After winning three straight games, Wright State men’s basketball team has completed their non-conference schedule with a 6-7 overall record while defending their home court at the Nutter Center with a 5-1 record.
“I’m really proud of our players through 13 games,” head coach Billy Donlon said. “The college basketball season is a grind and it’s a big grind on 18-22 year olds. Through 10 games it was the 31st hardest schedule in the country.”
The Raiders tipped their season off at the NIU Showcase in Dekalb, IL over the weekend of Nov. 13-15 in which they defeated South Dakota 77-69 but then dropped the next two games against Cal State Northridge and Northern Illinois. The Raiders held leads down the stretch in both games but could not find a way to close either.
Senior’s JT Yoho and Joe Thomasson each averaged 15 points per game in the Showcase while sophomore Mark Alstork did the same with 27 points in his Raiders debut vs South Dakota.
Wright State then traveled to Rupp Arena to take on the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Nov. 20 where they fell 78-63 but showed that they could hang with the best in the nation with a second half scoring margin of just two points.
Wildcats head coach John Calipari gave the Raiders credit as he said, “You tell me that look like the number two team in the country. We were not very good and it was Wright State’s game plan.”
With a 1-4 record, the Raiders defeated Division III Mount St. Joseph in their home debut with a 66-52 victory led by Thomasson with 17 points.
“He has to play to this level because that’s what is expected of him,” Donlon said. “We’ve given him the keys to the car. He’s got to drive it every night.”
The Raiders struggled to find the basket at George Mason on Saturday, Nov. 28 as they only made two field goals in the first half shooting 7.7 percent for a total of 10 points in a 66-39 loss.
Wright State bounced back against Division III Albion with a 65-50 victory at the Nutter Center but then fell to Georgia State 59-46 three days later in front of their home crowd.
Four days later, No. 12 Xavier cruised by the Raiders with a 90-55 victory in which WSU was outscored 33-6 in the first 13:51.
After falling to Miami (OH) 72-67 on Sunday, Dec. 13, the Raiders closed out their non-conference schedule with a three game home stand and winning streak with wins against Charleston Southern, Bowling Green and Murray State.
Yoho averaged 17 points in the final four games while Alstork averaged 12, Thomasson averaged 10 and senior center Michael Karena averaged nine.
“I’m proud of our guys because they didn’t look at our record at 3-7,” Donlon said. “They came home and they had grit. I feel a lot better at 6-7 than at 3-7.”
Wright State (6-7) has won three straight games and will begin Horizon League Conference play at Milwaukee (9-4) on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 4 p.m.
