Comeback puts Raiders in Horizon League tournament finals

Senior Chelsea Welch led the Raiders with a team-high 17 points during Wright State’s 60-52 win over IUPUI in the semifinals of the Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championship in Detroit.

The Wright State women’s basketball team came from behind to post a 60–52 win over No. 2 seed IUPUI March 5 in the semifinals of the Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championship in Detroit.

The Raiders will play top-seed Green Bay Tuesday, March 6, at noon. The game will be televised on ESPNU. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The tournament’s third seed, the Raiders trailed by six after three quarters but outscored the Jaguars 26-12 in the final period for the win.

Senior Chelsea Welch came alive in the fourth quarter with eight points to finish with a team-high 17 points, five steals and eight assists. Four other Raiders scored in double-digits for Wright State: Symone Simmons with 12 and Emily Vogelpohl and Mackenzie Taylor with 11 points each. Simmons grabbed nine rebounds.

First half highlights

• The Raiders trailed after the first quarter 15-11 as Mackenzie Taylor had six points from two threes.
• IUPUI led 26-20 at halftime.
• Taylor had six points in the first 20 minutes; Vogelpohl had five and Chelsea Welch had four.
• Wright State hit four threes and shot 28 percent from the field while holding the Jags to just one three.

Second half highlights

• Though the Raiders cut the lead to two several times, the Jaguars led 40–34.
• Taylor had 11 points and Welch nine while Lexi Smith had six rebounds. Welch had four assists and three blocks.
• The fourth quarter changed the Raiders’ destiny as they outscored the Jags 26–12, shooting 50 percent from the field.

Game stats

• Wright State forced 19 turnovers as the Raiders posted 11 steals.
• IUPUI won the war in the paint 24–16, but the Raiders scored 23 points off turnovers.
• Wright State led for 5:36 as the lead changed only three times.
• The Raiders shot 36 percent from the field as each team had 33 rebounds.