CHICAGO – For the first half of Wright State’s first-round Horizon League Tournament game against Illinois-Chicago, the Raiders looked nothing like a team that had lost nine in a row. By the end of Tuesday’s contest, the Raiders were headed toward their 10th-straight loss.
Wright State relinquished a 19-point halftime lead Tuesday and lost its season finale 60-57. The Raiders finished the season with an 11-20 record. The team’s 10th loss in a row was a program record. The Raiders finished with 20 losses for the first time in program history.
“I always say your last tournament game is a microcosm of your season and that was a microcosm of our season,” Wright State head coach Billy Donlon said.
Jay Harris led UIC with 22 points, including a huge go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:13 left, which gave the Flames the lead for good.
“Harris made a big-time shot, a 24-foot shot,” Donlon said. “When it gets to that point, you have to shake their hand, but it shouldn’t have gotten to that point.”
The game was the final one for seniors Chrishawn Hopkins and Reggie Arceneaux at Wright State.
“It was a tough loss since this was my last one,” Hopkins said. “That is always terrible but we came out with energy in both halves, just didn’t get the job done.”
After Wright State led for the first 18 minutes of the second half, UIC’s Ahman Fells hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 55-all with 1:58 left. On the ensuing possession, Hopkins broke an over four-minute span without a basket for the Raiders to give WSU a 57-55 lead.
“We took the lead back so our guys felt good about things,” Donlon said.
“We hadn’t made a play in a few possessions, I was trying to make a play for the team,” Hopkins said.
After Harris’ 3-point basket that gave UIC a one-point lead, WSU freshman Grant Benzinger had a good look for 3 with 45 seconds that went out of bounds. After Wright State forced a UIC stop, Justin Mitchell turned the ball over with six seconds left with WSU trailing by one.
After Harris made a pair of free throws, Mitchell absent-mindedly drove into the lane with WSU needing a 3 to force overtime. The Raiders failed to get off a shot before the buzzer.
Leading up to the final two minutes, UIC chipped away at Wright State’s lead. The game changed midway through the second half when UIC got offensive boards off missed three free throws, according to Donlon.
“Those free throw block outs, you have to get,” Donlon said.
WSU out rebounded UIC in the first half 20-9. In the second half, UIC outrebounded WSU 19-6.
“I didn’t feel the same urgency from the whole team,” Hopkins said about Wright State’s second half. “That is where we lost it at, defense and rebounding and that is what killed us in the second half.”
After UIC took a 13-11 lead to start the first half, the Raiders responded with a 28-7 run to close out the first half. The Raiders led 39-20 at halftime. The Raiders’ first-half performance was a distant memory come the second half.
“We played well in the first half,” Hopkins said.
UIC advances to the Horizon League quarterfinals to play Oakland Friday.
