INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — The IU Indy women’s basketball team built an early lead and never trailed Sunday, defeating Wright State 70-59 at Fairgrounds Coliseum. The Jaguars opened a 22-12 advantage after the first quarter and maintained a double-digit lead for much of the Horizon League contest. Olivia Smith led IU Indy with 16 points. Ariana Williams added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Jaguars, who improved to 6-10. Nevaeh Foster contributed 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Breezie Williams scored four points for the Raiders, who fell to 6-12. Wright State cut the deficit to nine points in the fourth quarter but could not complete the comeback. Attendance was 489.

INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — The IU Indy women’s basketball team used a dominant first quarter and a standout performance from Ariana Williams to secure a 70-59 victory over Wright State in a Horizon League contest Sunday at the Fairgrounds Coliseum. The Jaguars, who improved to 6-10 overall, set the tone early by racing out to a 22-12 lead after the opening period. They shot a blistering 54 percent from the field for the game, a stark contrast to the Raiders’ 35.6 percent shooting, and controlled the interior with a 40-26 advantage in points in the paint. Williams, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Chicago, was the catalyst on both ends of the floor. She recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, but her most profound impact came defensively with four blocked shots. Her presence in the paint altered numerous Wright State attempts and helped IU Indy finish with eight total blocks as a team. The most critical stretch of the game came in the opening minutes, as the Jaguars quickly built a lead Wright State could never overcome. After winning the opening tip, IU Indy scored the game’s first six points, highlighted by a driving layup from Nevaeh Foster. Williams announced her defensive presence early, blocking a 3-point attempt from Wright State’s Rylee Sagester midway through the quarter. The Jaguars’ offense, led by Olivia Smith’s eight first-quarter points, continued to execute efficiently, while the Raiders struggled with turnovers and missed shots. A 3-pointer from Kamara Mills in the final seconds of the period gave IU Indy its 10-point cushion, a margin they would protect for the remainder of the afternoon. Wright State, which fell to 6-12, fought to stay within reach throughout the second and third quarters. The Raiders cut the deficit to seven points on several occasions, including at 37-30 late in the second quarter after a transition jumper from Breezie Williams. Each time, however, IU Indy had an answer. A key sequence came early in the third quarter when, leading 42-37, the Jaguars forced consecutive turnovers and converted them into four quick points, including a driving layup from Foster, to push the lead back to nine. The Raiders’ offense, which managed an offensive rating of just 79.8 points per 100 possessions, never found a consistent rhythm. While they forced 24 IU Indy turnovers and converted them into 23 points, their own 15 turnovers and poor shooting from distance, where they went 4 for 18, proved too much to overcome. Abbie Riddle and Ellie Magestro-Kennedy led Wright State with 13 points apiece. For IU Indy, the victory was a balanced effort beyond Williams. Olivia Smith, a guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana, led all scorers with 16 points. Foster added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, providing steady play at the point guard position. Destini Craig contributed eight points and seven rebounds. The game, played before an announced crowd of 489, was a meeting of teams seeking momentum in league play. IU Indy entered having lost two straight, including a 71-46 defeat at Fort Wayne on Monday. Wright State had dropped three of its last four. Statistically, the disparity in shooting efficiency told the story. IU Indy’s 95.0 offensive rating on 74 possessions far outpaced Wright State’s 79.8 on the same number of trips. The Jaguars also out-assisted the Raiders 18-11 and won the battle on the offensive glass 10-7, leading to 16 second-chance points. Wright State will look to rebound when it hosts Youngstown State on Wednesday. IU Indy continues its homestand with a game against Robert Morris on Thursday before hitting the road for two games. The win gave IU Indy a measure of revenge after dropping both meetings to the Raiders last season and evened both teams’ conference records as they navigate the Horizon League schedule.

Wright State, IU Indy Seek Momentum in Horizon League Clash INDIANAPOLIS (Interstat) — Two teams looking to stabilize their seasons will meet Sunday when the Wright State Raiders visit the IU Indy Jaguars in a Horizon League women’s basketball contest at Fairgrounds Coliseum. Both sides enter with losing records, as Wright State (6-11, 1-3 Horizon) faces IU Indy (5-10, 1-3) in a matchup of teams tied near the bottom of the conference standings. The Raiders are coming off a 75-87 road loss at Cleveland State on Wednesday, while the Jaguars fell 46-71 at Fort Wayne on Monday. The game features two of the league’s top guards in Wright State’s Breezie Williams and IU Indy’s Hailey Smith. Williams has been a bright spot for the Raiders, averaging 20.8 points over her last five games. She scored 20 points with five assists in the loss to Cleveland State. Smith leads the Jaguars’ backcourt, coming off an 11-point performance against Fort Wayne. For Wright State, support for Williams has come recently from Claire Henson, who had 14 points and four assists against Cleveland State, and Ellie Magestro-Kennedy, who added 18 points. The Raiders’ lone conference win was an 82-71 victory over Detroit on Jan. 2, a game in which Williams scored 26 points. IU Indy’s most recent victory was a 58-49 home win over Milwaukee on Dec. 29, where Smith contributed 13 points and five assists. The Jaguars have struggled offensively in conference play, failing to reach 50 points in their last two outings. Historically, this series has been competitive, adding intrigue to Sunday’s matchup. The teams will meet again in Dayton on Feb. 7. Sunday’s winner will gain a critical early conference victory and a measure of momentum before the heart of the Horizon League schedule continues next week. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST.