By Packy Moore

Jack Doumbia & Brandon Noel Wright State M BKB Postgame Press Conference WSU 88 Marshall 79 12 11 2024.mp3

12/11/2024

DAYTON – Four players tallied double digit scoring nights, led by Brandon Noel’s double-double and a second half takeover from Jack Doumbia, as the Wright State men’s basketball team grabbed an 88-79 home win over Marshall on Wednesday night inside the Nutter Center.

After leading most of the night, Wright State (7-5) found itself down two with 2:34 to play after back-to-back buckets from Marshall (5-5), but the Raiders closed the night with 12 of the final 13 points thanks to Doumbia and Alex Huibregtse while holding the visitors to a 0-of-4 shooting mark in the final moments.

Wright State tallied the opening points of the night thanks to a Huibregtse three-pointer and, after an opening back-and-forth in the first few possessions, the Raiders took control for the remainder of the half, pushing the advantage up to 15 late in the stanza before taking a 37-26 lead into the break. After Marshall notched the first five points of the second half, Wright State settled and held the lead for most of the final 20 minutes before the visitors used an 11-1 run to take the two-point lead at 78-76 with 2:34 to go and set up the final stretch.

Noel finished the night with a game-high 21 points, including 14 in the first half, on the way to his second-straight 20-plus point effort as he added 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Doumbia took over in the second half, notching 18 of his 20 points over the final 20 minutes as he was 7-of-9 from the floor in the second half (8-of-10 overall on the night) as he added eight rebounds and three blocks. Huibregtse tallied 12 points with a trio of three-pointers, including the dagger with 42 seconds remaining, with Drey Carter pouring in a season-best 11 points off the bench.

Solomon Callaghan was just shy of double figures with nine points off the bench, chipping in three rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Logan Woods added seven points and Keaton Norris filled his stat line with seven points, five assists, two steals and a pair of rebounds.

Wright State shot 61 percent in the second half on the way to a 57 percent overall shooting mark (31-of-54) while connecting on 8-of-18 (44 percent) from deep, including five three-pointers in the first half. Defensively, the Raiders held Marshall to a 32 percent shooting mark in the first half as the visitors finished at 44 percent (28-of-64) while hitting 9-of-25 (36 percent) three-pointers, with seven of those coming in the second half.

The Raiders outrebounded Marshall 36-33, with 32 of those boards coming on the defensive glass, while Wright State finished with 42 points in the paint, thanks largely to Doumbia and Noel, and got 22 points from its bench in the win.

Four players notched double digits scoring for Marshall in the loss, led by Mikal Dawson;s 20 points and a 17-point effort from Dezayne Mingo.

COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS