Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Cars and Parts Swap Meet
Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2010 > March > 10
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Wright State comes up empty
INDIANAPOLIS — There were just over nine minutes left in the game and Brad Brownell — standing on the Hinkle Fieldhouse sidelines, his arms crossed, his look frozen — seemed like a man who knew he was completely out of tricks.
So often a hoops magician, he knew wouldn’t be pulling a rabbit out of his top hat on this night. That hare had gnawed its way out the bottom of his chapeau long ago, leaving him with nothing to grab.
It was the same feeling when he turned toward his bench.
Butler forward Willie Veasley had just scored a lay-up inside to put Butler up 61-34 in the Horizon League Tournament title game. Exasperated by the easy bucket, Brownell looked for a replacement player, but only saw two injured Raiders in street clothes, three inexperienced freshmen, one star held scoreless all night and another in foul trouble.
He just shrugged and turned back to the game.
Across the way it was just the opposite with No. 12 Butler. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent.
That’s what you noticed most Tuesday night as 28-4 Butler trounced WSU 70-45 and took the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Already under-manned coming into this game, WSU found itself overwhelmed when two of its top players — Todd Brown, who has 1,469 career points and three-point artist Troy Tabler — both were held scoreless.
Only three Raiders made any kind of impact Tuesday night: N’Gai Evans led the team with 13 points and made the All-Tournament team. Vaughn Duggins had nine points and Cory Cooperwood — who always scraps inside even though he is undersized — had nine points and five boards.
Brownell acknowledged the difference between the two teams afterward:
“You’ve got to give them credit. They’re pretty darn good. They have experienced players. and they’re gonna be a tough out (in the NCAA Tournament) for somebody. They play exceptionally sound defense, have a lot of weapons, play the game with poise and the moment just isn’t going to bother them.”
Tuesday night that was not the case for Wright State.
Tweet
