@WSU_MBB to Play in Cancun Challenge
6/8/2018 10:06:00 AM | Men's Basketball
On the heels of a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Wright State men's basketball team will play in the 11th Annual Cancun Challenge at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. The Raiders will host two teams at the Nutter Center before flying to Mexico to play two more games in the Thanksgiving-week event.
WSU will host Western Carolina to open the regular season on November 7 and North Florida on November 17, then play Penn State November 20 at 8:30 pm eastern in Cancun. The Raiders will play either Bradley or SMU the next night. The last two games each day will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
Western Carolina: The Catamounts, 13-19 and 8-10 in the Southern Conference last season, will be under the guidance of first-year head coach Mark Prosser, son of late Xavier and Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser. WCU returns leading scorer and second-team All League Mike Amius and all-freshman team selection Matt Halvorsen. Amius, a 6-7 senior forward, averaged 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds as a junior while Holverson, a 6-1 guard, averaged 8.5 points in his rookie campaign. The Raiders won both previous meetings, played in 2013 and 2014.
North Florida: The Ospreys, 14-19 and 7-7 in the A-Sun a year ago, are coached by 10-year head coach Matthew Driscoll. North Florida's Noah Horchelr, a 6-8 junior, was named the ASUN Basketball Newcomer of the Year along with garnering second-team All-ASUN honors, averaging 11.7 points and 8.6 rebounds. Trip Day, a 6-7 sophomore, was selected to the ASUN All-Freshmen team as voted on by the league's head coaches, averaging 11.3 points. The teams split the previous two meetings with UNF winning at home in the Global Sports Shootout in 2011 and WSU winning at home in the 2016 Men vs Breast Cancer Classic.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions, 26-13 and 9-9 in the Big Ten, won the NIT and posted its second most wins in program history under seven-year head coach Patrick Chambers. Junior Lamar Stevens leads PSU with his 15.5 points per game average as well as Mike Watkins who grabbed 8.9 rebounds a year ago. Penn State won the only meeting of the schools in 2016.
SMU: 17-16 and 6-12 in the American Athletic Conference last year, are coached by third-year head coach Tim Jankovvich, who had been associate head coach with the Mustangs. Guard Jahmal McMurray returns after averaging 14.7 points as well as guard Jarrey Foster who averaged 13.2 points ands 5.9 rebounds. SMU and WSU have never met.
Bradley: The Braves, 20-13 and 9-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference, are led by fourth-year head coach Brian Wardle, who had previously been the head coach at Green Bay. Leading scorer junior Darrell Brown returns to the Braves as he averaged 13.5 points and dished 142 assists while being named second-team All-MVC. Also among returners, junior guard Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye was selected to the league's All-Defensive Team with rookie Elijah Childs earning MVC All-Freshman honors.The Raiders ended last year with a D-I program record 25 wins, a Horizon League Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, TX. Conference Freshman of the Year Loudon Love and guards Mark Hughes and Cole Gentry were starters set to return for the 2018-19 season. Love average 12.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last season, while Hughes and Gentry averaged 9.7 and 9.1 points per game, respectively. Head coach Scott Nagy was named the Coach of the Year in his second season at the helm of the Raiders.
About the Cancun Challenge
Located just off the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya offers the ultimate vacation for guests of all ages with both the adults-only and family friendly resort experiences. With a combined 1,264 ultra-posh and lavishly appointed guestrooms boasting balcony, terrace views or new, expansive sky terrace options with picturesque views, hydro tubs in each room, world-class shopping and endless style, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is nothing short of the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Complete with expansive outdoor pools and private beach, this all-inclusive escape offers nine world-class restaurants, eight bars and lounges, in addition to 88,915 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting and event space ideal for elegant banquets, themed parties, weddings, concerts, and more.
Seating is limited for this exclusive event, and all fans should book land travel packages through Triple Crown Sports for admission into games in Mexico. Travel packages are the only way to guarantee admission to games at this time. For travel package information, contact Sarah Sullivan at 970-672-0533 (email to sarah@triplecrownsports.com) or visit the website at www.cancunchallenge.net.
U.S. Games
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Western Carolina at Wright State
Saturday, Nov. 17
North Florida at Wright State
Cancun Challenge at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (all times Cancun/Eastern Time):
Tuesday, Nov. 20
Mayan Division
Game 1: Western Carolina vs. Jacksonville State, 12:30 p.m.
Game 2: North Florida vs. Southern Miss, 3 p.m.
Riviera Division
Game 3: Bradley vs. SMU, 6 p.m.
Game 4: Wright State vs. Penn State, 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 21
Mayan Division
Game 1/Game 2 losers, 12:30 p.m.
Game 1/Game 2 winners, 3 p.m.
Riviera Division
Game 3/Game 4 losers. 6 p.m.
Game 3/Game 4 winners, 8:30 p.m.
