MILWAUKEE (Interstat) — In a Horizon League women’s basketball game defined by runs and timely three-point shooting, the Milwaukee Panthers held off a persistent Wright State Raiders squad for a 75-70 victory on Saturday afternoon at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

A crowd of 771 saw the Panthers improve to 8-16 overall, while the Raiders fell to 6-17 in a contest that featured 12 lead changes and was not decided until the final seconds.

Milwaukee’s Jorey Buwalda, a 6-foot sophomore from Randolph, Wisconsin, led all scorers with 17 points and added eight rebounds, providing a consistent interior presence. Her performance was complemented by a balanced attack that saw four Panthers score in double figures. Grace Lomen of East Troy, Wisconsin, orchestrated the offense with 10 points and six assists, while Madison Fitzgibbon of Mequon, Wisconsin, contributed 14 points, including four three-pointers. Payton Rechlicz added eight points, five assists, and four rebounds.

Wright State was led by Claire Henson of Germantown, Ohio, who posted 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and a block. Point guard Breezie Williams of Canton, Ohio, directed the Raiders with nine points and eight assists. The Raiders also received a spark off the bench from MaKenzie Drout of Kimberly, Wisconsin, who scored eight points in just nine minutes of action.

The game’s pivotal sequence came in the final minute. With Milwaukee clinging to a 71-70 lead after Wright State’s Ellie Magestro-Kennedy sank two free throws with 41 seconds remaining, the Panthers ran the shot clock down but missed a three-pointer. A held ball on the rebound gave possession back to Milwaukee with 38 seconds left.

After a timeout, the Raiders were forced to foul. Madison Fitzgibbon calmly sank both ends of a one-and-one with 37 seconds on the clock to push the lead to 73-70. On the ensuing possession, Wright State’s Claire Henson was fouled on a three-point attempt with 33 seconds left. She made the first free throw but missed the second, and Milwaukee’s Jorey Buwalda secured the critical defensive rebound.

Wright State fouled again, and Milwaukee’s Payton Rechlicz missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Raiders a chance to tie with 26 seconds left. After a timeout, Wright State’s Rylee Sagester missed a three-pointer, and Milwaukee’s Tierney Madigan grabbed the rebound. Madigan was immediately fouled and sank both free throws with 11 seconds left to seal the five-point victory.

The contest was a tale of contrasting styles and efficiency. Milwaukee shot a blistering 49.1 percent from the field, including 12 of 23 from three-point range for 52.2 percent. Wright State countered by hitting 12 three-pointers of its own but on 32 attempts for a 37.5 percent clip. The Panthers’ superior shooting from deep and a 24-16 advantage in points in the paint proved decisive.

Milwaukee opened the game strong, building a 20-12 lead after the first quarter behind early threes from Buwalda and Lomen. Wright State responded with a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Panthers 22-15 to cut the deficit to 35-34 at halftime. The Raiders’ run was fueled by Drout, who hit two three-pointers in the period.

The third quarter was the highest-scoring of the game, with both teams trading blows. Wright State took a brief lead, but Milwaukee closed the quarter on a 7-2 spurt, capped by a Tierney Madigan layup, to take a 58-56 advantage into the final frame. The Panthers never trailed in the fourth quarter, though the Raiders tied the game twice, the last at 64-64 with 6:19 remaining. A Fitzgibbon three-pointer on the next possession put Milwaukee ahead for good, setting the stage for the tense finish.

Both teams committed a nearly identical number of turnovers, with Wright State at 13 and Milwaukee at 11, and each scored nine points off those miscues. The Raiders won the battle on the offensive glass, 9-4, but could not overcome Milwaukee’s more efficient offensive afternoon, which yielded an offensive rating of 110.9 points per 100 possessions compared to Wright State’s 102.0.

The game was the first of two meetings between the Horizon League foes this season. They will meet again in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Wright State looks to snap a three-game skid when it hosts Fort Wayne on Thursday, Feb. 5. Milwaukee, which has won two of its last three, travels to face Youngstown State on the same date.