>RELATED: Wright State falls at Robert Morris
But he’s the team’s top 3-point shooter by far. And without him spreading the floor, the post area became a mosh pit for the frontcourt tandem of Brandon Noel and Jack Doumbia.
Noel had a modest 16 points and Doumbia 11, and the duo went a combined 10 of 29 from the floor.
“Alex being off the scouting report, any coach is going to start with the top of the production food chain and say, ‘Hey, these two aren’t going to beat us,’” said coach Clint Sargent, whose team fell to 9-9 overall and 3-4 in the Horizon League.
“Brandon has seen a lot of that. They were doubling him. And with Jack, they’re going to ‘shrink’ the floor. I thought he made some timely plays in the first half, but we just didn’t have that rhythm.”
Sargent said he doesn’t know if Huibregtse will be ready for Wednesday’s home game with conference co-favorite Purdue Fort Wayne.
Point guard Keaton Norris also missed three games with a thigh bruise, and the Raiders likely wouldn’t be sputtering like they are if they’d stayed healthy — not that Sargent is pondering the what-ifs.
“There’s certainly truth to that, but there’s also truth to the fact that we can coach better and play better with what we have,” he said.
“Injuries to Keaton and Alex are absolutely part of the journey of this — maybe our inconsistencies. But there’s a handful of things that are more my concern with the guys that are playing. We’re trying to figure out how to get a consistent performance. That continues to be an issue.”
The Raiders, who haven’t won more than two games in a row this season, made just 26 of 62 shots for 41.9% against Robert Morris. That’s their worst shooting effort since hitting 35.3% in the season opener against Kentucky.
“To be able to win on the road, you have to play well. I thought our fight was good. But our minds and some of our decision-making wasn’t good enough to win,” Sargent said.
The Raiders are 1-4 in games decided by four points or fewer. After PFW, they play rival Northern Kentucky on the road at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s almost a broken record. I think the belief within the program, our talent and confidence in the coaching staff and our preparation are there. None of it is ever perfect. But this group, in terms of just the win-loss record, needs more (to show for it),” Sargent said.
“That’s the unsettling feeling. Certainly, I carry that around. We’re still trying to find that consistent team effort.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Purdue Fort Wayne at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5, 1410
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