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Home > Blogs > Wright State University sports > Archives > 2009 > November > 05
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Raiders make it look easy in exhibition
FAIRBORN — Exhibitions are supposed to be a mismatch, and this one was, although there was some worry that nearby Central State would give Wright State a tough battle tonight at the Nutter Center.
The Raiders took an early 16-4 lead and went on to beat the Marauders 83-55 in front of about 3,000 fans.
Since it was an exhibition game, the Raiders, a Division I team, had to play down a division. Central State is Division II.
Wright State, which opens its regular season in a four-team tournament in Seattle on Nov. 13, opened the scoring on a Ronnie Thomas layin just 35 seconds into the game.
Soon, every player in WSU’s starting lineup scored, including Todd Brown, Cory Cooperwood, Troy Tabler and N’Gai Evans. Tabler took the place of Vaughn Duggins, who was suspended for this game and the first three games of the regular season by coach Brad Brownell for an off-court incident.
Evans is in the lineup because John David Gardner is out following hip surgery. Gardner also missed the final 10 games of last season, allowing Evans, a junior, to gain valuable playing experience.
Brown led the Raiders with 17 points and Tabler added 12. Gino Smith led Central State with 19.
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A first look at the Raiders
FAIRBORN — Exhibition games serve their purpose, I guess, allowing teams to play a game and find out what their early-season strengths and weaknesses are.
Sometimes, they’re used just to allow a Division I school to show superiority over a school in a smaller division.
Whatever the reason, it’s a first chance to see the team other than in a scrimmage against itself, and Wright State provides an interesting game tonight against Central State at 7 o’clock.
Not only will the Raiders be on display for the first time, but they’ll be playing another area team, and one that is also expected to be good this season.
This is the second straight year the Raiders have provided an interesting match-up. Last year, WSU invited a DII school from Texas that featured Cooper Land’s bother. Land is a WSU junior forward.
Always, a DII school such as Central State, wants to test itself against a DI school, and in this case, the two schools are only a few miles apart. So fans shouldn’t come to expect a rout.
That’s good, even in an exhibition. Wright State will be expected to win, but the teams should make it an enjoyable evening.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, WSU senior Todd Brown has changed his number from 21 to 32. The change is because his father wore 32 as a player. Asked why he didn’t change his number sooner — since no one else on the team has worn that number in Brown’s previous three seasons — Brown said James Craft had the number when he came in.
Craft left the team before Brown’s freshman year began, but Brown never bothered to make the change.
Now, with one year left, he has.
