DAYTON – Three players finished with double-digit scoring nights as the Wright State men's basketball team defeated Air Force 70-54 on Saturday night inside the Nutter Center in the Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic in front of 9,672 fans.
Wright State (5-4) now gets ready for a quick, two-game set in Horizon League action on the road next week, taking on Oakland on Thursday before playing at Detroit Mercy next Saturday, before the Raiders return home to the Nutter Center on December 11 against Marshall.
Saturday night,
Brandon Noel tallied 17 of his game-high 23 points in the second half after
Alex Huibregtse recorded 17 of his 20 points in the opening 20 minutes. The pair combined to go 17-of-25 from the floor overall, with Huibregtse connecting on five of his six three-pointers in the first half as the Raiders took a 36-23 lead into the break over Air Force (2-6).
Michael Imariagbe was the third Raider in double figures, notching 14 points in 19 minutes of action on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting night.
The Raider defense was strong all night, holding Air Force to 40 percent shooting overall (21-of-53). The 57 points were the fewest Wright State has allowed since holding Illinois State to 49 points last November.
Wright State led for over 37 minutes, with both lead changes and the only tied score coming in the opening possessions, as the Raiders used a 13-3 scoring run over a four-minute stretch in the first half to take control of the contest, going 6-of-7 as a group while forcing Air Force into four turnovers during the run. The Raiders expanded on their 13-point halftime lead by tallying 12 of the first 16 points out of the locker room on the way to the win.
Wright State shot 55 percent with six three-pointers in the first half on the way to the lead, finishing the night shooting 52 percent overall (27-of-52) with nine three-pointers (45 percent, 9-of-20). Defensively, the Raiders allowed Air Force to connect on just five three-pointers (25 percent, 5-of-20) as part of their overall 40 percent shooting.
Wesley Celichowski finished with 15 points to lead Air Force, while Ethan Taylor also notched double figures with 11 points in the loss.
