Wright State was looking to avoid repeating history Wednesday. A year after losing to Findlay in its only exhibition game last year, the Raiders found themselves down 14 in the first half.
The Raiders regrouped at halftime and went on a 20-0 run early in the half to top the Oilers 68-59 in the Nutter Center.
Four players including newcomer Joe Thomasson were in double figures. Sophomore forward Steven Davis led the way with 14 points and six rebounds.
“I was so nervous, my legs did not get under me until about the three minute mark,” Thomasson said. “My first experience here was amazing. It was like a dream come true. My family was here, my brothers. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
For the first half of the contest, Findlay proved to be a formidable opponent, but the Raiders started getting defensive stops that led to an easier time on offense.
“I wasn’t disappointed with our effort in the first half,” Wright State head coach Billy Donlon said. “We had a lot of guys who haven’t been a game before and Findlay is one of the winningest programs in Division II since 2000. When you get beat by a team before, those guys come in not scared at all.”
WSU looked sloppy early as the Raiders turned the ball over on their first three possessions. As the half wore on, Findlay continued making open shots. The Oilers made over 59 of their baskets in the first half.
The Raiders chipped away early in the second half. Down 11, WSU went on a 20-0 run forcing Findlay into six turnovers and six missed baskets in a seven-minute span.
Donlon was happy about the number of minutes his players got in Wednesday’s game. He was also pleased with his six newcomers handled playing in front of a crowd.
“I mean all of them did some good things,” Donlon said about his newcomers. “They all have something to go home and be proud of. They also had some things we have to work on but they handled the big lights well. You couldn’t script it any better.”
Nine players received double figures in minutes while no one had more than 28.
Notes
Dayton Chaminade-Julienne alum John Staley played 24 minutes and scored six… Donlon sat forward JT Yoho and guard Mark Howell for what he described as a violation of team policy. He said a punishment has been decided but would not disclose what the punishment is. Both were involved in offseason incidents where law enforcement cited them for driving while intoxicated. Howell pled to a lower offense while Yoho’s case is still pending.
