Actually, there wasn’t really even an upbeat tone about it.
“We sent out a text that the mission is still the same. It changes nothing in terms of what we want and what we’re after. It just doesn’t,” coach Clint Sargent said.
The Raiders won’t be happy if they have to settle for a co-championship after going into their final three games needing just one win for the second outright crown in program history.
They’re 18-11 overall and 13-5 in the HL. Robert Morris, Oakland and Detroit Mercy are all 11-7.
Everything was in place for a memorable day at home Sunday: A big crowd (4,659) ready to savor the feat and a Senior Day ceremony to send the departing players off in style.
Alas, the Colonials proved they just may be the best team in the league, completing a sweep of the Raiders with an 81-68 win.
“Did it (change) for our players? I don’t think so,” Sargent said of knowing they were at least co-champs. “We’re pretty lockstep, aligned. We really wanted to have a day for our seniors and our fans and for the people that have poured into this place and us.
“We wanted to serve them with a moment. But the great thing is, there are many, many much bigger moments coming. We’re going to wear this well and be better for it.”
One more win will complete the improbable rise from eighth last year to first, but they have a dicey finishing stretch with two road games: Purdue Fort Wayne (16-13, 10-8) on Wednesday and Northern Kentucky (17-12, 9-9) on Saturday.
The league tourney begins Monday, March 2, with a play-in game between the 10th and 11th seeds. The winner advances to the 10-team “quarterfinals” Wednesday at campus sites.
The five winners at that stage go to Indianapolis. There’s a one-game second round between the fourth and fifth seeds Sunday, March 8, and that winner joins the three remaining teams in the semifinals Monday.
“We’re still searching on how to play our best, and (the loss) will give us a really good look again on how to learn from ourselves. We’ve got to respond quickly. Fort Wayne is desperate. EVERYBODY’S desperate to be playing their best basketball,” Sargent said.
“Everybody kind of resurges now in motivation. We’ve not arrived at all. I’m tired of (saying) it, but we can play so much better and more consistent basketball. And it’s about time we do it.”
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
Credit: JEREMY MILLER
The Raiders have slipped to 214th out of 365 teams in defensive efficiency ratings nationally.
That’s still a massive jump from the last two years when they were 330th and 341st, but they’ve gone 3-3 in the last six games in part because of defensive lapses.
They also were out-muscled by Robert Morris on Sunday. That hasn’t happened much all year.
“We’re relatively young at spots to kind of learn how to manage the emotional, the mental. And when you have a physically imposing team like Robert Morris, and you’re not ready to play, they’re going to exploit you,” Sargent said.
The Raiders have addressed their foul-shooting woes the last 15 games, hitting 78.6% with a robust 24.3 attempts per game.
They’re also second in the league in rebound margin at plus-4.0 per game.
“I think we’re physical. Statistically, we can point to getting to the free throw-line, being good on the glass. But what I see is it needs to be a collective physicality,” Sargent said.
Next game
Who: Wright State at Purdue Fort Wayne
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1410-AM, 101.5-FM
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