Though they went 16 of 31 on 3′s, they hit just six two-point field goals in 20 attempts in a 66-64 loss at Oakland in the Horizon League opener for both teams Thursday.
Their reserves actually outscored their starters, 34-30 against the defending league regular-season and tourney champs.
“At the start of the game, we weren’t great. It felt like when we got the offense figured out, we couldn’t get the defense going. And when we got the defense figured out, we hit lulls offensively,” said coach Clint Sargent on his postgame radio show, referring to an early 19-7 deficit.
“I’m frustrated again with some of the execution. Their zone is difficult. They do a good job of being disruptive.”
Soloman Callaghan was 4 of 5 from 3 and Andrew Welage 4 of 6 to score 12 points apiece off the bench. Starter Alex Huibregtse went 4 of 8 from 3 for 12 points.
Reserve forward Jack Doumbia chipped in 10 points.
Preseason league player of the year Brandon Noel struggled with six points and five rebounds in 35 minutes. He went 2 of 11 from the field.
The Raiders were blanked in their last four possessions to fall to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in the league, while Oakland is 3-4, 1-0.
“I thought we had a number of good looks around the rim that we didn’t make. For Brandon to go 2 of 11, that’s very uncharacteristic of him. He was searching tonight in some areas. You’ve got to give them credit for their physicality, but we missed a lot of layups,” Sargent said.
“The bottom line was we had a chance to win the game and didn’t do it.”
Logan Woods hit a 3 to make it 64-all with 2:40 to go. He also was fouled on the shot but missed the free throw.
Allen David Mukeba made a layup for Oakland with 1:09 left for a 66-64 lead.
Noel missed a 3, but Mukeba was called for an offensive foul, giving the Raiders the ball with 38 seconds to go.
After a timeout, Woods missed a corner 3, and Keaton Norris fouled at 14.8 seconds.
Isaiah Jones had two free throws in the double bonus but missed both.
The Raiders, though, tossed the ball around and couldn’t get a shot off before the ball was knocked out of bounds with 0.6 seconds left. Huibregtse hit the glass with a hurried 3 to end the game.
The Raiders stay in Michigan and will play at 1 p.m. Saturday against Detroit Mercy, which is coming off a 79-78 home win over preseason league co-favorite Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday.
The resurgent Titans are 5-5 after going 1-31 last season.
Wright State has won four in a row in the series and 10 of the last 11 games.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Detroit Mercy, 1 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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