DAYTON, Ohio – The Youngstown State women's basketball team outscored Wright State by 19 points over the final 16-and-a-half minutes to win 66-47 on Sunday afternoon at the Nutter Center.
The game was tied at 32 with 16:35 left when a driving bucket by Melissa Thompson started a 10-point run for the Penguins that developed into a 29-7 stretch. Monica Touvelle had back-to-back 3-pointers in the 10-0 run, and Heidi Schlegel added two of her nine free throws.
The win improves Youngstown State to 15-5 overall and 5-2 in Horizon League play and sets up a second-place showdown with Detroit on Thursday at Beeghly Center. It also snapped a 10-game losing streak to Wright State, which dropped to 10-11 overall and 4-4 in conference games.
YSU also has its most overall wins and its most road victories since 1999-2000.
Brandi Brown finished with her fifth consecutive double-double, posting 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Penguins. Karen Flagg had eight points and set new career highs with 11 rebounds and three blocks, and Schlegel had 15 points and eight rebounds. Thompson also had a career-high three blocks in the contest.
Ivory James had 14 points to lead Wright State, and KC Elkins scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half. The Raiders played the game without Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year Kim Demmings.
The game had five lead changes and six ties, the final of which was at 32-32. Once a three-point play by James stopped YSU's 10-0 run, the Penguins went on a 13-0 run that was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by Liz Hornberger with 9:09 left.
In a first half that was full of runs, YSU scored the final six points of the first period to hold a 25-23 lead at halftime.
YSU led 5-4 on a Schlegel free throw with 16:27 on the clock, but Wright State scored the next seven points as part of a 10-2 run that saw it take a 16-9 lead. The Penguins stepped up their effort on defense and held the Raiders scoreless for more than seven minutes and took a 19-16 lead on another Schlegel charity toss. Wright State's second 7-0 run of the half put it ahead 23-19 with 3:35 left, but YSU scored the final six points of the period to go up 25-23.
Schlegel had five of YSU's final seven points of the period and finished with 10 in the half. Flagg had six points, seven rebounds, two blocks and three steals in the opening period.
Elkins led all scorers with 11 points to lead Wright State.
YSU was just 1-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half, missing its first seven and its final five attempts. The Penguins, though, rebounded to make eight 3-pointers in the second half and finished with nine.
YSU finished shooting 35.4 percent while holding Wright State to 30 percent. The Penguins held a 49-33 edge on the glass, including an 18-6 advantage on the offensive end.
Youngstown State's battle for second place against Detroit will be Thursday at 5:15 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the YSU men's team.
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