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By Marc Katz, Staff Writer Updated 12:45 AM Monday, November 16, 2009

SEATTLE — A year ago, Wright State began its basketball season 0-6, won a game, then won another and eventually won 20.

The process quickened considerably this weekend as WSU won two of three in the Athletes in Action Classic, beating Portland State and Belmont, 82-73, Sunday, Nov. 15, after falling by five against No. 14 Washington on Friday night.

“I don’t think there was a lower point in basketball last year,” said junior guard Troy Tabler. This year, after the opening-night loss, “We turned the page.”

Time for exams

The rest of this week will involve exams and rest. Coach Brad Brownell said the team wouldn’t have much to do with basketball until maybe Friday. The next game is Nov. 24 against Central Michigan.

Birthday boys

There were no cakes, but junior point guard N’Gai Evans and Brownell each celebrated birthdays Sunday. Tonight, Brownell’s radio show on WONE-AM (980) will begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m. due to the Browns’ game. Maybe there will be cake there.

Plenty of rain

Difficult to believe, after three days of light rain, but Seattle is not listed as one of the top precipitation cities in the country.

Supposedly, it rains more in New York, Atlanta and Houston than it does in Seattle. However, it is cloudy here an average of 226 days a year. Store the sunglasses.

Luckily, all three of Wright State’s games were played indoors, so none of the weather mattered.

Fewer cheers

Host Washington was without cheerleaders or its student band for two days as it went with the school’s football team to Oregon State. That didn’t work out too well for Washington, a 48-21 loser to the Beavers. The cheerleaders and band returned for Sunday’s basketball game.

Hutch from here

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is in downtown Seattle. It was started by the former Reds manager’s older brother, Dr. William Hutchinson, after Fred died of cancer in 1964 at the age of 45.

Fred Hutchinson, who pitched 11 years in the majors, all with Detroit, was a Seattle native. His 1961 Reds team won the National League pennant.

Dye in halls

Remember former Ohio State quarterback as well as basketball and baseball star Tippy Dye? He’s in the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame as well as the Washington Hall of Fame after coaching the Huskies basketball team from 1951-59. He won three Pacific Coast championships and led the Huskies to their only Final Four appearance in 1953.

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-2157 or  mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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