By Bert Leeson

3 2 2024

DAYTON – The Wright State men’s basketball team saw five players score in double figures on Saturday night as the Raiders closed the regular season with a 94-88 victory over Northern Kentucky to secure the No. 4 seed in the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship.

The fourth-seeded Raiders will run it back and host Northern Kentucky, who ended up as the No. 5 seed with the loss, in Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup inside the Nutter Center with a trip to Indianapolis on the line. Thursday’s game will tip off at 8 p.m. following the Wright State women’s basketball team’s quarterfinal contest slated for a 5:30 p.m. start.

Tickets for this Thursday’s rematch with Northern Kentucky are on sale.

On Saturday night, Wright State (18-13, 13-7 Horizon) celebrated fifth-year seniors Trey Calvin and Tanner Holden prior to tipoff before the duo combined for 39 points on 52 percent shooting. Calvin tallied 23 points and had three rebounds, three assists and a steal while going 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Holden flirted with a triple-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds while passing out eight assists.

The contest featured 10 ties and six lead changes, but the Raiders led for just shy of 33 minutes. Northern Kentucky (17-14, 12-8 Horizon) led by two points with 6:48 remaining in the first half, which turned out to be its largest and final lead of the night. Wright State took a 45-38 advantage into the break and then opened the second half on a 12-4 run to gain some separation. Northern Kentucky chipped away and was within six points with 12 minutes to play, but the Raiders answered with 10 of the next 12 points to lead 74-60 with eight minutes remaining.

A double-digit game in the final minute, Marques Warrwick hit back-to-back three-pointers to pull the visitors to within five points with 42 seconds remaining, but the Raiders went 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the closing moments to close out the win.

After Calvin and Holden, Brandon Noel recorded his third-straight double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds on 50 percent shooting, while Alex Huibregtse connected on five three-pointers on the way to 19 points of his own. AJ Braun just missed his own double-double, scoring 12 points – with 10 coming in the first half – and adding eight rebounds.

Wright State shot 54 percent (32-of-59) overall from the floor while connecting on 11-of-25 three-pointers (44 percent) – just the fourth time this season the Raiders have hit double-digit three-pointers. The Raiders were 68 percent (19-of-28) at the free throw line, with a 11-of-16 mark in the second half. Northern Kentucky shot 52 percent (35-of-68) overall with an 8-of-25 (32 percent) mark from three-point range and a 63 percent rate (10-of-16) from the free throw line.

The Raiders won the rebounding battle 37-31, including 29 boards on the defensive glass, while they passed out 17 assists on the 32 made baskets.

Northern Kentucky had three players finish in double digits scoring in the loss, led by Warrick’s 39 points.

Scott Nagy WSU BKB coach 3 2 2024 Part B Sr. Night Postgame Press Conference WSU 94 NKU 88.mp3

COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS