Raiders set for busy week inside the Nutter Center

Thursday, February 10

Dayton, OH

6:00 PM

Wright State University

IUPUI

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Photo by: Joseph Craven

2/9/2022 12:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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DAYTON — The Wright State women's basketball team will host a pair of Horizon League games inside the Nutter Center. The Raiders open their home slate versus IUPUI on Thursday, February 10 at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. meeting against UIC on Saturday, February 12. Both games will televise on ESPN+.

The first 100 fans will receive a beaded necklace at Thursday's game versus IUPUI. Saturday's contest against UIC will be a "Pink Out" game, benefiting the Maple Tree Cancer Alliance. All fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the event. Click here to learn more about the organization.

THE SLATE
Feb. 10 vs. IUPUI | 6 p.m. | Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
Feb. 12 vs. UIC | 2 p.m. | Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes

LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off road losses to Purdue Fort Wayne (2/5) and Cleveland State (2/7). Both games were decided by 20-plus points as the home squads pulled away in the second half. Collectively, Wright State blocked 14 shots against PFW and CSU, its most over two games since the 2019-20 season. The Raiders also shot an efficient 85-percent (12-of-14) at the free throw line.

SCOUTING THE JAGS
IUPUI has climbed to a tie for first place in the Horizon League thanks to an 11-game winning streak. The Jaguars are 16-5 overall and 13-3 against HL opponents. Two of their three conference losses were forfeits due to positive cases within the Jaguar program. IUPUI also rallied from an 18-point deficit to take down No. 15 Iowa, 74-73, on December 21. The Jags came close to an upset at No. 11 Michigan (11/9/21), losing in overtime, 62-67.

IUPUI boasts fifth-year senior and three-time Horizon League Player of the Year Macee Williams, who is averaging a double-double with 17.6 points on 64-percent shooting and 10.3 rebounds through 17 games. The Jags have limited opponents to a conference-low 24% shooting clip from outside the arc as a team. Offensively, IUPUI ranks 26th in the country in 3-point shooting (35.9%) and 30th nationally in scoring margin (13.7).

INSIDE THE WSU-IUPUI SERIES
Wright State leads the all-time series 13-5. The Raiders have held the upper hand as of late, winning six out of their last nine meetings against IUPUI. On January 2, WSU suffered a 77-62 loss to the Jaguars. Jada Roberson led the team with 17 points and three steals. A season ago, Wright State clinched an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by defeating the Jags 53-41 in the Horizon League Championship title game (3/9/21).

SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC is 10th in the Horizon League standings at 2-17 overall and 1-13 against conference opponents. The Flames have dropped 12-straight games in HL play, including seven by 20 or more points. UIC's wins transpired against Valparaiso (68-64) and Detroit Mercy (68-64) in the earlier portion of the 2021-22 campaign. Jaida McCloud leads the Flames in several categories, including scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg), blocks per game (1.1), and free throws (107).

INSIDE THE WSU-UIC SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 68th career meeting between the two teams, with Wright State owning a 39-28 advantage in the all-time series. Due to three consecutive cancellations resulting from COVID-19, the programs have not met since the 2019-20 season. WSU has won 17-straight games against UIC, a streak that has lasted over eight years. Roberson has averaged 10.3 points on 56% shooting (13-of-23) along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in three career games against the Flames.

RIM PROTECTOR
Jada Wright ranks 20th nationally and second in the Horizon League in blocks per game (2.29). The Chicago native has totaled multiple blocks in nine games, including a career-high six stuffs at Cleveland State. She recorded a previous career-best of four blocks against Oakland (1/13), Green Bay (1/27), and Purdue Fort Wayne (2/5). Wright has increased her average to 2.6 blocks per game in conference-only games.

CAREER WEEK
Wright proved that she is one of the nation's top presences down low, as she averaged 5.0 blocks over WSU's last two games. The senior center started by tallying four blocks in 18 minutes of work against the Mastodons, followed by six blocks at CSU. She finished just shy of the single-game school record of seven blocks set by Christi Hill in 1982. To add, Wright averaged close to a double-double with 9.0 points and 9.5 rebounds, highlighted by a 12-point, 12-rebound performance versus the Vikings.

FINDING A GROOVE
Wright has averaged close to a double-double in her last nine games with 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks. The junior college transfer has reached double figures in rebounding five times and in scoring four times in the span. One of Wright's best showings came against Lake Erie (12/15) when she tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. She posted a double-double against Detroit Mercy (1/15) with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Wright notched her third double-double of the season at CSU with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks. The Raiders are 2-1 when Wright records a double-double.

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 2.62 steals per game, ranking 32nd in the country. She has recorded multiple steals 12 times, including nine of her last 11 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 13 games, she has averaged 13.9 points on 40.4% shooting (76-of-188) to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 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 (3.0), assists per game (2.6), and steals per game (2.6).

JACKSON STEPPING UP
Destyne 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 13.8 points per game, good for the ninth-best mark among conference players. The Lexington, Ky., native has scored in double figures in 14 games, including seven of her last eight. Last season, Jackson averaged 4.3 points per game with only three double-digit scoring games. She is also shooting 35% through 16 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 (29) and 3-point attempts (94). She also ranks seventh in the Horizon League in 3-point field goals per game (1.81). Jackson has netted a season-high three 3-pointers on five occasions, most recently against Milwaukee on January 29.

JANUARY SUCCESS
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, 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.

SHOOTERS SHOOT
Chappell leads the Raiders in 3-point shooting (33.8%) and ranks 15th in the conference in 3-point field goals per game (1.4). The second-year guard has made one or more threes in 10 of her last 13 games, dating back to November 20 at Green Bay.

BENCH SUPPORT
KK White has averaged bench-leading marks in scoring (6.9 ppg) and rebounding (3.4 rpg) for the Raiders. In WSU's 91-60 win over Lake Erie (12/15), she totaled 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, and one block.

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
The Raiders have committed 233 turnovers this season, the seventh-lowest amount of 348 Division I programs. WSU also ranks first in the HL in turnovers per game (14.6). 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. 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 11 games since November 25. The Raiders have dealt with eight cancellations on the season, including four by way of forfeit.

UP NEXT
After UIC, the Raiders will head east for their final road trip of the regular season. Wright State will face Robert Morris on Friday, February 18, followed by Youngstown State on Sunday, February 20.