Buoyed by big second half, Wright State routs Oakland

Wright State’s Loudon Love puts up a shot against Oakland during Thursday night’s game at the Nutter Center. Joseph Craven/CONTRIBUTED

Wright State’s Loudon Love puts up a shot against Oakland during Thursday night’s game at the Nutter Center. Joseph Craven/CONTRIBUTED

Wright State scored the first 18 points of the second half to turn a six-point deficit into a 12-point lead and rolled to a 76-62 win over visiting Oakland in a battle for second place in the Horizon League on Thursday.

Loudon Love had 18 points and 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Bill Wampler tallied 16 points and Mark Hughes and Malachi Smith 11 each and Cole Gentry 10 as the Raiders improved to 14-11 overall and 8-4 in the conference.

Oakland (11-14, 7-5) scored the game’s first seven points and led by as many as nine in the first half before settling for a 41-35 lead at the break.

But Hughes made a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half, and Gentry scored his first points of the game on a drive. Alan Vest then swished a corner 3.

Wampler scored inside, Gentry added a reverse layup, and Smith powered his way to a bucket.

Wampler then scored again at the basket, and Smith cashed in on a left-handed scoop to give the Raiders had a 53-41 edge with 14:08 to go.

The Grizzlies went 0-for-7 from the field with four turnovers during the spree. They were out-scored, 23-2, over the first 7:45 of the second half, and the Raiders stretched their lead to 20 with 10 minutes to go.

Wright State, which plays its next four games at home, swept the season series from Oakland.

First-place Northern Kentucky (19-6, 9-3) beat visiting Detroit on Thursday to keep its one-game lead.

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