By Pete Ross
12 29 2024
CLEVELAND – The Wright State men’s basketball team saw double-digit scoring afternoons from Brandon Noel and Jack Doumbia, but the Raiders’ second half push was not enough as they fell 78-64 at Cleveland State in Horizon League road action.
Wright State (7-8, 1-3 HL) begins the 2025 calendar year on Thursday night as the Raiders kick off a stretch with three of their next four games at home inside the Nutter Center when Green Bay comes to town for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
On Sunday, the Raiders trailed by 12 points at the break and Cleveland State (9-6, 3-1 HL) lead by 13 with seven minutes to play before Wright State rolled off a 10-2 run in a three-minute push to cut the margin to five at 64-59. The hosts answered, however, with the next 14 points against the Raider pressure to close out the afternoon.
Noel tallied a game-high 20 points, adding six rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist in 35 minutes of action, while Doumbia tallied 19 points and filled his stat line with three rebounds, three blocks, a pair of assists and a steal. Michael Imariagbe returned to the starting lineup, finishing with nine points and seen rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
Alex Huibregtse chipped in seven points with three assists, while Solomon Callaghan had five points and three rebounds off the bench and Logan Woods added five rebounds, four points, three assists and two steals for a complete stat line.
Wright State finished the afternoon shooting 45 percent (26-of-58) overall from the floor with five three-pointers (5-of-23, 22 percent), four of which came in the second half. Cleveland State connected at 49 percent (28-of-57) and was 9-of-18 (50 percent) from deep. The hosts went to the line 19 times, including 11 times in the first half, finishing with a 68 percent mark at the stripe (13-of-19), while the Raiders were 7-of-12 (58 percent) at the line, all of coming in the second half.
Chase Robinson led Cleveland State with 16 points, with Dylan Arnett adding 14 points and both Tevin Smith and Je’Shawn Stevenson each finishing with 12 points.
COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
