TV: ESPN+
Radio: 106.5-FM
Series: Wright State leads 12-3
Coaches: Scott Nagy is 64-34 in his third year at Wright State and 474-274 in 24 years overall. Jason Gardner is 64-92 in his fifth year at IUPUI.
Probable Wright State starters
Mark Hughes, 6-4, Sr., G, 9.3
Cole Gentry, 5-10, Jr., G, 12.0
Alan Vest, 6-3, Sr., G, 5.2
Loudon Love, 6-9, So., F, 15.6
Parker Ernsthausen, 6-11, Sr., C, 5.0
Probable IUPUI starters
Camron Justice, 6-3, Jr., G, 18.9
Grant Weatherford, 6-2, So., G, 6.2
D.J. McCall, 6-6, Sr., G, 7.5
Evan Hall, 6-7, Sr., F, 9.9
Ahmed Ismail, 7-1, Sr., C, 8.0
About Wright State: Love is 10th on the school's all-time rebounding list with 585 in only his second season. Steve Hartings (1977-81) is ninth with 586 and Vernard Hollins (2000-04) eighth with 594. The Geneva, Ill., product is sixth in the Division-I era (since 1987). The record is 907 by Bill Edwards (1989-93). … The Raiders have tied the program record for most home wins in D-I with a 14-2 record. As a D-II team, they produced some lofty home records, going 22-1 in 1985-86 and 19-0 in 1984-85. … Gentry averaged 14.4 points and 3.9 assists in the first 17 games, but he's dipped to 9.1 and 2.8 in the last 14 outings. Opponents have defended him differently. "For the most part, they're putting bigger, athletic guards on him, and that's made it difficult," Nagy said. "They also go over the top of screens instead of underneath, so he can't shoot it. They're making him play inside the 3-point line … We have a pretty good idea who they're going to put on Cole (each game), but that should also create openings for someone else."
About IUPUI: The Jaguars, who are in their second year in the Horizon League, are 3-11 on the road. In a 72-64 loss at Wright State on Dec. 30, they wiped out a 13-point second-half deficit and were tied with just under six minutes to go, but the Raiders ended the game on a 15-7 run. Justice had a team-high 17 points, while Bill Wampler had 22 points and Gentry 20 for the winners. In the Feb. 7 rematch at Indianapolis, Wright State jumped out to at 24-4 lead, but the Jaguars staged a furious comeback, tying the game with just over four minutes left. But Vest and Gentry hit key 3-pointers, and the Raiders, who were led by Wampler's 16 points, closed out the game at the foul line. Justice had 22 points, and Hall pulled down 16 rebounds.
Coming up: The Wright State-IUPUI winner plays in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Monday at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena on ESPNU. The championship game is 7 p.m. Tuesday on either ESPN or ESPN2.
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