2/10/2023 

DAYTON – The Wright State men’s basketball team used a 22-5 second half run to pull away from visiting Northern Kentucky as the Raiders grabbed an 83-65 win on Senior Night in front of a raucous Nutter Center crowd of over 5,600 on Friday night.
 
Wright State (16-11, 9-7 Horizon) shot 71 percent in the second half, aided by the second half scoring run, as the Raiders outscored Northern Kentucky (15-11, 10-5 Horizon) 49-34 over the final 20 minutes to break open what had been a three-point game at the half.
 
Five Raiders scored in double figures in the win, paced by Trey Calvin’s 23 points as he shot 8-of-13 from the floor in 39 minutes of action, while Brandon Noel just missed a double-double with his 18-point, eight rebound effort as he went 7-of-7 from the floor and connected on all four free throws. Noel completed his stat line with three assists, two steals and two blocks.
 
Andrew Welage and Tim Finke both tallied a pair of three-pointers on the way to 12 points each as they both passed out five assists and Finke grabbed five rebounds. Alex Huibregtse was the final Raider in double digits with 11 points and he dished out a game-best six assists and had five rebounds of his own.
 
Wright State came out hot, connecting on its first three shots as it jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening minutes while forcing a pair of NKU turnovers. The visitors dug back into the game from there, tying the game for the first of seven times with 8:21 to go in the first half before the Raiders closed the opening 20 minutes with 12 of the final 18 points to take the 34-31 lead into the break.
 
The Raiders opened the second half on a 6-2 run before the sides again traded baskets over the next eight minutes. An NKU basket with 11:48 to play cut the margin to one before the Raiders rolled off the 22-5 scoring run, connecting on 8-of-10 from the floor – including four three-pointers – while defensively holding the visitors to 2-of-9 shooting over the seven-minute stretch with three turnovers.
 
Buoyed by the 71 percent second half shooting mark, the Raiders finished the night shooting 58 percent (32-55) from the floor overall, connecting on nine three-pointers (9-22, 41 percent), while defensively Wright State held Northern Kentucky to 36 percent overall (24-66) from the floor as the visitors hit 12 three-pointers (12-34, 35 percent).
 
Wright State pulled down 28 of its 35 rebounds on the defensive glass while the Raiders passed out 22 assists as a group on the 32 made baskets on the offensive end.
 
The Raiders look to keep their winning ways going as they head on the road for their final four regular season contests, beginning next Friday night at Cleveland State in another nationally televised game on ESPNU.

COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS