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WSU hopes to get redemption in upcoming games

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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writers Updated 11:51 PM Saturday, February 4, 2012

VALPARAISO, Ind. — Because the Horizon League has 10 teams, there are enough games in the season for each team to play each opponent in both home and road settings.

Wright State, therefore, likes the next three home games. Following a stretch of five road matchups in seven games, the Raiders will return to the Nutter Center beginning Friday for three straight home games against teams who handed them disappointing road losses earlier this season.

That string begins Friday with a visit from Wisconsin-Green Bay, which WSU led by 17 points with a little more than 13 minutes to go earlier this season before losing 57-56. On Sunday, it will be UW-Milwaukee, against which the Raiders scored the fourth-fewest points in program history in losing 58-38 last month.

Detroit, which led by as many as 25 points before beating WSU 69-53 on Jan. 21, will come to the Nutter Center on Feb. 15 for the return.

Those are the Raiders’ final three regular-season home games. In the Horizon League tournament, seeds Nos. 3-6 host first-round games, so WSU is battling to reach one of those spots and earn a postseason home game as well.

Vest out: Matt Vest, a WSU sophomore guard from Chaminade Julienne High School, did not dress for Saturday’s 63-54 loss to Valparaiso after twisting his left ankle in practice Friday. It’s the same ankle Vest sprained in the Raiders’ exhibition game  Nov. 5 that caused him to miss the first five games, and he has battled the injury all season.

Vest averages 2.4 points and 0.9 rebounds while playing 10.6 minutes per game. He has started four times in 17 games.

Around the Horizon League: Preseason player of the year Ray McCallum, a Detroit sophomore guard, combined 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals as the Titans topped host Butler 65-61 on Saturday to pull the Bulldogs down into a tie with the Titans for fifth place at 7-6.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, beat fellow Wisconsin school Green Bay 81-75 to take third place alone at 8-5. Guard Paris Gulley made 6-of-7 3-pointers for Milwaukee on the way to 20 points.

Cleveland State (9-2) remains alone in first place with a road matchup against ninth-place Illinois-Chicago coming today.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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