#HLMBB Recap: #MotorCityMadness Day Four
Joey Yashinsky
No. 2 Wright State 59, No. 6 Milwaukee 53
In Monday’s second of two Motor City Madness men’s semifinals, it was the No. 2 seed Wright State Raiders advancing to the championship game after a gritty 59-53 victory over the No. 6 seed Milwaukee Panthers.
The two clubs were locked in defensively from the opening tip. Open looks were few and far between, with Wright State shooting 34.4 percent for the first half and Milwaukee just 30 percent.
Heading to the break, the Raiders led 27-25.
Horizon League Freshman of the Year Loudon Love recorded a double-double in the first half alone with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Brock Stull blitzed the Raiders for 11 first-half points. But he only managed four shot attempts in the second half, finishing with 13 points.
Wright State jumped out of the gate in the second half with a quick 8-2 burst. Cole Gentry drilled a 3 and freshman Jaylon Hall completed the run with a basket and a free throw.
All-Horizon Second Team selection Jeremiah Bell kept Milwaukee close. He buried a triple with just over five minutes remaining to make the score 43-40, cutting the deficit in half. He sank another jumper a minute later to shrink the lead again.
But Wright State’s steely junior guard Mark Hughes stepped up with the biggest shot of the night. Setting up in the corner, Hughes caught a perfect pass from a driving Hall and swished the 3 to bump the Raider advantage back to six
“Jaylon was driving baseline and I slid with him, like we are taught,” said Hughes. “I got a good look. It felt good coming out and that was a big shot for us. It put us up six and we rode that lead out.”
Bell sank one final 3 with 40 seconds left to cut the gap to four, but the No. 2 seed Raiders were able to cement the win at the free-throw line.
Milwaukee was led by Bell’s 22 points. He also added five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Bryce Nze gobbled up 15 rebounds to go with four blocks.
Wright State got 18 points and 12 rebounds from Love, and 12 from Hall off the bench. Senior Grant Benzinger had an off-night from the field, shooting just 2-of-10, but he was able to grab 10 boards to help the Raiders’ cause.
Milwaukee sees its record drop to 16-17.
With the victory, Wright State (23-10) advances to the title game of the Little Caesars Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN, where they will take on the No. 8 seed Cleveland State Vikings.
The teams split a pair of regular season meetings, with each successfully defending their home floor.
No. 8 Cleveland State 44, No. 4 Oakland 43
In the first men’s semifinal matchup Motor City Madness on Monday, it was the No. 8 seed Cleveland State Vikings advancing to the men’s championship game after a 44-43 victory over the No. 4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
The higher-seeded Golden Grizzlies raced out a 23-11 advantage in the first half, but All-Horizon League First Team selection Jalen Hayes picked up his third foul and had to take a seat.
Cleveland State responded to Hayes’ absence with an 11-0 run to close the half. All-Freshman guard Tyree Appleby contributed five points during the stretch.
The second half was another defensive duel. Oakland star guard Kendrick Nunn, the Horizon League Player of the Year, could not find his stroke. Similarly, Cleveland State’s skilled freshman Stefan Kenic, a major part of their opening-round victory, struggled to make an impact. He’d score just three points after pouring in 17 on Saturday.
Detroit product Kenny Carpenter took over for Cleveland State in the second half. He scored 12 of his 16 points after the break while forcing Nunn into a 7-of-24 night from the floor.
With Oakland clinging to a one-point lead and less than a minute to play, Appleby worked his way into the paint and scored over Isaiah Brock. Nick Daniels followed with a miss for Oakland and Appleby was fouled, going to the line for a 1-and-1 opportunity.
The freshman missed the front end and Greg Kampe’s Golden Grizzlies had a chance to win on their final possession. They put the ball in the hands of Nunn, the Horizon League’s most prolific scorer throughout the year. But Carpenter defended him tight and Nunn’s shot rolled off, giving No. 8 seed Cleveland State an unexpected appearance in the championship game.
“I came off a ball screen, there was a hard hedge, maybe there could have been a foul,” Nunn said. “But I got to the basket and missed a floater.”
Hayes led all scorers with 20 points to go with his 11 rebounds. Nunn contributed 19. They combined for 39 of Oakland’s 43 points.
The Vikings got 16 from Carpenter. Senior Anthony Wright posted a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds. Appleby was just 3-of-9 for eight points, but came up with the biggest shot of the night when it mattered most.
Cleveland State’s first-year head coach Dennis Felton was able to breathe a sigh of relief when Oakland’s final attempt missed the mark.
“That’s terrifying for a coach,” said Felton. “I can’t do anything about it. And Nunn is an incredible shot-maker. They’ve also got guys that can come and tip it back in with their length and athleticism if he misses, so that was a grueling 14 seconds for sure.”
Oakland’s record drops to 19-14.
With the victory, Cleveland State (12-22) advances to the title game of the Little Caesars Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.