Home Notice Box Sports Raiders stave off Bowling Green

Raiders stave off Bowling Green

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FAIRBORN — Lots of positive energy is flowing from the Wright State locker room after its big win for the program at Louisville. They were able to contain it in a follow-up victory.

Amari Davis led four scorers in double figures for Wright State with 19 points and helped his team hold off a feisty Bowling Green squad 80-71 at the Nutter Center on Tuesday.

The game also marked the first time Xenia native and former Ohio Mr. Basketball award winner Samari Curtis returned to Greene County for a collegiate contest. Curtis transferred to Bowling Green at the start of the 2021-22 season and is competing in his fourth year at the NCAA Division I level.

Curtis tied the score at 34 early in the second half with a driving bucket on which he was fouled. He finished with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half, on 5 of 15 shooting with five assists, four steals and three rebounds.

“It’s always good seeing Samari,” Davis said who played at Trotwood against Curtis. “He’s like a brother to me.”

WSU (2-1) jumped out to an early lead and built it to as much as 10 late in the half. A quick 5-0 run from BGSU coupled with turnovers by the Raiders cut the deficit in half heading into the break.

Bowling Green struggled to shoot from the outside with a 5-for-24 effort during the game, which Raiders’ head coach Scott Nagy said he was pleased seeing from his emphasizing defense early in the season.

“I thought at halftime we felt very disjointed offensively, but we were ahead because we were playing good defensively,” Nagy said. “We’re just not a big team, and they with big guards they took advantage of us a little bit.”

Trey Calvin, the hero in the win at Louisville, was limited to four points in the first half amid early foul trouble but quickly scored seven of his team’s first nine to open the second half. Curtis helped boost an early run by the Falcons to tie up the score, but Bowling Green was never able to take the lead after halftime.

Holding onto a four-point advantage late, Calvin hit a jump shot and following a BGSU turnover found Brandon Noel in the paint for an open slam to provide plenty of breathing room in the final minutes.

Calvin finished with 15 points and eight assists. Noel had his first career double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points, and AJ Braun also had 10 points.

“I thought the players tonight did a good job despite of me to be honest,” head coach Scott Nagy said. “I think we can be a pretty dang good basketball team, I really do.”

Bowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15) scored 16 points in his collegiate return to Greene County after winning Mr. Basketball at Xenia High School.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0025-2.jpgBowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15) scored 16 points in his collegiate return to Greene County after winning Mr. Basketball at Xenia High School. Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News

Bowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15)
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0042.jpgBowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15)Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News

Bowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15)
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0053.jpgBowling Green’s Samari Curtis (15)Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News

Wright State’s Trey Calvin (1)
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0102.jpgWright State’s Trey Calvin (1)Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News

Wright State’s Amari Davis (0)
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0126.jpgWright State’s Amari Davis (0)Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News

Wright State’s Brandon Noel (14) goes up for a slam to help give his team some breathing room late in an 80-71 win against Bowling Green on Tuesday.
https://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2022/11/web1_CMYKeditedDSC_0116.jpgWright State’s Brandon Noel (14) goes up for a slam to help give his team some breathing room late in an 80-71 win against Bowling Green on Tuesday. Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News
Xenia native Curtis scored 16 points for BGSU

By Steven Wright

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Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on Twitter @Steven_Wright_.