Where: Indiana Farmers Coliseum
When: 7 p.m. Monday
TV/Radio: ESPNU/106.5
Series: Wright State leads 32-30
Coaches: Scott Nagy is 91-42 in his fourth year at Wright State and 501-282 in his 25th year overall. Steve McClain is 75-92 in five years at UIC and 232-207 in 14 years overall.
Probable Wright State starters
Name Ht. Class Pos. Avg.
Loudon Love 6-9 Jr. C 16.3
Tanner Holden 6-6 Fr. F 12.1
Jaylon Hall 6-6 So. F 7.8
Bill Wampler 6-6 Sr. F 15.6
Cole Gentry 5-10 Sr. G 11.0
Probable UIC starters
Michael Diggins 6-8 Jr. F 6.7
Braelen Bridges 6-10 So. F 8.4
Jordan Blount 6-8 Sr. F 9.3
Tarkus Ferguson 6-4 Sr. G 15.5
Marcus Ottey 6-2 Sr. G 14.8
About Wright State: The top-seeded Raiders have matched their Division-I single-season record for wins, having gone 25-10 in 2017-18. Their best D-II marks were 28-3 in 1985-86 and 28-4 (with a national title) in 1982-83. … Wampler needs just six points to become the 34th member of the Raider 1,000-point club. Gentry needs 20 to reach 1,000. … The Horizon League named its All-Decade team for 2010-19 last week. Grant Benzinger, who set the school record for career 3-pointers with 291 from 2014-18, was selected. The other honorees were Butler's Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, Northern Kentucky's Drew McDonald and Lavone Holland II, Cleveland State's Norris Cole, Detroit's Ray McCallum Jr., Green Bay's Keifer Sykes, Oakland's Kay Felder and Valparaiso's Alec Peters.
Whole Lotta Love: The Raiders' big man has 873 career records and needs just 35 to break Bill Edward's school record. He's averaging 9.7 this season, and his career average of 9.2 is on pace to easily break Rodney Robinson's school record of 8.7 from 1987-89.
Love is the second conference player of the year from Wright State. DaShaun Wood won it in 2006-07.
He can become only the third multiple winner since Wright State joined the league in 1994-95. Sykes (2014 and ’15) and Detroit’s Rashad Phillips (2000 and ’01) are the others.
“He’s literally and figuratively the center of our team,” Nagy said.
About UIC: The fourth-seeded Flames advanced with a pair of home wins, blasting IUPUI 93-59 and holding off Youngstown State 67-61. Ferguson, a second-team all-league pick, had a combined 20 points and 19 rebounds, while Ottey, who made the league's all-defensive team, had 23 points, four steals and three blocks. … UIC is making its first semifinal appearance in three years and fourth overall since winning the title in 2004. … Sub Godwin Boahen, a 5-11 junior guard, is third on the team in scoring at 14.8 per game.
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