But it was Nagy who was reminding his players not to lose sight of the big picture. It was a road win — something nobody in the league is collecting in great quantities — and it kept them in contention for a regular-season title.
“I don’t know if we were in a great spot emotionally,” Nagy said of the somber mood afterward.
“But when you look at having played at Cleveland State and winning in overtime and then playing in a fairly empty arena against a team that’s been struggling, it’s hard for anybody (to find motivation) — not just our players, but the coaches, too.
“I’m proud of our guys for figuring out a way to win. We got an 18-point lead, and we just kind of went stale offensively. But even though we didn’t play great, they did a nice job of holding on.”
The game drew just 720 fans at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, which is where the league tourney will be held again March 5-12.
Coaches almost had to whisper in huddles to not be overheard.
“To win league championships, you’ve got to win road games,” Nagy said. “I’ve done this enough to know that championship seasons are made up of games like that one — where even after the game, you don’t necessarily feel great, but you figured out a way to win.”
The Raiders improved to 12-10 overall and 7-4 in the league — winning four of their last five HL games.
They finish the regular-season with six of their last nine games at home, including a visit from Youngstown State (16-6, 8-3) at 9 p.m. Thursday on ESPNU.
The Raiders are first in the nation in field-goal shooting (53.6%) and sixth in scoring (86.1), and they lead the league in 3-point shooting (38.9%), foul shooting (76.9%) and assists per game (16.4).
Nagy senses his team is building some momentum for the February homestretch.
“If you look at KenPom (calculations), we’ve played the toughest schedule in the league to this point. We feel like we’re in a good spot. I think the players are all on the same page,” he said.
“Everybody has their battles, but we’re in a way better spot than we were two months ago.”
Not that there isn’t plenty to work on.
The Raiders have given up a whopping 47 offensive rebounds in their last three games. They’ve managed to win all three, but Nagy knows his team will be flirting with danger if that continues.
“Let’s face it, it’s been a problem,” he said. “We’re getting ready to play Youngstown, and they’re one of the better teams. It’s got to get cleaned up. We’ve been saying it for a while now, so I don’t know if that’ll happen.”
The Raiders will be featured on national TV in a league game for the third time this season and 35th time in Nagy’s eight years.
The exposure is always welcome, but the late start is a challenge for the participants.
The first meeting between the teams was at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The Penguins won at home, 81-71, on Jan. 12.
“Anytime you can play in a national TV game, even if they move it to 9, I think you take it. But it makes for a long, long day,” Nagy said.
Calvin earns HL honors
WSU senior Trey Calvin on Monday was named Horizon League Player of the week.
Calvin had a pair of 27-point performances in the Raiders’ road wins over Cleveland State and IUPUI.
In HL games, Calvin is a top the scoring list at 20.0 points per game.
THURSDAY’S GAME
Youngstown State at Wright State, 9 p.m., ESPNU, 101.5, 1410
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