Final Score: Wright State 103 | NKU 90
The scorching hot NKU offense didn’t miss a beat to start this one off. However, the Norse defense was porous to say the least. The two teams combined for 24 points in the first 4 minutes. After that, the teams settled in a bit, and with 9:30 remaining in the first half, the game was tied at 23. Donnie R provided a significant boost with 4 quick points while giving Kael Robinson a bit of a break. Between the 9:00-6:00 marks, the Norse went on a run, leading by as many as 6. A Tae Dozier 3 pushed that lead back out to 6 points with 4:00 remaining. Starting around the 3:30 mark, Wright State was able to hold NKU to a bit of an extended drought, spanning 2:38 of game time. During that time, Wright State was able to reclaim the lead. WSU took a 2 point lead into the half.
What decided this one:
- Michael Cooper. The freshman put up an impressive 25 points on 8-13 from the field, 3-6 from deep, and 6-6 from the FT line. He absolutely took over this one and was able to get practically any shot he wanted after the break. NKU’s defense just wasn’t able to keep up with the performance that he put up.
- 3 point shooting. NKU shot 5-10 in the first half, before collapsing in the 2nd, NKU went 4-13 from deep in the 2nd half. Wright State was a model of consistency throughout, shooting 5-11 in the first and 4-10 in the 2nd, getting to 9-21 on the night. Wright State’s efficiency here was notable, and helped Wright State get ahead and stay there.
- Wright State hit 28-33 of their free throw attempts, while NKU was just 23-30.
- Finally, turnovers. The Norse turned it over 15 times tonight, leading to 24 Raider points. Wright State turned it over 10 times, and NKU turned that into just 13 points. That eleven point discrepancy was telling.
Despite all of the different angles this game had, it came down to one thing. Wright State’s guys made plays, while NKU’s guys faded in the 2nd half. This loss does mark the first time in Coach Horn’s Norse career that he’s lost to the same team 3 times in one year.
NKU faces a monumental offseason. I’ll be back with more insights and a full season in review article this week. Make sure you subscribe to get everything right into your inbox!
All pictures courtesy of the Horizon League
Leave a comment