DAYTON - The Wright State men's basketball team returns home this week for its final two regular season contests, beginning Thursday night when the Raiders welcome Youngstown State to the Nutter Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.  The Raiders split a pair of games in Michigan last weekend, while Youngstown State has won its last two contests. 

Fans can follow the action several ways - via live stats, by watching on ESPN+ or by tuning in on WONE 980 AM. Chris Collins and Jim Brown will have all the play-by-play on the radio and ESPN feeds.


THURSDAY: WATCH ON ESPN+ | FOLLOW LIVE STATS | LISTEN ON WONE 980 AM | GAME NOTES 


LAST TIME OUT
Wright State was unable bounce all the way back from a slow start on Sunday afternoon, falling to Detroit Mercy 80-75 in Horizon League action. Tim Finke's career-high 21 points led four Raiders in double figures as he went 7-of-11 from the floor with a trio of three-point baskets, four rebounds, an assist and a steal. Tanner Holden notched 20 points, including a 10-of-13 mark from the free throw stripe, as he added eight rebounds. Trey Calvin chipped in 14 points before fouling out, and Grant Basile tallied the afternoon's lone double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, with all his scoring coming in the second half.

PLAYIN' PENGUINS
Youngstown State is 18-11 overall with a 12-7 Horizon League mark to start the final weekend, having won its last two contests. The Penguins are one of the hottest teams in the HL, coming to town winners in eight of the last night contests. Wright State came up just short at Youngstown State, back on Jan. 15, falling 90-87 as the Raiders were without several individuals due to COVID protocols. Tanner Holden finished with 27 points and Grant Basile added 26 of his own in the loss. Wright State and Youngstown State have previously met 64 times entering Thursday's action. Wright State leads the overall series 49-15, including wins in seven of the last 10 meetings.

YOUNGSTOWN TIDBITS
Youngstown State is 18-11 overall with a 12-7 Horizon League mark entering Thursday night. The Penguins have won two in a row and eight of their last nine overall, but are just 6-5 on the road to date. YSU is 5-3 on the road in Horizon League contests. The Penguins are coming off a five-game homestand and will be playing their first road contest since Feb. 5 when they come to the Nutter Center. Youngstown State tallied its program record 12th Horizon League victory last Saturday against IUPUI.  Michael Akuchie became the 41st player in school history to record 1,000 career points after scoring 12 points against Northern Kentucky on Jan. 13 and currently has 1,203 points. Akuchie became the third YSU Division I player to accumulate 700 career boards, currently with 810. The Penguins have a balanced offensive attack during HL games as three players are ranked in the top-20 during HL play with Dwayne Cohill averaging 16.5 points per game, followed by Michael Akuchie with 15.1 points, along with 8.6 rebounds, and Tevin Olison is right behind at 13.5.

NATIONAL ATTENTION
Tanner Holden (79% FT) has made 162 free throws (No. 1 in the country) on 204 total attempts (No. 3 nationally), through Tuesday's games. Holden's 573 total points scored is No. 7 in the country, while his 19.8 points per game average is No. 23 nationally. Grant Basile's rebound work is also among the best in the nation: ranking 20th nationally with 252 total rebounds, No. 38 nationally in total rebounds/game average with his 8.7 boards per contest and No. 52 in the country with his 6.03 defensive rebounds/game average.

PLAYING THE GAMES IN FRONT OF YOU
Wright State will close out the regular season this week with two final games, making the Raiders one of only two teams (along with Milwaukee) in the Horizon League that will play all 22 league games due to COVID cancellations around the League. 

BEST IS ON THE HORIZON
Wright State is the No. 2 scoring offense during Horizon League play at 76.9 points per game as they are shooting 48.1 percent from the field. WSU boasts two players in the top 5 in scoring during HL play as Tanner Holden is averaging 19.5 points, while Grant Basile is totaling 18.1 points along with 8.4 boards per game. Overall this season, Holden is third in the HL in scoring at 19.8 points per game, good for 23rd nationally, thanks to leading the country in free throws with 162.