Alex Bruskotter just needed an opportunity.
It presented itself last weekend in Cleveland.
A redshirt freshman at Wright State, Bruskotter bounced off the bench to score a career-high 25 points in a 102-90 Horizon League win over Cleveland State on Sunday.
The Shelby product and a 2024 Mr. Basketball finalist connected on 6-of-8 field goals, including all three of his 3-point attempts, and was 10-for-14 from the free throw line. He also swiped six rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter played sparingly in a 77-74 loss to Detroit Mercy on Feb. 12. That was his first playing time in more than a month.
The Raiders (17-10, 12-4) boast a deep and talented roster, but Bruskotter remained diligent during practice.
“We’re always talking about how guys are practicing, and he was practicing great,” coach Clint Sargent told the Dayton Daily News. “The last month or so, he’s just had a breakthrough.
“His demeanor and emotional state of mind, it’s just really changed. All those reasons factored in for me, and I said, ‘We need to get him in the rotation.’ ”
Scoring has never been an issue for Bruskotter, who ranks second on Shelby’s career list with 1,688 points. He’s scored 64 points in 88 minutes of floor time and knocked down 12 of his 18 3-point tries.
“He’s not afraid of it. You can tell when he comes in, it’s like he’s been playing the whole game,” Sargent said. “He’s got a knack for (scoring), loves the moment. We’re just trying to get him more consistent defensively.”
Wright State has a two-game lead over Oakland (Mich.) in the Horizon League standings with four regular season games remaining. The Horizon tournament begins March 2 with the finals set for Indianapolis on March 10.
Double Duty
Lexington’s Makaree Chapman already has established herself at the plate and in the pitcher’s circle for Northern Kentucky.
The true freshman was selected the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week for her efforts during NKU’s season-opening southern swing to the Stinger Classic in Montgomery, Ala.
A hard-throwing left-hander, Chapman pitched in three of the four games as the Norse went 3-1.
Chapman twirled a complete-game four-hitter for her first collegiate win in NKU’s 7-1 victory over Murray State and picked up her first career save with three innings of scoreless relief in an 8-2 win over Southern Indiana.
“I am so proud of Makaree’s performance this weekend,” Norse coach Morgan Gerak said at the time. “Her gamer mentality shined in the biggest moments. She set the tone for our team.”
Northern Kentucky was 1-3 at last weekend’s Carolina Classic in Chapel Hill, N.C. Chapman, who also plays in the outfield, belted her first career home run in a 6-1 win over Monmouth.
For the season Chapman is batting .292 with three doubles, a home and a team-leading seven runs batted in. In the pitcher’s circle she is 1-2 with a 3.79 earned run average and 13 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.
Northern Kentucky is 4-4 on the season.
Battle of Mansfield
Mansfield Senior product Leo Hess and Madison grad Nate Barrett treated college wrestling fans to a doozy when Glenville (W. Va.) State visited Ashland for a showdown of top 10 Division II programs over the weekend.
Hess, a mid-season addition who wrestled previously at Division I Bloomsburg, earned a hard-fought 9-8 decision over Barrett, a returning All-American, at 165 pounds.
Both AU and Glenville will be in action at the Super Region III regionals in Findlay on Feb. 28. The NCAA Championships are March 13 to 14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.