Hot shooting
Feb 20, 2006 11:37:40 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Feb 20, 2006 11:37:40 GMT -5
RAIDER CONNECTION
Hot shooting could help WSU in final two Horizon games
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | They can shoot.
On Saturday, Wright State shot 59.1 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from the 3-point line to beat Bowling Green 70-51.
Just three days before, the Raiders shot 46.2 percent from the field (not bad) and 10 percent from the 3-point line. Ten percent. They were 1-for-10 in a 63-56 loss to Cleveland State.
"They're kids," WSU coach Paul Biancardi said. "That's what happens with kids. The Cleveland State game is over. This game (against Bowling Green) is over, too."
Wright State began the Bowling Green game by making nine of 13 shots, including all seven the Raiders took from 3-point range. Drew Burleson hit three straight 3-point shots. Jaron Taylor — who didn't score at all against Cleveland State on Senior Night (he was the only senior) — hit four.
WSU's lead increased to 28-4, and BG wasn't going to get back in, although Taylor insisted the team had to play as though the Falcons would make a move.
"One time (in the second half) they got it (the lead) to 14," Taylor said. "And they took a 3 that could have got it to 11."
He was right, of course. Bigger leads have been overcome. But BG missed that 3-point shot, WSU scored the next two baskets — one of them a 3 by reserve Reinaldo Smith — and the game was safe.
Now the Raiders must focus on their last two regular-season games, both in Chicago, at Loyola and UIC. At Loyola, the Raiders are 3-3 over their last six visits. At UIC, they are 1-5.
Amazingly, the battle for third place in the Horizon League could end up in a five-way tie with WSU, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola and UIC all 8-8.
Wright State (8-6) controls its own destiny, holding a one-game lead over Detroit (7-7), a 1 1/2-game lead over Green Bay (7-8) and a two-game lead over the two Chicago schools (6-8).
And Detroit has the toughest schedule, with games at Milwaukee and home to Butler, the top two teams in the league.
Tiebreakers in the league are determined only by league games, head-to-head competition being the first criteria. After that, teams will be seeded in the HL tournament by how well they did against the other teams in the standings, from top to bottom, until the tie is broken.
Already, WSU has split with Milwaukee, Butler, Detroit and Green Bay. They have beaten Loyola at home and lost at home to UIC. Detroit has also split with all those teams it has played, so it comes down to the Milwaukee and Butler games if there is a tie. Detroit has beaten Milwaukee and lost to Butler.
There is one way to avoid looking at tiebreakers. Win.
"If we go out and play hard, we can play against anybody," Taylor said. "We need these games. I wouldn't want to go to Chicago having lost a Bracket Buster game."
Thanks to some good shooting, the Raiders won't have to.
www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0220raiderconnection.html?cxntnid=rc-022006
Hot shooting could help WSU in final two Horizon games
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | They can shoot.
On Saturday, Wright State shot 59.1 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from the 3-point line to beat Bowling Green 70-51.
Just three days before, the Raiders shot 46.2 percent from the field (not bad) and 10 percent from the 3-point line. Ten percent. They were 1-for-10 in a 63-56 loss to Cleveland State.
"They're kids," WSU coach Paul Biancardi said. "That's what happens with kids. The Cleveland State game is over. This game (against Bowling Green) is over, too."
Wright State began the Bowling Green game by making nine of 13 shots, including all seven the Raiders took from 3-point range. Drew Burleson hit three straight 3-point shots. Jaron Taylor — who didn't score at all against Cleveland State on Senior Night (he was the only senior) — hit four.
WSU's lead increased to 28-4, and BG wasn't going to get back in, although Taylor insisted the team had to play as though the Falcons would make a move.
"One time (in the second half) they got it (the lead) to 14," Taylor said. "And they took a 3 that could have got it to 11."
He was right, of course. Bigger leads have been overcome. But BG missed that 3-point shot, WSU scored the next two baskets — one of them a 3 by reserve Reinaldo Smith — and the game was safe.
Now the Raiders must focus on their last two regular-season games, both in Chicago, at Loyola and UIC. At Loyola, the Raiders are 3-3 over their last six visits. At UIC, they are 1-5.
Amazingly, the battle for third place in the Horizon League could end up in a five-way tie with WSU, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola and UIC all 8-8.
Wright State (8-6) controls its own destiny, holding a one-game lead over Detroit (7-7), a 1 1/2-game lead over Green Bay (7-8) and a two-game lead over the two Chicago schools (6-8).
And Detroit has the toughest schedule, with games at Milwaukee and home to Butler, the top two teams in the league.
Tiebreakers in the league are determined only by league games, head-to-head competition being the first criteria. After that, teams will be seeded in the HL tournament by how well they did against the other teams in the standings, from top to bottom, until the tie is broken.
Already, WSU has split with Milwaukee, Butler, Detroit and Green Bay. They have beaten Loyola at home and lost at home to UIC. Detroit has also split with all those teams it has played, so it comes down to the Milwaukee and Butler games if there is a tie. Detroit has beaten Milwaukee and lost to Butler.
There is one way to avoid looking at tiebreakers. Win.
"If we go out and play hard, we can play against anybody," Taylor said. "We need these games. I wouldn't want to go to Chicago having lost a Bracket Buster game."
Thanks to some good shooting, the Raiders won't have to.
www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0220raiderconnection.html?cxntnid=rc-022006
