CHAMPS! Raiders Rally to Claim Horizon League Crown

Tuesday, March 10

Indianapolis, IN / Corteva Coliseum

7 PM

Wright State University

23-11,15-5Horizon

Detroit Mercy (HL Championship)

17-15,12-8Horizon

Detroit Mercy

Wright St.

Photo by: Joseph Craven

3/10/2026 10:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

INDIANAPOLIS - Kellen Pickett blocked an Orlando Lovejoy potential game-tying layup in the closing moments as the Wright State men's basketball team erased a 12-point second-half deficit, defeating the Detroit Mercy 66-63 to capture the 2026 Barbasol Horizon League Championship on Tuesday night inside Corteva Coliseum and punch their ticket back to the NCAA Tournament.

This is the fourth time the Raiders have claimed the Horizon League crown, the program's first since 2022, and the fifth trip to the Dance in the Division-I era. At 23-11, the Raiders will learn their NCAA destination on Sunday evening as part of the NCAA Selection Show on CBS. Fans are invited to join the team in the Wright State Student Union beginning at 5 p.m. to watch the bracket get unveiled beginning at 6 p.m.

The Raiders found themselves down 49-37 with 9:52 remaining before ripping off a 17-5 run over the next six minutes to knot the game at 54. Tournament MVP TJ Burch helped to lead the comeback, scoring eight of his team-high 19 points during the run.

Wright State kept the pedal down out of the under-four media timeout with a pair of threes from Logan Woods. Those threes were his only points of the night and staked the Raiders to a 62-56 lead. Detroit Mercy would get it back to a one-possession game and had a chance to tie before Pickett's last-second defensive heroics.

It was an uphill battle for the Raiders as they overcame a 1-for-18 shooting stretch between the first and second half that helped Detroit Mercy claim a 29-26 lead at the intermission. The Titans steadily built the lead into double figures before Wright State hit the switch over the final 10 minutes.

Burch led the way with 19 points, Kellen Pickett added 17 points, seven boards and four blocks, highlighted by the final one in the waning seconds. The Horizon League Freshman of the Year added all-tournament honors to his accolades. Michael Imariagbe was the last Raider in double figures with 12 and tied Pickett and Andrea Holden for the team lead with seven rebounds.