Men’s Basketball | Photo by Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian
Wright State University men’s basketball had its last games before conference play this week in Vegas, going 2-1 at the Vegas 4 Tournament versus Abilene Christian, UC Riverside and Weber State.
Game Overview
The Raiders’ loss versus UC Riverside showed some of the roster’s weaknesses, but the Raiders continued to score and defend well throughout the game. Now, the team focuses on fixing those weaknesses before its first conference match versus Robert Morris on Dec. 1.
Dynamic Duo
Offensively, the Raiders run through senior duo Amari Davis and Trey Calvin, with Calvin able to score from anywhere on the court and Davis focusing on the mid-range game and rebounding.
WSU spreads the ball across its offense, but the team needs Davis and Calvin to lead the charge; otherwise, the rest of the team can not make up for the lost ground.
The loss to UC Riverside was the only time that neither Calvin nor Davis had double-digit points, and the Raiders lost 65-70. Three other Raiders had double-digit points to try and salvage the game, but WSU could not catch up without the offensive duo running the offense.
Brandon Noel has been the sixth man for WSU this season, with the capability to take over the game after subbing in for AJ Braun.
Noel came off the bench with double-digit points in all three games and double-doubles in two of the three games. Noel’s best tournament game was a 23 point performance against Weber State, where the forward shot 10-11 from the floor, efficiently leading WSU in points.
Looking at the conference
The trouble for the Raiders to start conference play most likely will not be the team’s opener versus the Robert Morris Colonials but its second match versus Youngstown State.
The Colonials have struggled to perform offensively recently, scoring 51 points in its recent loss versus the University of Dayton and losing two games in a row before its last two non-conference matchups.
With defensive-minded players like Tim Finke on the lineup, the Raiders will successfully deal with the Colonial offense.
Sunday’s matchup against Youngstown State could be troublesome. The Penguins sit at 4-2 overall, holding close games against Notre Dame and Navy in its only two losses.
The Penguins team is a significant threat offensively, scoring 90 points or more in three of its six games; however, it also struggles defensively, causing high-scoring games for both teams whenever the Penguins play.
