Team #98 - Wright State

On Friday February 11th, 2022, I saw my 98th Division One College Basketball teams. On this occasion, I saw the Wright State Raiders take on the Milwaukee Panthers. Wright State is the 11th team that I have seen out of the Horizon. The Raiders comes into this matchup with a 15-10 record and are 11-5 in conference play. They most recently played Green Bay on Wednesday February 9. A matchup they won by a score of 79-62. Tanner Holden has been the leading scorer for Wright State averaging 20.1 PPG.  Milwaukee comes into this matchup with a 7-18 record on the year. and are 5-11 in conference play. They most recently played Northern Kentucky on Wednesday February 9th, a matchup that they loss by a score of 75-39. DeAndre Gholston has been the leading scorer for Milwaukee, averaging 14.8 PPG. 

I had no idea how this game was going to go. Milwaukee coming off an embarrassing loss on Wednesday. Quick turnaround. Not to mention when I got to the arena, Patrick Baldwin Jr was not in layup lines. I figured this would be a repeat of Wednesday. The only thing Wright State had going against them was the worst uniforms I had ever seen. The last time these two team played Wright State won 80-75. Early on Milwaukee responded well with a 10-4 lead. Many of these makes were tough shots but hey after getting blasted two nights ago seeing shots go on the hoops is a good sign. Wright State would then fight back and lead for most of the first half. Tim Finke, who looked to be a long lost cousin of Jesus fueled the run early with 8 points. But overall, it was a very balanced attack by Wright State that gave them a lead. Milwaukee has a tendency to score a lot early and then nothing late in the first halves of games. Prime example this game. Milwaukee scored 10 points in 4 minutes and then only managed to score 13 the rest of the half. At the Milwaukee once again found themselves down eight. This time by a score of 31-23. Grant Basile, the nearby Pewaukee, WI native lead the Raiders in scoring with ten points. For Milwaukee, Joey St Pierre and DeAndre Gholston both had six. 

Eight points was the same differential as the last game against Northern Kentucky. We all know what happened then. What would happen this time would be completely differently. It really looked like for the first five to seven minutes of the first half that Wright State was going to run away. Wright State lead by as many as ten but could not put the Panthers away. The Panthers used a 19-7 run to take its first lead since early on at 44-43 after a Donovan Newby made layup. After trading baskets, Milwaukee would be in control the remainder of the game. Tafari Simms and Donovan Newby had a massive impact on this game. Both have been starters at points in the year, this game they both came off the bench. Tafari Simms had a incredible and one layup to get the crowd going, then followed a Newby three pointer. Trey Calvin tried his best to keep the Raiders in the game. He made shot after shot. The biggest being a layup to trail by one. After a Donovan Newby made layup. The Panthers got the ball back after a block by Moses Bol. This was the biggest possession of the game as the score was 52-49. With the shot clock running down, Tafari Simms let the defender flyby and hit a massive three as the shot clock expired right in front of the Panther bench. What a shot. Trey Calvin would come down and hit a three of his own to make it a three point game once again. After a foul, Milwaukee would split at the first throw line to get a four point lead. However, this time Grant Basile would come down and hit a three for Wright State. Still anyones game. Of a scrum, Tafari Simms got a loose ball and made two free throws. Then the foul fest. God for bid, anyone shoot a three for entertainment value. With nine seconds to go, Wright State was down three with a chance to tie. Trey Calvin worked the ball down the floor and put a shot at the buzzer. This shot almost banked in but it was no good. Calvin thought he was fouled but did not get his wish. One day I will get my buzzer beater but today was not that day. The Panthers would go on to win 60-57. Actually, a very good game for once at UW Panther Arena. Trey Calvin had 18 points for the Raiders. Donovan Newby had 15 to lead the Panthers. All of which he scored in the 2nd half. 

My next game will be an awesome one. I am flying out to Durham, NC to see Duke take on Florida State on Saturday February 19th. My sister goes to grad school at Duke so this should be an awesome experience. I can't wait to write about it.