Callaghan had scored just 10 points in his previous three games, going 4 of 16 from the field. But he torched Purdue Fort Wayne in the 74-70 victory Wednesday, pouring in 24 points while going 6 of 7 on 3s.
Woods, a full-time starter last season, had become a lightly used sub. In the previous nine games, he’d averaged 2.2 points and 11 minutes of playing time, including zero points in three minutes in the Robert Morris loss Sunday.
But he scored 16 points against PFW, going 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 4 on 3s.
The duo pulled the Raiders out of a troubling late-season slump — 3-3 in their last six games — and led the way to the program’s second outright crown and fifth overall in 32 years in the Horizon League.
For Callaghan, a third-year sophomore, the spark might have come in the form of a phone call from coach Clint Sargent after playing Robert Morris.
“Solomon and I have been through a ton — arguably some of the hardest moments in each other’s lives. We’ve been there in lock step. I’m certainly not going to flinch at the opportunity to come alongside him, let him know I love him and say, ‘We’ve been here before. You’re OK,’” Sargent said.
“That’s really the best part of the job. He’s done that for me countless times — and his family, too. That’s what it’s all about — those phone calls when things are bad and you just need somebody steady.”
Woods, a fourth-year junior, decided to make his redshirt junior season his last year in the program. He was honored on Senior Day with one year of eligibility left.
When Sargent was jokingly asked whether he could persuade Woods to stick around, he said: “We’ve not talked about it.” Not yet, anyway.
“I think he just got one rotation against Robert Morris, but he was a ‘yes’ face right afterward in that locker room. And he had arguably his best practice of the year (Tuesday). Just the resiliency in that, I’m so proud of him,” Sargent said.
“His whole career, at least in my tenure, has been the hardest stretch we’ve had at Wright State. He’s grown a ton. His ability to be about the team, to be coached, growing through some dysfunction here — I could not be prouder of him and excited he had a big game at a pivotal time.”
Coming off an eighth-place finish and 8-12 league record, the Raiders are 19-11 overall and 14-5 in the HL. They’ve already locked up the No. 1 seed in the league tourney going into their regular-season finale Saturday at Northern Kentucky.
The coaches deserve kudos for rebuilding the roster after bringing back only four experienced players and losing 71.6% of their scoring and 71.1% of their rebounding from last year.
But Sargent said: “The community at Wright State is the driver of it. A lot of people — I’ve felt this more than ever — just rallied around me and supported me when you could see the flaws and mistakes being made and issues with our team (in 2024-25).
“People were consistent relationally. It’s so easy for fans — you see it everywhere — to just kind of be angry. I’m sure we have some of those. But I’ve felt support from them. That’s a main ingredient of it.”
Of the five league titles for the program, four have come while Sargent has been on staff, including three straight when he was Scott Nagy’s top assistant.
“I was under one of the best ever to do it, coach Nagy. He led well. I watched him suffer a lot and continue to lead with integrity. That stuff is just invaluable — to catch far more than he could have ever taught me,” Sargent said.
“I wouldn’t be the way I am if I didn’t play for and then work for him. He taught me to just be yourself, and that’s enough.”
Next game
Who: Wright State at Northern Kentucky
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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