But when NKU shaved an 11-point second-half deficit to 70-68 with 1:47 to go, Sargent didn’t sense any panic or pessimism among his players. There were no Eeyores in the group.
“I felt our team was incredibly calm and comfortable. I don’t think that’s NOT been the case in previous games. Sometimes, we were just not playing as well and maybe were out of rhythm,” he said.
“But that look in their eyes that last four minutes — I saw no fear, no doubt and just a team that has been punched and kicked, and they keep getting up. I absolutely love it because I know the moments are only going to get bigger.”
The Raiders, who were in scramble mode after star Alex Huibregtse fouled out with 4:27 to go, finished on a 10-2 run to pull out a 78-70 victory that kept them in the Horizon League hunt.
They jumped to 10-10 overall and 4-5 in the league. They host preseason co-favorite Milwaukee (13-6, 6-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Keaton Norris had a career-high 21 points, going 8 of 11 from the field and 3 of 5 on 3′s while adding five assists with no turnovers.
Jack Doumbia had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Andrea Holden, a 6-6 freshman making his first start, had five points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Michael Imariagbe, who didn’t play in the PFW game, had eight points and eight rebounds.
The 6-foot Norris’ previous career was 14 points in the Oakland win last week. And while he’s mostly a ball distributor, he may be more of an offensive threat than outsiders suspect.
“At this core — we see it in practice all the time — he’s a play-maker and a scorer. His intangibles to lead and facilitate and be an extension of me on the floor have always been a big part of his DNA. But now, the production piece you saw against Northern Kentucky and Oakland is only going to become more and more consistent,” Sargent said.
The fourth-year junior is second in the league in assists at 4.8 per game. And he’s first in assist-turnover ratio at 3-to-1.
“I feel he gets undervalued with just how good an offensive player he is and the passer he is. He was doing it all (against NKU), and we needed it,” Sargent said.
The Raiders had a short window to mentally recover from the soul-crushing PFW loss — they had a four-point lead with 13 seconds to go in the first OT but couldn’t hold on — and their resolve against NKU was a good sign to Sargent.
He’s as much a psychologist as he is a coach with his players, working through the scars acquired while taking their lumps the last two years.
“We’ve talked so much starting in the summer about having the fear leave the room. I keep saying, ‘That doubt has to leave. There’s too much of it in the program,’” Sargent said.
“I’m just going to keep trying to build our psyche and our mental toughness and get them to see why we are a contender, and why they should be very confident.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Milwaukee at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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