Retirees Association

DDN: Raiders roll to Horizon League win as freshman provides spark

Scott Nagy

Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News

Wright State coach Scott Nagy has been tinkering with his starting lineup since preseason practice began in October, searching for a combination that would allow the Raiders to play up to their usual standards.

After plenty of trial and error, he may have found it.

A.J. Braun, a 6-foot-9 freshman center from Fenwick High School, made his first start Thursday in a Horizon League opener at Purdue Fort Wayne and was instrumental in an 86-73 victory that snapped a five-game losing streak.

He made all six of his first-half shots and scored a team-high 13 points in the opening 20 minutes. He finished with 17 on 8-of-9 shooting while playing 25 minutes.

And with 6-9 junior star Grant Basile able to move to power forward, the Raiders had the front court size that caused opponents so much trouble last season.

“It changes our offense. It allows us to play bigger. We’re a better rebounding team. It’s really the way we want to play,” Nagy said on his post-game radio show.