Wright State survived a tough upset bid from Ohio Dominican Sunday afternoon as Chrishawn Hopkins scored a career-high 25 points in a 76-64 win.
Hopkins along with starting guards Reggie Arceneaux and Joe Thomasson combined for 58 of the Raiders’ 76 points. Their effort was needed in Sunday’s contest as WSU kept its opponent from the Division II level in the contest.
ODU junior Mark Minch led the Panthers with 21 points.
“What we learned tonight was if you give the other team hope, the better chance they’re going to be in the game,” Wright State head coach Billy Donlon said. “We had an opportunity early in the second half, we were finally taking the ball to the rim where we went up six or seven, got a stop or two and then we jacked three or four straight 3s. We aren’t going to win that way.”
It was tough for Wright State to match the energy it had on Friday when the Raiders won a challenging 73-70 contest over Belmont in front of over 5,400 fans. With several thousand fewer fans, the Nutter Center lacked the vigor it had Friday.
But Donlon said that the team did not suffer from lack of excitement for Sunday’s game against a Division II opponent that won just five games last season.
“Reggie and Chrishawn today were better than anyone else Ohio Dominican could have,” Donlon said. “Depending on the age gap – when you throw in a freshman versus Mark Minch who is a junior, that junior at a Division II school should be better than my freshman.
“I knew our energy tank after Friday, I worried about that but they were engaged.”
Hopkins’ 25 points marked a career high dating back to his time at Butler. Hopkins played 39 minutes sitting out for just a few seconds in the second half.
“I am getting in the grove, keeping my body in shape,” Hopkins said. “If I keep attacking, I will be okay. I started seeing what I can and can’t do and I just attack when I can and I need to.”
Arceneaux had 18 and made four 3-pointers. Arceneaux said the game was not a challenge for him to get into despite playing a team WSU was expected to dominate.
“I think it is a blessing just to play another game in this kind of arena and with these guys,” Arceneaux said.
Wright State had an early 6-0 lead but that lead evaporated after the first timeout. Ohio Dominican had its first lead midway through the first at 13-11. Minutes later, WSU opened an eight-point lead to go up 27-19. The Raiders’ lead evaporated at the end of the first half as ODU made a pair of free throws to go into the half down 32-31.
“I was angry, not just because we were only up one (at halftime) because Ohio Dominican is good,” Arceneaux said. “It was the fact that we were getting out-toughed and outrebounded throughout the entire first half.”
The Panther regained the lead off a Jesse Ward 3 on the first possession of the second half. Despite the contest having six lead changes, ODU never had more than a two-point lead.
Wright State put the game away late finishing on a 15-4 run.
The Raiders go into a six-game road trip 2-0. The trip starts at Bowling Green Wednesday afternoon at 4.
