Wright State basketball coach Billy Donlon looks at two stats above all others when judging his team’s play: free throws and turnovers.

Did the Raiders get to the line and make the freebies? Did they take care of the ball? If the answer is, “yes and yes,” after a game, then odds are they won or at least played well.

In Wright State’s three losses, it has taken an average of 6.7 free throws per game. In its five wins, it has gotten to the line an average of 21.4 times.

The turnover differential isn’t quite so telling because the Raiders beat Morehead State with a season-high 20 turnovers and lost to Utah while committing only seven turnovers. But turnovers were a big issue in Monday’s 54-41 loss at Bowling Green, and they will play a part in today’s 7 p.m. game against the fast-pace offense and pressing defense of Virginia Military Institute (4-5) at the Nutter Center.

“When we don’t shoot foul shots and we turn the ball over, we weren’t mentally in the game that night,” Donlon said. “Those are the things we’ve got to get better at, and we will. Our guys work hard. We’ll bounce back.”

VMI could have a significant advantage in the paint tonight, especially with Cole Darling’s playing status a question mark and AJ Pacher still battling a foot injury. Donlon compared the Keydets’ two big men, 6-foot-6 forward Stan Okoye and 6-9 forward D.J. Covington, to what he considers to be the best inside duo in the Horizon League, Valparaiso’s Kevin Van Wijk and Ryan Broekhoff.

Valparaiso’s duo averages 31.4 points, and VMI’s big guys average 35.4. Okoye and Covington combined for 50 points in a 90-81 win over Elon on Nov. 24.

“You’re going to see two really good players,” Donlon said. “From a basketball standpoint, our fans should be excited about that opportunity.”

The Raiders don’t have a duo like that. They have five players averaging between 12 and 8 points per game. J.T. Yoho was the go-to guy early in the season. Cole Darling showed that ability with 29 points last Saturday against Morehead State.

Wright State has not had a player emerge as the go-to scorer on a nightly basis.

“I think it is important except with a team like mine,” Donlon said. “I’m not going to use that as a crutch. We don’t have a guy that with two or three minutes to go in every game is going to make a play like a Vaughn Duggins or a N’Gai Evans or a DaShaun Wood, but we have five or six guys who can get 15 to 20 a game.”

Donlon named Darling, Yoho, Pacher, Miles Dixon, Reggie Arceneaux and Matt Vest as those six.

“We’ve just got to get those guys thinking more aggressively on every possession,” Donlon said. “I think it’s a little too occasional now.”

Wright State also needs more scoring contributions from its bench. In the loss to Bowling Green, Joe Bramanti, Tavares Sledge and Yoho played a combined 60 minutes without scoring. They combined to shoot 0-of-8 from the field.

Many of the things those players do don’t show up on the scoresheet, but any offensive contribution would help.

“Joe is not going to be a great scorer for a while, but he needs to attack more and make plays, get fouled, get assists,” Donlon said. “He has the game to do that. J.T. is going to be good. He has to get better at being shot-ready sooner. Once he learns that, he’ll be back to making shots and scoring. Tavares, if he plays 20 minutes, he should get 4 points on stickbacks, offensive putbacks.”