By Pete Ross
3 4 2025
GAME NOTES
https://iuindyjags.com/documents/2025/3/3/mbb-at-wsu-hlt-03042025.pdf
DAYTON, Ohio – The IU Indianapolis men’s basketball team will open play in the 2025 Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championships on Tuesday night (Mar. 4) when the Jaguars take on No. 8 Wright State (14-17) inside the Nutter Center at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday’s game marks a rematch of the teams regular season finale and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The winner will advance to Thursday night’s quarterfinals round while the loser will see its season come to an end.
The Jaguars closed the regular season with a 91-84 triumph over the Raiders as Paul Zilinskas and Jarvis Walker celebrated Senior Day with a combined 56 points. Zilinskas finished with 31 points, including hitting 11-of-18 shots, while Walker closed with 25 points, capped by a dagger three with 22 seconds to play. Junior Sean Craig chimed in with 17 points and seven rebounds and freshman Keenan Garner had nine points and 13 rebounds in the win.
The Jaguars rallied after trailing by as many as 10 in the first half, ultimately using a 12-0 run midway through the second half to take the lead. Despite WSU shooting better than 53 percent, the Jaguars shot a respectable 49 percent from the floor and won the glass by a 38-29 margin to get the upper-hand. The Jags finished with hefty advantages in points off turnovers (20-8) and second chance points (23-7) to snap a 14-game skid to the Raiders.
AWARDS
Freshman DeSean Goode was the lone Jaguar to earn any postseason plaudits, being voted to the #HLMBB All-Freshman Team by the league’s coaches. Goode averaged 7.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game during the regular season, including four double-doubles. The 6-foot-8 forward shot better than 50 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, while starting 20 times in the IU Indy frontcourt.
QUOTABLE
“We were determined to win for Jarvis and Paul, plain and simple. Those two have been tremendous players and tremendous leaders for our program, so we wanted to see to it that they went out with a win on Senior Day. We played well and we finished. We finished off the game and made plays down the stretch to get the win,” head coach Paul Corsaro said following the Mar. 1 win over Wright State.
#HLMBB STANDINGS / SEEDS
| School | Conf | CPct. | Overall | Pct. | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Robert Morris | 15-5 | .750 | 23-8 | .742 | W7 |
| #2 Cleveland State | 14-6 | .700 | 20-11 | .645 | W1 |
| #3 Milwaukee | 14-6 | .700 | 21-10 | .677 | W2 |
| #4 Youngstown State | 13-7 | .650 | 19-12 | .613 | L1 |
| #5 Purdue Fort Wayne | 12-8 | .600 | 19-12 | .613 | L2 |
| #6 Oakland | 11-9 | .550 | 14-17 | .452 | W1 |
| #7 Northern Kentucky | 11-9 | .550 | 16-15 | .516 | W4 |
| #8 Wright State | 8-12 | .400 | 14-17 | .452 | L1 |
| #9 IU Indy | 6-14 | .300 | 10-21 | .323 | W1 |
| #10 Detroit Mercy | 4-16 | .200 | 8-23 | .258 | L7 |
| #11 Green Bay | 2-18 | .100 | 4-27 | .129 | L1 |
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State enters the postseason at 14-17 overall and went 8-12 in Horizon League play. The Raiders are 10-4 at home this season and defeated the Jaguars in Dayton earlier this season. Brandon Noel leads the Raiders in scoring (19.2 ppg), rebounds (8.0 rpg) and blocked shots (29) while sharpshooter Alex Huibregtse checks in at 13.4 points per game and is shooting 37.6 percent from three. The Raiders are efficient offensively, shooting 49 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc, but also win the glass by nearly two rebounds per game.
SERIES HISTORY
IU Indy is 4-24 all-time against Wright State and 1-14 in 15 meetings in Dayton. The two teams split the regular season series with the Jaguars snapping a 14-game losing skid to the Raiders in the final game of the season.
UP NEXT
With a win, the Jags would advance to the quarterfinals round of the Horizon League Tournament on Thursday night (Mar. 6) while a loss would end the season.
COURTESY IU INDY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
