It’s been a while since this author has sat down to write an article for the Wright State Raiders.
For those unaware or maybe reading for the first time, I’ve been Wright State’s representation on this blog for a while now, since 2021. Recently, HoriZone was able to bring another writer for the team into the fold in James Moon and he has been hard at work providing the statistics and impressions in the pre-game and post-game wrap ups and I can’t thank him enough for it.
For me, life happened and my family gave birth to a little baby girl named Lunelle, our first daughter, in December. I took some time off and returned to the Nutter Center for the first time when the men’s team took on IU Indy in a homecoming smackdown. Walking around eating chili from Chili Cook Off, the wife and I showed our little bundle to some of the smiling faces I knew in the crowd. At the end of the game, we took a selfie on the court with Brandon Noel as well.
However amazing it felt to return to a game and restart my social media feeds (Twitter is a whole lot worse than I remember?), my return wouldn’t have been complete without a similar appearance at a women’s basketball game. Grabbing my pink polo, I headed to the stadium – without a baby in tow this time.
Wright State came back home victorious following a 78-76 nail biter against Youngstown on the road, and refreshed after a six day break. Amaya Staton earned a Horizon League POTW title following the victory against Youngstown and is currently on top of the league charts in rebounding, blocked shots, and efficiency. Lauren Scott and Claire Henson, who brought up the second place spots in points and rebounding respectively, round out the Raiders attack.
Oakland came into town riding a four game skid, averaging 48 PPG in matchups against some of the tougher conference opponents in Green Bay and Cleveland State. Their most recent double digit loss to Milwaukee at home was a stinger in Oakland’s chances of climbing the standings ladder, interim head coach Deanna Richard would need this match to keep themselves clear of the rest of the league. Maddy Skorupski has been key in the Grizzlies’ efforts so far, leading the squad with 15.9 PPG and a stellar 3 steals per game mark.
Wright State’s pink out game started out with some sloppy turnovers and offensive rebounds throughout the first quarter and no squad able to create separation. Staton was playing the paint incredibly well, reliably getting in the way of any pass-in plays that relied on outmuscling the defense. While Oakland was having trouble reliably getting into the paint due to my Staton’s defense, Wright State’s problem was a lack of three-point shooting. during the second quarter. However, Miller and Henson both drilled some three is late to give the Raiders a 27-22 advantage going into the half.
During the third quarter, Wright State committed turnover after turnover, allowing Oakland to scrape back into a lead. After only being able to put together 2-6 shooting due to the turnover menace that Oakland’s Skorupski is known to create, Wright State was facing a grim deficit of 44-37 going into the fourth quarter.
“At one point, I think we counted six straight turnovers,” Hoffman remarked with a grimace. “It was frustrating for sure.”
As the minutes ticked down in the fourth, the Raiders needed to unbury themselves from the turnover grave they had committed themselves to. The squad got to work and didn’t allow a single turnover in the quarter, while forcing Oakland to give up 7, to put themselves back even at 49 all. When Lauren Scott got herself open at the top of the key, she made a beautiful rainbow shot to take the lead for good.
“I think she added a little bit [of height] to it this year, I don’t remember it being that rainbow-y,” Hoffman remarked with a chuckle.
Oakland’s additional chances to get closer were answered in kind as the Raiders took advantage of another late-game hot streak to close out the game 60-53. Amaya Staton ended with another double-double, her eleventh of the season, with 15 PTs and 12 RBs, but her presence on defense was impossible to deny as she notched an additional 4 steals and 2 blocks from pressuring the Grizzlies in the paint. Lauren Scott also finished with 15 PTs on 6-12 shooting.
“I think [Amaya Staton] should be on the All-Defensive Team absolutely,” Hoffman endorsed. “She cleans up a lot of the mistakes, if the guards aren’t containing or we miss our ball-screen coverage, Amaya’s always there to clean them up.”
Back in the media room after the match, Archdeacon went and talked with Lauren Scott about her performance for the night, as well as other items like her rainbow shot that brought the Raiders back into the lead. I sat with Coach Hoffman and while waiting we discussed… everything else essentially. I shared pictures of the baby and the wife, swapped stories about family and experiences, and made jokes that Joylynn Brown should introduce some onesies into the t-shirt games.
A lot of coaches and players will say that the team is their family and they really try to grow that dynamic. Going on the road over and over again to play in matches eight hours away can foster some deep relationships over time. What may go unnoticed though is how fans and personnel can also develop a kinship. Being able to share experiences and changes in life with others over an exciting match of basketball lends a greater meaning to the sport and community it provides.
Wright State’s final three games are against the current 3, 4, and 5 seeds in the Horizon. They’ll take the road to face the #5 NKU Norse on Saturday, who will be looking for revenge after dropping the first match at the Nutter Center at the beginning of the month. Wright State then visits the Wolstein Center the following week to take on #3 Cleveland State before returning home to face #4 Robert Morris.
