DAYTON — The Wright State women's basketball team will continue its 2021-22 campaign on the road against a pair of Horizon League opponents. The Raiders will head to Purdue Fort Wayne for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, February 5, and follow with a meeting at Cleveland State on Monday, February 7, at 6 p.m. Both games will televise on ESPN+. 

THE SLATE
Feb. 5 at Purdue Fort Wayne | 2 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
Feb. 7 at Cleveland State | 6 p.m. | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes

LAST TIME OUT
WSU is coming off home losses to Green Bay and Milwaukee. Green Bay led coast-to-coast en route to a 73-51 win. The Raiders were tied at 33-all to MKE in the second quarter, but the Panthers closed the period on a 14-4 run to head into the break on top, 46-37. Milwaukee began the third quarter on a 14-2 scoring spurt to build its lead to 60-39, which put the game out of reach. 

As a team, Wright State dished out a combined 27 assists, its third-highest total over two games. The Raiders also knocked down seven-plus 3-pointers in consecutive games for the first time this season. 

SCOUTING THE 'DONS
Purdue Fort Wayne is 6-15 overall and 5-9 against HL opponents. The Mastodons campaign includes a regular-season sweep over UIC and a 62-57 win against winless Detroit Mercy. PFW has earned two victories via forfeit and has tallied just one win outside of conference play. 

The 'Dons rely on their outside shooting, ranking second or better in the Horizon League in 3-point attempts (458), 3-point field goals made (153), and 3-pointer field goal percentage (33.4%). Three individuals are scoring in double figures, led by Shayla Sellers with 11.1 points per game. Sylare Starks averages 10.8 points per game and has made a team-best 36 threes.

INSIDE THE WSU-PFW SERIES
In 16 career meetings, WSU leads the all-time series 10-6. A year ago, in WSU's season sweep over PFW, Jada Roberson averaged 5.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Destyne Jackson set season-best marks in rebounds (6) and steals (3) versus the Mastodons last season.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State has proven to be one of the toughest tests in the conference, as the Vikings are 13-4 overall and 8-3 against HL opponents. The Vikings recently snapped their four-game win streak at IUPUI, 82-64. Two of CSU's six League wins are by way of forfeit. 

CSU sits atop the conference in scoring offense (71.7), rebounds per game (40.20), blocked shots per game (4.3), steals per game (10.3), free throw makes (265), and turnovers forced (19.13). Individually, Destiny Leo leads the conference in points per game (20.0) while also ranking first on the team in 3-point shooting (40.5%), free throw shooting (89.9%), and assists per game (2.4).

INSIDE THE WSU-CSU SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 82nd career meeting between the two teams, with Wright State owning a 42-39 advantage in the all-time series. Dating back to 2019, WSU has won four-straight road contests at Cleveland State. Last season, the Raiders bounced CSU in the Horizon League Championship semifinals, 73-62. Current Raider Jada Wright was a key contributor in the victory, as she finished with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting to go along with five rebounds and one block in 27 minutes.

CENTURY CLUB
Roberson reached 100 career steals in Wright State's loss to Milwaukee on January 29. The junior guard is averaging a conference-best 2.64 steals per game, ranking 34th in the country. She has recorded multiple steals 11 times, including eight of her last nine games. Roberson tallied a career-high five steals in WSU's conference opener against the Panthers (11/18).

HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME
Over Roberson's last 11 games, she has averaged 14.2 points on 41.4% shooting (65-of-157) to go along with 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals. In the span, the Muskegon, Mich., native has achieved single-game career highs in points (20 at Dayton), assists (7 vs. Lake Erie), and blocks (2 at Dayton). On the season, Roberson leads the Raiders in the offensive rebounds per game (2.9), assists per game (2.6), and steals per game (2.6).

JACKSON STEPPING UP
Jackson scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting in WSU's 82-79 loss to NKU on January 22. She averages a team-leading 14.5 points per game, good for the eighth-best mark among conference players. The Lexington, Ky., native has scored in double figures in 13 games, including her last six. Last season, Jackson averaged 4.3 points per game with only three double-digit scoring games. She is also shooting 36% through 14 games, an increase from her 30% shooting mark during the 2020-21 season.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Jackson has strengthened her long-range shooting as the season has gone on, as she leads WSU in 3-point makes (26) and 3-point attempts (79). She also ranks seventh in the Horizon League in 3-point field goals per game (1.86). Jackson went 6-of-16 (37.5%) from outside the arc last week, netting a trio of longballs in each matchup. 

CAREER MONTH
Edecia Beck caught fire in January, as the junior forward averaged 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks in six games. In WSU's 72-56 win at Detroit Mercy (1/15), Beck recorded career-high marks in points (16), rebounds (9), assists (5), and 3-pointers (3), while also adding two steals. She tallied her first collegiate double-double against Northern Kentucky (1/22) with 16 points, a career-best 11 rebounds, and two blocks.

RIM PROTECTOR
Wright ranks 46th nationally and second in the Horizon League in blocks per game (1.83). The Chicago native has totaled multiple blocks in seven games, including a career-high four stuffs against Oakland (1/13) and Green Bay (1/27). Wright has increased her average to 2.0 blocks per game in conference-only games.

FINDING A GROOVE
Wright has averaged close to a double-double in her last seven games with 8.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. The junior college transfer has reached double figures in rebounding four times and in scoring three times in the span. Wright's best showing came against Lake Erie (12/15) when she tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Against Detroit Mercy, she posted a double-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. The Raiders are 2-0 when Wright records a double-double. 

SHOOTERS SHOOT
Channing Chappell leads the Raiders in 3-point shooting (35%) and ranks 14th in the conference in 3-point field goals per game (1.5). The second-year guard has made one or more threes in nine of her last 11 games, dating back to November 20 at Green Bay.

BALL DISTRIBUTION
WSU recorded a season-best 20 assists against Detroit Mercy, its most since the 2019-20 season against Youngstown State (1/4/20). Six different Raiders recorded three or more assists in the win, paced by Beck with a team-leading five.

STARTING FIVE
WSU's starting lineup of Beck, Roberson, Jackson, Wright, and Chappell accounted for 89-percent of the team's offensive output at UDM with 64 points. Four starters scored in double figures, as Beck and Roberson led the way with a game-high 16 points apiece.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
This season, the Raiders have committed 209 turnovers, the ninth-lowest amount of 348 Division I programs. Against Lake Erie, WSU had a season-low ten turnovers, including just two in the first half.

WIN NO. 1
Wright State rolled past Division II Lake Erie 91-60 in front of over 2,700 fans on Education Day inside the Nutter Center. The win marked head coach Kari Hoffman's first victory at the helm of the Raiders. WSU raced out to a 33-10 lead after the first quarter and extended its edge to 52-21 by halftime. In the third quarter, the Raiders grew their advantage to 71-33 to put the game entirely out of reach, coasting to a 91-60 finish.

BACK IN A BIG WAY
Despite a three-week absence from play, a trio of Raiders achieved career-high marks in multiple categories against Lake Erie. KK White led the way with a career-best 20 points and 13 rebounds to go along with two steals and one block. Wright posted her first double-double at WSU with 14 points and 15 rebounds – both career-highs. Meanwhile, Roberson finished with career-best marks in points (19) and assists (7). Jackson added a career-high 18 points.

HOT FROM DEEP
Wright State went 14-of-25 (.560) from deep versus Lake Erie, as four different Raiders made three or more 3-pointers. Chappell converted on a game-leading four 3-pointers, followed by Jackson, White, and Roberson knocking down three apiece. The last time WSU made 14 or more threes in a game transpired during the 2018-19 season against Kentucky State (12/13/18). The Raiders last shot above 56-percent from 3-point range in 2017 at Belmont (12/18/17), going 9-for-12 from deep.

TOUGH LUCK
Wright State opened the 2021-22 campaign with five games in a 15-day span but has been limited to nine games since November 25. The Raiders have dealt with eight cancellations on the season, including four by way of forfeit. 

UP NEXT
After Purdue Fort Wayne, the Raiders will host IUPUI on Thursday, February 10, followed by UIC on Saturday, February 12.