DAYTON — The Wright State women's basketball program returns to the non-conference portion of its schedule with road matchups against Marshall on Friday, December 9, and Tennessee on Sunday, December 11. Friday's game is set for a 6 p.m. start on ESPN+, while Sunday's bout against Tennessee will tipoff at 2 p.m. and broadcast live on SEC Network Plus. 

THE SLATE
Dec. 9 at Marshall | 6 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
Dec. 11 at Tennessee | 4 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 76-62 loss against Youngstown State in their opening weekend of Horizon League action. Wright State trailed 27-4 after a quarter of play but rallied back by outscoring YSU 58-49 for the remainder of the game. A 3-pointer by Lauren Scott cut the Penguin lead to single digits, 68-59, with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter. However, Youngstown State held off the late charge with an 8-3 run to close the conference contest. 

Three Raiders scored in double figures, led by Makiya Miller with 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists in her first collegiate start. Kacee Baumhower finished with 13 points and a team-high five rebounds, while Bryce Nixon scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Cara VanKempen contributed with a season-high eight points in addition to three assists, two blocks, and one steal. 

SCOUTING THE HERD
Marshall is 4-3 overall with Division I victories against UT Martin (70-57) and Purdue Fort Wayne (45-39). The Herd rank 25th nationally in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 53.7 points per game. Marshall is averaging 8.4 3-pointers per game offensively, good for 38th in the country. 

Individually, junior guard Roshala Scott leads the team in several offensive categories, including scoring (17.4 ppg), field goal percentage (54.2%), and 3-point percentage (45.7%). Another junior guard in Abby Beeman has had an all-around start to the season, averaging 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals through seven games.

HISTORY VS. MARSHALL
The December meeting will be the first between Wright State and Marshall since 2006. The Herd are in front 3-6 in the all-time series, which includes a two-game winning streak. Wright State last defeated Marshall 81-67 during the 2000-01 season. 

SCOUTING THE VOLS
Tennessee opened the 2022-23 campaign as the No. 4 program in the country, but are now unranked and No. 31 in the NCAA NET Rankings after an 5-5 start to the season. The Volunteers have rebounded from the shaky beginning with three wins in their last four games, including a 69-51 victory over Colorado at home. 

UT has three players — Jordan Horston, Rickea Jackson and Tamari Key — on the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List. Jackson leads the team in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg), while Horston is averaging 16.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game through nine starts. 

HISTORY VS. TENNESSEE
The meeting in Knoxville will mark the first-ever meeting between Wright State and Tennessee. Wright State last played in the state of Tennessee at the Nashville Tournament during the 2018-19 season. The Raiders went 3-0 in the tournament with wins over Hofstra (93-64), Stetson (57-44), and Marist (76-60). 

HEATING UP
Bryce Nixon is shooting 52.3% from the field and 52% on 3-point attempts over her last five games. The senior guard is averaging 12.2 points per game in the span with four double-figure scoring performances. Against Eastern Illinois (11/28), Nixon scored a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and a 4-of-5 mark from deep. 

SHE'S JUST A FRESHMAN
Makiya Miller posted a team-leading 14 points, a season-high four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in her first collegiate start against Youngstown State (12/4). The freshman went 5-for-8 at the free throw line in the home contest, which was the most makes and attempts by a Raider this season. On the season, Miller is averaging 8.1 points, a team-high 2.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds over seven games. 

STAYING CONSISTENT
Kacee Baumhower is leading the Raiders in rebounding (4.6 rpg), while ranking second in scoring (9.0 ppg), assists (2.0 apg), and blocks (0.6 bpg) through seven starts. The sophomore guard has pulled down five or more rebounds on five occasions and has notched three double-figure scoring performances. Baumhower scored a career-high 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting in addition to five rebounds and two steals versus Youngstown State (12/4). 

SHOWING OFF RANGE
The Raiders rank 27th in the country and second in the Horizon League with 8.7 3-pointers per game. Wright State made a season-high 12 treys on 29 attempts at EIU (11/28). Bryce Nixon has knocked down a team-best seven 16-pointers, while Isabelle Bolender ranks second on the team with 10 threes. 

OFFENSE ROLLIN'
Wright State ranks third in the Horizon League in field goal percentage (41.5%). Three Raiders who average 10-plus minutes per game are currently shooting above 48% on the season. Wright State also ranks fifth in the Horizon League in scoring (64.9 ppg), a five-point improvement from last year's season average (59.9 ppg).

UP NEXT
After this weekend's two road games, the Raiders will prepare for a home meeting against Southern Indiana on Saturday, December 17.