With just a few conference matchups mixed into the week’s slate, a handful of Horizon League teams had opportunities against mid-major opponents. With conference play approaching, every team is looking
to establish itself and avoid bad losses. The conference as a whole avoided those bad losses, but a few teams likely left the week feeling like they let a game get away from them.
Horizon League Wins of the week
After knocking off Northern Kentucky last weekend, Purdue Fort Wayne continued to roll, taking down Eastern Michigan at home, 80-65. The Eagles had been a thorn in the side of the Horizon League, knocking off Oakland and Detroit Mercy earlier this season. The Mastodons, however, had none of it. Mohammad Habhab was a point of emphasis after he notched a triple-double against Oakland, and he scored just nine points, only getting up five shots. Corey Hadnot II, as he’s done all season, led the way for Purdue Fort Wayne. The conference’s leading scorer dropped 28 points, helping the Mastodons open up a 47-29 lead at halftime, putting the game out of reach for the Eagles early on. DeAndre Craig Jr. and Mikale Stevenson also scored in double figures with 15 and 13, respectively. It was a well-rounded team effort for Purdue Fort Wayne to stay hot and down Eastern Michigan.
In another quality victory over the MAC, Robert Morris took down Toledo, 75-70. Although it took a monstrous second-half comeback to get it done. The Colonials trailed 42-24 at halftime, but stormed back behind four of their five starters scoring in double figures. DeSean Goode and Ryan Prather Jr. each scored 17, with Prather adding 10 rebounds. Albert Vargas had 14 points and five assists, and Nikolaos Chitikoudis notched a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. It was a championship-level effort in the second half from the reigning champs, and after losing one of its early Horizon League games on a buzzer-beater, it was a much-needed victory. For head coach Andy Toole, digging a hole like the Colonials did against Toledo can’t become a habit if they want to repeat, but the second half was an exhibition of what this team could become come March, and they’re once again dangerous.
Horizon League Notable results
In one of the few conference matchups of the week, Green Bay traveled to The Jungle and outlasted the chaos that is IU Indianapolis basketball. The win marks the first conference win of the season for Doug Gottlieb’s squad, but more importantly, the fifth win of the season, officially surpassing last season’s total. It was a three-headed attack that led the Phoenix, with Preston Ruedinger, C.J. O’Hara, and LeBron Thomas each scoring 20 points. The Jaguars did what they liked to do and forced 14 Green Bay turnovers, but the Phoenix knocked down nine 3-pointers to IU Indianapolis’ seven and made 26 free throws to the Jaguars’ 20 to secure the victory. A home game against UC Santa Barbara awaits Green Bay.
Three teams played road games on Saturday, with Northern Kentucky having what was expected to be the easiest matchup. The Norse, however, played with its food a bit, allowing Bellarmine to keep things tight led by Jack Karasinski’s 21 points. LJ Wells and Dan Gherezgher each scored 17 points to lead Northern Kentucky, and by forcing 18 turnovers and grabbing 12 offensive rebounds, the Norse did just enough to avoid a bad loss on the road.
Wright State was tasked with a road game at Marshall and got off to a great start, but couldn’t finish. The Raiders led 39-32 at halftime, but eventually fell 76-74. On the bright side, the freshman phenom Michael Cooper continued to shine, scoring 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting. As the season progresses, his development is something to watch as Wright State will need his offensive production to win in the league. Unfortunately, only one other player joined him in double-figure scoring.
Oakland had the tallest task of the three teams playing on the road Saturday, travelling to Northern Iowa. The zone gave the Panthers some problems as the Golden Grizzlies made a bit of a run in the second half to close the gap, but Greg Kampe’s group never quite got over the hump, falling 75-63. It was an uncharacteristic day for Brody Robinson, who had more turnovers than assists, and the bigs didn’t dominate as they have recently. Leon Bond III scored 26 on 9-for-14 shooting to lead the Panthers.
On Sunday evening, Purdue Fort Wayne took down Detroit Mercy 81-77 in Indianapolis. The Titans had previously been unbeaten in Horizon League play. Darius Duffy made the game-saving play, intercepting an inbounds pass on a possession that would’ve allowed Detroit Mercy to tie the game in the closing seconds. Mikale Stevenson had a huge game, scoring 22 points, and Corey Hadnot II was good once again, scoring 15 points along with eight rebounds and three assists. The Mastodons have now won three straight games ahead of a trip to Notre Dame, where they will look to claim a high-major win for the conference.
Individual Horizon League performance of the week
It feels like Corey Hadnot II makes a run at this honor every week, and he did once again with 28 points against Eastern Michigan. Robert Morris’ Ryan Prather Jr. deserves his flowers this week, however. He is the lone returner from the Colonials’ 2024-25 championship rotation and has flown under the radar a bit this year, but was a huge part of the comeback victory of Toledo. DeSean Goode and Nikolaos Chitikoudis combined for 19 points and 22 rebounds in the frontcourt, continuing their solid production. The 6-foot-5 Prather joined Chitikoudis in recording a double-double, scoring 17 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, with six of them being offensive, and adding three assists. The Colonials started the second half in a huge hole, but thanks to Prather’s scoring and ability to steal possessions on the offensive glass, they emerged victorious in a key game ahead of Horizon League play.
