Women make History and Advance in TournamentMarch 17, 2011By Kevin C. Smith In their first ever post season tournament game the Lady Raiders beat Buffalo 82-79 in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). They will play again on Sunday at 2pm against the winner of the Sacred Heart/Manhattan game tonight. Statistically this looked to be a close game. That proved to be correct. In front of the 316 fans, the Lady Raiders took to the floor in their first DIV I post-season game against an opponent they have never played. The Raiders wanted to win and they did, with a mix of plays and shutting down one of the nation’s top players, Kourtney Brown. Wright State scoring started with Courtney Boyd hitting a three to give WSU a 3-2 advantage with 18:24 left in the first half. The lead would change three times and be tied five times in the half. The Lady Raiders were shooting 39.5%(17-43) in the first half, to 45.5% (15-33) for Buffalo. The two teams sent up a total of 26 three point shots with WSU hitting 38.5% (5-13). The Lady Raiders also had just three turnovers, while picking up 8 points from nine Buffalo TOs. The largest lead the Raiders could manage was 10 with 36 seconds left. At the half, the Lady Raiders were leading Buffalo 43-36. Maria Bennett was leading the scoring with nine points, all coming from her three three-point shots out of six attempts. Molly Fox was getting the most rebounds in the game with eight while Shaunda Sandifer was right behind her with seven. Coming out of the locker room, the Lady Raiders were in charge and stayed in the lead for the rest of the game, despite several runs by Buffalo. They would get a 16 point lead at the 7:57 mark for their largest lead before a run by Buffalo cut the lead. Buffalo could never overtake the Raiders however. WSU finished the game shooting 39.2% (29-74) while Buffalo shot 39.5% (30-76). They also shot 90% (18-20) from the free throw line, to Buffalo’s 80% (8-10). The Raiders controlled the boards, 50-42 and finished with just 11 turnovers to 13 assists. Four Lady Raiders scored double digits in this game. Molly Fox lead the way with her tenth double-double, scoring 20 points and pulling down 16 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. She also had one blocked shot. LaShawna Thomas scored 18, Ta-myra Davis hit 14 and Maria Bennett hit for 12 points. Shaunda Sandifer joined Fox in the defensive effort with 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. In the end, the Raiders held on for the win, 82-79. This game made several records at WSU and for the women: -The first post-season game for the women since coming into DIV I. The Lady Raiders will now host a WBI Quarterfinal game on Sunday at 2pm. The opponent will be the winner of Sacred Heart/Manhattan game to be played tonight. Plan on attending and cheering for the Lady raiders to advance!
Women Basketball Receives First-Ever Division I Postseason BidMarch 14, 2011By WSU Sports Information The Wright State women’s basketball team will play in its first-ever Division I postseason game Wednesday at 7:00 as the Raiders host Buffalo in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). The game will also be the first collegiate postseason event held at Wright State’s Nutter Center. The Wright State/Buffalo winner will face the winner of Sacred Heart and Manhattan in the quarterfinals with the date and site to be determined. It is the first postseason appearance for WSU since splitting a pair of games during the 1987 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament, the program’s final season in Division II. The Raiders defeated Bellarmine in the opening round 80-67 on March 7 of that year before falling to Northern Kentucky 74-63 in the second round of March 10, with both games taking place at the Physical Education Building. Wright State enters the WBI with a 19-12 overall record and finished fourth in the Horizon League with an 11-7 mark. The 19 wins tie the 2004-05 squad for the most wins for the program since moving up to Division I and only trail the 24-6 mark in 1986-87 for the most ever in school history. The 11 Horizon League wins also tied a program record with 2004-05, when the Raiders were 11-5. While the WBI will be a new experience for WSU, it will be the second straight appearance in the tournament for first-year head coach Mike Bradbury as he led Morehead State to the WBI last season. “Following up the year that we’ve had, being able to play in the postseason is something we’re definitely looking forward to,” said Bradbury. “It is an honor to be playing at this time of year and we’re really embracing the opportunity to play in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.” “It’s a great opportunity for everyone in our program, but particularly for our seniors,” added Bradbury. “Our seniors have made a huge effort to improve our program and what they have accomplished this year is unbelievable. Without that effort, none of this would have been possible and I’m glad they get the opportunity to experience postseason play.” Along with the record-tying 19 overall wins and 11 in league play, Wright State has also set several three-point records this season. The Raiders have made 10 or more threes in a game six times this year and set a single-season record with 213 triples in 31 games, bettering the previous mark of 161 in 32 games during the 2007-08 campaign. WSU also set a single-game record for threes with 13 against Valparaiso on January 8, with junior guard Maria Bennett setting the single-game individual record in that game with eight. WSU is led by senior guard LaShawna Thomas, a First Team All-Horizon League selection who is currently 20th in Division I in assists per game at 5.6 and 25th in scoring at 18.6 points per game. Thomas has reached double figures in scoring in all but two games this season and has scored 20 or more points 13 times, including a career-high 35 against Youngstown State on February 19. Thomas appears in the Raider career Top 10 list in games and minutes played, points, field goals made and attempted, three-pointers made and attempted and assists. Junior forward Molly Fox was a Second Team All-League selection as she currently is 17th nationally in field goal percentage at .553 and 55th in rebounds per game at 9.1 while senior forward Shaunda Sandifer, in her first season with the program after a four-year career with the WSU volleyball team, was selected to the League’s All-Newcomer Team after averaging 6.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Buffalo enters the WBI with an overall record of 16-15, its best mark since going 18-11 in 2002-03, and the Bulls finished 8-8 in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division, good for third place behind Bowling Green and Kent State. Buffalo features the MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in senior forward Kourtney Brown, who currently has 1974 points and 1119 rebounds for her career, including a MAC-record 367 rebounds this season. Brown ranks fifth nationally in rebounds (11.8) and blocked shots (3.3) per game, is seventh in field goal percentage (.588) and is ninth in scoring (22.2). Tickets, which are on sale at the Nutter Center box office, are $7 individually, with $6 for group tickets and $5 for children ages 3-17. Wright State students along with faculty and staff are free with a valid ID. For more information, call (937) 775-4789.
Wright State Women Advance to the SemifinalsMarch 11, 2011By Kevin C Smith
Sometimes the shots just don’t fall for you. Some people say beating a team three times in one season is difficult. On Wednesday the Lady Raiders overcame both of those to hold on for a win against Milwaukee. It wasn’t a pretty game, but it was an exciting close game. Wright State jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Milwaukee got on the scoreboard. The score would stay close after that with the lead changing hands twice and one tied score. The Raiders would only get a six point lead in the half, while Milwaukee managed a four point lead. At the halftime buzzer it was Wright State leading by just one point, 29-28. The Raiders were only able to sink 35% (13-37) of their shots in the half. They went just one for ten from beyond the arc. Milwaukee was shooting 37.5% (12-32) and controlled the rebounds, 25-22.The Raiders turned the ball over just five times, while picking up 8 points from 10 Milwaukee turnovers. Lashawna Thomas had nine points, five assists and four steals in the first half. Shaunda Sandifer pulled down seven rebounds and provided four points.WSU had six steals to none for the Lady Panthers. The second half saw Milwaukee take the lead and open up a nine point advantage at the 15:21 mark. The Raiders, shooting just 30% (9-30) in the second half struggled to beat the Panthers. The Lady Raiders were able to control the boards, 47-43 while giving the ball up just three times in the half, while getting three points from Milwaukee’s 5 TOs. This games outcome would come from the charity stripe. The Raiders would hit 15 out of 20 attempts in the second half, including seven in the last four minutes. Two Raiders had double-doubles in this game. Ta-myra Davis had 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Sandifer hit for 11 points and also had 15 rebounds. Thomas finished with 21 points, five assists and four steals. This game saw six lead changes and six ties. It came down to the last few minutes, but the Raiders pulled out the victory, 63-58. They now advance in the HL Tournament to play Green Bay on Friday at 7pm. Green Bay is undefeated in Horizon League and has only lost to Marquette all season. However as the Coach stated “we aren’t afraid of them”. The Lady Raiders will play the best they can to topple the HL powerhouse and continue to advance in the tourney and improve on what has been a great season for them. Photos © and Courtesy of Tim G. Zechar
Women Beat Milwaukee to Finish Regular SeasonMarch 6, 2011By Kevin C. Smith
Milwaukee had to win this game for a chance to host the quarterfinal game. WSU needed to win to make sure they would host it. The Lady Raiders had beaten UWM earlier this year at home but it was a close game. Today, especially with five seniors being recognized in their last regular season game, it would not be close. The Lady Raiders were here to play – and win. First however, the five seniors on the team were recognized in a pre-game ceremony. The game started with Milwaukee taking the lead and holding it for the first five minutes. A three point basket by Junior Maria Bennett gave the Raiders the lead, 10-9. The lead would change hands a total of seven times all in the first half. The Raiders would grab the lead with 8:38 left in the half with a 20-19 score and would never give it back. By the half time buzzer they led 47-24. The Raiders sank their shots 59.4% (19-32) of the time. That includes 63.6% (7-11) from beyond the arc. A big statistic for the Lady Raiders was they only had five turnovers in the half and were controlling the boards, 22-15. All eight players who played in the half scored and seven of the eight had at least one rebound. Senior LaShawna Thomas and Junior Maria Bennett both had eleven points in the first half. Senior Shauna Sandifer led the defensive effort with 5 rebounds and five assists. Junior Molly Fox, returning to play after suffering a sprained ankle, and freshman KC Elkins both had two steals in the half. Elkins also had three assists and one rebound in seven minutes of play. Half-time saw the Lady Raiders comfortably in the lead, 47-24. The second half saw a battle of the three point shots. The two teams shot a total of 55 three point attempts in the game, sinking 20 of them. The Lady Raiders provided a mix of plays, including fast breaks, grabbing 24 points in the paint and twenty-seven from beyond the arc. Five different WSU players hit three point shots. Overall they hit 50% (32-64) of their shots. Milwaukee controlled the boards, 44-40 and got three blocked shots. The Raiders also blocked three shots, but also had six steals while only turning over the ball eight times, one of the lowest totals for the season. Four players hit double digits in this game. Thomas led the crowd with 19, followed by Bennett (16), Davis (14) and Fox (14). Sandifer grabbed eight rebounds for the most of any Raider. Thomas also had a team leading nine assists in this game. Milwaukee (12-17/9-9 HL) lost 86-69 and will have to return to the Nutter Center on Wednesday to play the Lady Raiders (18-11/11-7 HL) again in the Horizon league Quarterfinal game. Wright State finished the season in fourth place in the HL after a pre-season poll predicted an eighth place finish. Game time Wednesday will be 7:00. The 293 fans present saw an excellent regular season final game today. Hopefully more fans will be present on Wednesday. Photos © and Courtesy of Tim G. Zechar
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Green Bay Overpowers Wright State WomenMarch 4, 2011By Kevin C. Smith
This game started out looking like Green Bay would just run over the Raiders. However, the Lady Raiders would not be beaten that easily. Green Bay got off to a nine to nothing start before LaShawna Thomas was able to hit a jump shot with 16:03 on the clock. Wright State battled the rest of the half, with a mix of shots from around the floor but they could not overtake the Phoenix. Six Raiders scored in the first half of this game and at the halfway point they only trailed Green Bay by three points, 30-27. During the first half the Raiders got 13 points from 13 Phoenix turnovers. Green Bay averages just 16 turnovers a game. The Raiders protected the ball during the half, giving it up only 9 times for ten Phoenix points. The Lady Raiders were being lead by Thomas with 8 points and 4 rebounds. Shaunda Sandifer had six points in the half. Overall, Wright State was sinking 31.3% (10-32) of their shots while Green Bay was hitting 43.3%(13-30) The Phoenix controlled the boards 24-18, while WSU had 8 steals and the only blocked shot in the half. WSU was playing without Molly Fox who is still suffering from a sprained ankle. Every season a new player comes into the spotlight with their performance in a game. Last night 5-6 Freshman Guard KC Elkins (West Jefferson OH/West Jefferson) stepped into the spotlight. She will, I hope, become our starting point guard next year. Elkins only played 4 minutes in the first half, providing two assists and one steal. In the second half, substituting for Thomas, she showed the fans what she could do as a new player for us to enjoy the next few years. Elkins played 17 minutes total in this game. She sank 11 points (her career high), had one rebound, two assists and a steal. Two of her shots were three point baskets, going 2-3 from beyond the arc. Not shown in the stats was her presence on the court. She was involved in a lot of plays, some frustrating the Green Bay players. Elkins will be a Wright State player to watch in the future. The second half started off with a basket by Ta-myra Davis to bring the Raiders within one point of Green Bay. That would be the closest they would come to the Phoenix. Green Bay would show why they are undefeated when they opened the lead and never looked back. In the second half, the Raiders frustration would mount. Maria Bennett received an obvious intentional foul call for pushing a Phoenix player on a fast break with 8:18 left in the game. Bennett did not play the rest of the game. Then, with just a little under six minutes left, Coach Bradbury got a technical foul for challenging a call (he was correct in my and some other fans opinion). The same referee would check whether an Elkins three point shot was a three or two pointer late in the game when WSU was down by almost 20 points and very little time left on the clock. The Lady Raiders failed to protect the ball in the second half and finished with 23 turnovers, giving Green Bay 22 points. They shot 33.3%(18-54) for the game, while Green Bay was sinking 42.6% (26-61). They did match Green Bay on the boards, each team getting 37 rebounds. Tanni Scott got the only blocked shot in the game, while she also had 4 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes of play. Thomas would finish leading the Raiders with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Elkins was the only other player in double digits with 11. In total eight WSU players would score during this game. Green Bay (28-1/17-0 HL), who has only lost to Marquette this year, got the win over the Raiders (17-11/10-7 HL) 75-54. Wright State now finishes the regular season with Senior Night against Milwaukee on Saturday. The seniors on the team will be recognized before the 2:00 tip off.
Men Pull Away for 60-50 Win Over Green Bay in Horizon League First RoundMarch 2, 2011By WSU Athletics
Dayton, OH – Wright State led by just two with 3:04 to play, but outscored Green Bay 10-2 the rest of the way as the #6 seeded Raiders defeated the #7 seed Phoenix 60-50 in first round action of the Horizon League Tournament Tuesday night at Wright State’s Nutter Center. WSU led 8-1 after Armond Battle hit a three at the 11:50 mark of the first half and extended the margin to 14-3 on a N’Gai Evans three-point play with 9:30 remaining. Green Bay, though, rallied back to tie the game at 23 on an Alec Brown basket with 1:45 to play and the Phoenix went into the halftime break up 24-23 on a Rahmon Fletcher foul shot with three seconds left. Neither team shot well in the opening 20 minutes as Wright State hit for 32 percent and Green Bay 29 percent, but the Phoenix made nine of 11 from the foul line compared to just one for one for the Raiders. A Brown layup put Green Bay up 36-31 six minutes into the second half until the Raiders went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 38. After Vaughn Duggins tied it again at 40 with a layup, WSU scored six straight, four coming from Cooper Land, to take the lead for good. Back-to-back Brown jumpers drew the Phoenix to within two at 50-48 with 3:04 remaining, but the Raiders put the game out of reach by scoring the next seven points, four of those by Battle. Green Bay finished with a slightly higher field goal percentage than Wright State (37-36 percent), but the Raiders countered by going 20 of 24 at the foul line in the second half compared to only one of three for the Phoenix. Duggins led all scorers with 22 points and added seven rebounds while Battle had a season-high 13 off the bench. Land chipped in 10 and Evans 10. Brown paced Green Bay (14-18) with 15 points while Jarvis Williams had 10. Steve Baker had eight points and eight boards off the bench and Daniel Turner collected 12 rebounds. Wright State (19-13) now faces #3 seed Cleveland State, a 73-61 winner over UIC, in the second round Friday at 6:00 at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee. Box Score
Audio Coach Donlon’s post-game remarks Comments from Duggins, Evans, and Land
Post-game Video
Photos © and Courtesy of Tim G. Zechar
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Dayton, OH – The #15/12 Green Bay Phoenix, undefeated in Horizon League play, came to the Nutter Center last night and departed still undefeated. They beat the Lady Raiders 75-54 in a tough, physical Game. The Raiders will now close out their regular season hosting Milwaukee on Saturday at 2pm. The departing seniors will be recognized BEFORE the game starts.
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