#HLWBB Recap: #MotorCityMadness Day Four
Joey Yashinsky
No. 1 Green Bay 66, No. 5 Youngstown State 45
In the opening semifinal of the Little Caesars Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship, it was the No. 1 seed Green Bay Phoenix advancing to the tournament finals with a 66-45 victory over the No. 5 seed Youngstown State Penguins.
It was the upset-minded Penguins that drew first blood. Senior point guard and All-Horizon Second Team selection Indiya Benjamin scored the first seven points of the game for Youngstown State, leading to a quick 13-4 advantage. At the end of one, the Penguins led 16-10.
Top-seeded Green Bay closed the gap in the second quarter. Paced by All-League Second-Teamer Allie LeClaire’s nine first-half points, the Phoenix went into the break down just two, 28-26.
Youngstown State got 10 points from junior Sarah Cash in the half. The Penguins sank 5-of-11 from 3 while Green Bay converted just 2-of-9 from beyond the arc.
The lockdown defense that has long been a trademark of Kevin Borseth’s Green Bay program came to life in the third quarter. Youngstown State was held without a point for the first 6:29 of the second half. The drought allowed Green Bay to go on a key 8-0 run, with six straight points coming from All-Freshman forward Karly Murphy.
Natalie Myers finally got the Penguins on the board with a triple, but Green Bay surged again with a 13-2 burst to close the third, getting eight points from 2017 Motor City Madness MVP Jessica Lindstrom.
“Lindstrom is arguably the best player that has ever played there,” said Youngstown State head coach John Barnes. “She’s by far the best rebounder that’s ever played there. To be able to shoot the 3 and attack like she does is unbelievable. She can control the game by herself.”
Green Bay led 47-33 heading to the fourth quarter and were never seriously threatened over the final 10 minutes.
The Phoenix coughed the ball up just once in each quarter. Borseth was pleased with his team’s ball security.
“I remember being a coach and thinking, ‘If you can get 13 turnovers per game (or less), that was a major accomplishment,” said Borseth. “So to have only four is pretty amazing. That was big tonight because if you give Youngstown State too many open window, they will make it hurt.”
After scoring the first seven points of the game for the Penguins, Benjamin was kept off the board the rest of the way. Cash finished with 12 points to lead Youngstown State.
Green Bay got a game-high 17 points from Lindstrom and 16 from LeClaire. Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year Jen Wellnitz added 14 points and three steals.
With the defeat, Youngstown State’s record drops to 16-15.
With the victory, Green Bay (28-3) advances to the Motor City Madness championship game Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
No. 3 Wright State 60, No. 2 IUPUI 52
In Monday’s second Motor City Madness semifinal, it was the No. 3 seed Wright State Raiders advancing to the women’s championship game with a 60-52 victory over the No. 2 seed IUPUI Jaguars.
The opening half was a slugfest with neither team able to find an offensive rhythm. But it was the stingy IUPUI defense - ranked second in the Horizon League - that proved the difference with the Jaguars taking a 26-20 lead into the locker room.
Super-sub Holly Hoopingarner tallied seven points for IUPUI to lead all scorers.
The third quarter brought more of the same.
Wright State drew to within one using a quick 5-0 run to begin the second half, aided by Mackenzie Taylor’s third triple of the afternoon. But junior Sydney Hall responded with a 3 of her own and IUPUI was eventually able to maintain its six-point cushion heading to the final quarter.
The Raiders made a charge in the fourth with juniors Symone Simmons and Emily Vogelpohl combining for five baskets in the first 3:29 as the Raiders grabbed a one-point lead.
But All-Horizon First Team senior Danielle Lawrence came alive for IUPUI with five straight points. Conference Freshman of the Year Macee Williams tacked on four more to keep the Raiders in front by a nose.
With 4:48 to go in the semifinal, Wright State led 50-49.
It was then that Horizon League Player of the Year Chelsea Welch took over. She knocked down a pair of free throws, then intercepted a pass and fed Vogelpohl for a layup to put the Raiders up five. After Lawrence canned a 3 to draw IUPUI within two, Welch picked off another pass to give possession back to Wright State. She calmly knocked home a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 56-52.
She recorded two more thefts in the closing seconds, giving her an impressive closing line of 17 points, eight assists, five steals and four blocks.
“I just had that mentality of ‘We need to get this top here,’” said Welch. “I knew down the stretch they were gonna try to get it to their go-to players, so I was just trying to read it the best I could. To try and get a steal, try to get a deflection, throw off their offense a little bit.”
IUPUI was led by Lawrence’s 17 points. Williams recorded a double-double on 10 points and 12 rebounds.
“I’m really proud of our senior group,” said IUPUI head coach Austin Parkinson. “Danielle (Lawrence) will probably go down as the best player ever at IUPUI and I’m sure her jersey will be retired one day. She was excellent tonight.”
With the loss, IUPUI’s record drops to 22-9.
With the victory, Wright State (23-9) advances to the Motor City Madness championship game Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. against Green Bay. The game will be televised on ESPNU.