“We didn’t shoot it well, which we normally do. I wish I was out there for sure.”
He watched the 74-60 loss on ESPN+, and when asked if he was throwing pillows at the TV, he replied: “I wasn’t really feeling too good. I was wrapped up under all my blankets.”
He returned, though, for the 101-71 win over Robert Morris on Saturday, and even though he scored only two points over 16 minutes, the Raiders were glad to have him back.
The 6-foot-6 senior had missed five of the previous six games, having dealt with an abdominal injury before his sickness. And his deft touch from outside was missed.
He’s led the team in 3-point shooting the last two years — 44.6% this season and 47.7 in 2022-23 — and the Greensburg, Ind., native had a dream game against his home-state school, going 7 of 10 on 3′s and scoring 25 points against the Hoosiers.
The Raiders (15-12, 10-6) went 5 of 28 from the arc against Oakland, and it’s not hard to see how Welage’s presence could have made a difference.
“We need to get him back in practice and get his timing down because he’s going to be important to us offensively,” coach Scott Nagy said.
“When we play some of these teams where we struggle aganst their zone, he’ll need to get it going again.”
Welage admitted he was winded against Robert Morris, but the Raiders will have him in peak form during the crucial home stretch.
The regular-season Horizon League title isn’t out of reach yet, and they’ll be considered one of the favorites for the tourney crown.
They play at Detroit Mercy (1-27, 1-16) at 7 p.m. Thursday and at Oakland (18-10, 13-4) at 3 p.m. Sunday.
“The team that played like that (against Robert Morris) is capable of anything. We know that. We just have to put that together every single week,” Welage said.
“Everybody can shoot. And it’s great when everybody is hitting shots like that. It makes things fun.”
The Raiders went 7 of 11 on 3′s against the Colonials.
And they had perhaps their best defensive effort in league play.
“We were playing at a high level of intensity. Everybody was on a string (staying connected), helping everybody out,” Welage said.
“If somebody gets beat, we’re just rotating. It’s fun when everybody is out there flying around on defense. Then everything clicks on the offensive end.”
Welage, Huibregtse and Noel are in the same class academically, but only Welage was part of the Raiders’ 2022 league championship team. Huibregtse was taking an injury redshirt year, while Noel was in the second of his two redshirt years.
Welage scored 11 points and went 3 of 6 on 3′s in a first-round tourney win over Oakland.
He played double-figure minutes in the semifinals against Cleveland State and in the 72-71 title victory over Northern Kentucky.
And he was a big factor again in the NCAA First Four win over Bryant. He played 14 minutes and scored six points, knocking down a 3 and converting a three-point play.
The pro-Wright State crowd at UD Arena was boisterous, and that may have been the highlight of Welage’s career so far.
“That was awesome,” he said. “Most of the guys on the team were part of that. We all talk about it still.
“It was one of the best environments and most fun games we’ve ever been a part of. And everybody wants to get back there and have that feeling again.”
THURSDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Detroit Mercy, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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