to Wright State at Nutter Center. With the loss,  the Sycamores fall to 5-2 while Wright State moves to 4-3.

Wright State’s Brittney Whiteside’s free throw with 7:39 remaining in the contest would give the Raiders their largest lead of the game, 51-42. She finished with a game-high 23 points and 13 rebounds in the winning effort.

ISU looked inside and found the answer as freshman Laura Rudolphi drained a jumper to edge the Sycamores back within seven. Sophomore Anne Thatcher’s fourth 3-pointer then made it 51-47 with just over six minutes remaining. Thatcher finished the game with a career-best 18 points to lead ISU.

Jeanette Woodberry connected on 1-of-2 foul shots to stretch the advantage to five, then sophomore Rachel Maenpaa took a pass from junior Melanie Boeglin and laid the ball in cutting the lead to 52-49.

After Angie Ott hit a free throw, Tyanda Hammock put the game out of reach with a triple which gave Wright State a seven-point lead with 1:47 left. Boeglin would hit a 3-pointer inside the final minute, but that would be ISU’s only score as the Sycamore rally came up short and time expired.

The ISU lead would hit nine twice in the first half, but the offense sputtered as they looked to put the game out of reach. The Sycamores committed nine turnovers in the first half and rebounds hurt, as the Raiders out-rebounded ISU 30-18. Thatcher scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half.

The Sycamores turned the ball over 23 times in the contest, including 14 in the second half. Wright State had just eight giveaways of their own after the break, as they outscored ISU 37-24 in the second stanza.

With the loss, Indiana State drops to 1-3 all-time in Dayton, Ohio. The Raiders have defeated the Sycamores three consecutive times since an ISU win in 1989.

ISU next travels to Tampa, Fla., to participate in the Image Depot Shootout on the campus of South Florida. Indiana State faces William & Mary on Dec. 18 then takes on High Point, Dec. 19. With a pair of wins next weekend, Indiana State would move to 7-2 on the season, which would prove to tie for the school’s best-ever non-conference record since joining the Missouri Valley Conference. The 2002-03 MVC co-Championship team also started the season 7-2. 

GAME BOX SCORE