FAIRBORN, Ohio (Interstat) — The Wright State Raiders used a dominant first quarter and capitalized on a slew of Evansville turnovers to secure a 69-60 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday at the Ervin J. Nutter Center.

The Raiders improved to 3-1 on the young season, while the Purple Aces remained winless at 0-4.

Wright State set the tone early, exploding for 22 points in the opening period while holding Evansville to just six. The Raiders’ pressure defense forced the Purple Aces into a series of miscues, converting Evansville turnovers into easy transition opportunities. Rylee Sagester, a guard from West Alexandria, Ohio, was instrumental in the fast start, scoring nine of her game-high 19 points in the first quarter, including a pair of three-pointers.

Evansville, showing resilience, battled back in the second quarter. Led by guards Camryn Runner and Logan Luebbers Palmer, the Purple Aces outscored the Raiders 19-16 in the period to cut the deficit to 38-25 at halftime. Runner, from Cicero, Indiana, was a consistent offensive threat throughout the contest, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Luebbers Palmer, of Union, Kentucky, added 13 points and four rebounds.

The third quarter saw both teams trade baskets, with Wright State maintaining its double-digit lead. The Raiders’ Lauren Scott, a guard from Worthington, Ohio, provided a significant scoring punch, netting 17 points, many of which came at critical moments to stifle Evansville rallies.

Despite being outscored 18-12 in the final frame, the Raiders had built enough of a cushion to withstand the late push. Evansville managed to trim the lead to single digits in the closing minutes, but key free throws from Wright State down the stretch sealed the outcome.

The game was ultimately decided by ball security and efficiency at the free-throw line. Evansville committed 21 turnovers, which Wright State converted into 29 points. Conversely, the Raiders gave the ball away 14 times, leading to only nine points for the Purple Aces. Wright State also capitalized at the charity stripe, making 19 of 26 attempts, while Evansville connected on 11 of 17.

Beyond the leading scorers, other key contributors emerged. Wright State’ Claire Henson, a guard from Germantown, Ohio, filled the stat sheet with six points, eight rebounds and six assists. For Evansville, forward Georgia Ferguson of Waterloo, Canada, provided a spark off the bench with nine points and three assists.

From the field, the shooting percentages were nearly identical. Evansville shot 37.5 percent on 21-of-56 shooting, while Wright State finished at 40.7 percent on 22-of-54. Both teams found similar success from beyond the arc, with the Purple Aces hitting 7 of 18 and the Raiders making 6 of 19. Wright State won the rebounding battle 35-33, but Evansville grabbed 12 offensive boards to Wright State’s seven.

The announced attendance was 1,106.

The loss extends a difficult opening stretch for Evansville, which has faced a challenging schedule. The Purple Aces will look for their first win when they return home to host IU Indy on Wednesday. Wright State, riding a two-game winning streak, will also be at home Wednesday to face Bellarmine.