By Pete Ross

Clint Sargent WSU M BKB head coach Postgame Press Conference NKU 80 WSU 76 2 21 2025

DAYTON – Brandon Noel tallied 18 of his 22 points in the final 20 minutes to lead a second half charge, but the Wright State men’s basketball team came up just short, falling 80-76 Friday night at home to Northern Kentucky inside the Nutter Center.

Noel’s 22 points were a game high, as were his 11 rebounds, as he collected his ninth double-double of the year to lead four Raiders in double figures scoring.

Wright State (13-16, 7-11 Horizon) trailed by five at the break but used an 11-3 run midway through the second half to grab a nine-point lead at 66-57 with 9:02 remaining. Northern Kentucky (13-15, 8-9 Horizon) was forced into a timeout to stop the run, and the visitors responded with a 10-4 run of their own to cut the Raider advantage to 70-67 with six minutes to play.

The two sides traded baskets for the next two minutes, culminating with a Jack Doumbia layup to push the Raider lead to 76-72 with four minutes remaining, but the bucket proved to be Wright State’s final one of the night. Northern Kentucky closed the game with the final eight points for the comeback win, as the Raiders were 0-of-6 from the floor in the final stretch.

Wright State was lifted in the first half by big efforts from Solomon Callaghan and Michael Imariagbe, with Callaghan scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first 20 minutes and Imariagbe tallying all 13 of his points in the half. Callaghan finished the night shooting 6-of-12 from the floor with four three-pointers while Imariagbe was 6-of-7 shooting as he filled his stat line with five rebounds and five assists.

Jack Doumbia was the final Raider in double figures, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half.

Wright State ended the game with a 55 percent overall shooting mark (33-of-60) and connected on six three-pointers (6-of-19, 32 percent), however, the Raiders made just one second half try from deep. Northern Kentucky shot 54 percent overall (30-of-56), but the Raiders held them to just 39 percent in the second half. The visitors were 48 percent from deep (7-of-15).

The difference of the night came at the stripe, where Northern Kentucky was 13-of-23 (57 percent) and Wright State got to the line just 13 times, connecting on just four attempts (4-of-13, 31 percent). The Raiders won the rebounding battle, 38-28, and finished with a 52-44 edge in paint points, but had 14 turnovers that resulted in 16 Northern Kentucky points.

Five Northern Kentucky players combined for all but 11 points for the visitors, led by Dan Gherezgher’s 17 points.

COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS