The Wright State Raiders faced a deficit for the first time this season against the Toledo Rockets. They fell behind 15-6 in the opening minutes of their first road game of the year. It didn’t matter.

Head coach Clint Sargent’s team overcame that deficit and 14 turnovers to win 76-68 Tuesday evening. In the process, the Raiders showed an ability to fight back and rally in hostile environments. Here’s what else we learned from Wright State’s triumph:

Kellen Pickett is who we believed he’d be

We spoke in our preview about Pickett’s relatively tame footprint on the Raiders’ first two games. Frankly, the team didn’t need him to be a superstar to win. That wasn’t the case at Toledo.

Pickett’s first of four three-pointers on the night capped a 10-0 “killshot” that put Wright State in front after facing its largest deficit of the year. In the second half, he utilized his size to grab seven rebounds and block two shots. Overall, he had 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Pickett, as the Raiders’ lead dog, let his pack work the first two games. Then, he dominated when called upon. He couldn’t have handled the first three contests any better, and Wright State will be better for it.

You never know who will step up in supporting roles

And that’s a good thing!

Against Air Force, Dominc Pangonis and Andrea Holden led the Raiders in scoring. Versus Florida Atlantic, it was C.J. O’Hara and Chadlyn Traylor. At Toledo, Pickett was flanked by Noah Lewis (16 pts.) and Ilija Milijasevic (15 pts.)

Additionally, freshman Isaiah Williams made a big impact during the Raiders’ two biggest runs.

Coach Sargent tightened his rotation for the first time on Tuesday, electing to play seven players 20-plus minutes. Each of those athletes are capable of delivering in a massive way, which makes Wright State incredibly tough to plan for and adjust against in-game.

The Raiders have a gem in Noah Lewis

Lewis, a Charleston, WV native, has been exceptional to open his collegiate career. Against the Rockets, he scored a career-high 16 points while adding four rebounds, three blocks and three assists.

The 6-foot-7, 225 lb. freshman forward racked up six blocks in his college debut vs. Air Force. He has essentially inherited the role Pickett thrived in as a freshman himself in 2025-26 and is performing splendidly.

If Lewis is going to be this good all season, I wish everyone on Wright State’s schedule – and their future NCAA Tournament foes – the best of luck. They’re going to need it.

Wright State Record: 3-0 (0-0 Horizon)

Next Up: at Samford, Nov. 13 (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+)