By Cord Rankin
12 21 2024
BOX SCORE
https://wsuraiders.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&id=9964
YPSILANTI, MI – Alex Huibregtse’s potential game-tying three-pointer in the final moments rattled out as the Wright State men’s basketball team fell 86-82 on Saturday afternoon at Eastern Michigan in the Raiders final non-conference matchup of the season.
The Raiders now break for the holiday before returning to action on December 29 at Cleveland State as they play Horizon League contests the rest of the way.
Wright State (7-7) led by 11 at the break after closing the first half on a 13-3 scoring run before Eastern Michigan (6-5) responded in the opening minutes of the second stanza, pulling even with 16 minutes to play and setting up the final stretch that saw the back-and-forth scoring remain within two possessions for the next 12 minutes. Eastern Michigan expanded the lead to seven with 57 seconds to play, but the Raiders again battled, tallying five of the next six points off a pair of free throws from Jack Doumbia and a three-pointer from Logan Woods to pull to three at 85-82 with 37 seconds remaining.
Wright State’s defense forced an errant pass, with Huibregtse coming up with a steal before a final flurry of three-point attempts came from the Raiders. After a pair misses and two offensive rebounds, the Raiders had an inbounds opportunity from underneath the basket that found Huibregtse open, but his shot rimmed out and Eastern Michigan grabbed the rebound to end the night.
Doumbia led four Raiders in double figures with 21 points, including 13 in the first half, as he added four rebounds, four steals and two assists, while Brandon Noel tallied 17 points and eight rebounds. Huibregtse hit four three-pointers on the way to his 14 points while passing out six assists, while Logan Woods chipped in 10 points of his own.
Drey Carter gave the Raiders eight points off the bench, with six points in the opening 20 minutes, while Solomon Callaghan turned in seven points and three steals in his first collegiate start. Michael Imariagbe was the seventh and final Raider in the scoring column with five points off the bench.
Wright State finished the afternoon shooting 52 percent overall (31-of-60) with seven three-pointers (7-of-17, 41 percent), while Eastern Michigan ended with an even 50 percent shooting mark (29-of-58) after shooting 32 percent in the opening minutes, connecting on six of their nine three-pointers in the second half (9-of-23, 39 percent).
COURTESY WRIGHT STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS