FAIRBORN – The Wright State Lady Raiders basketball team got off to a 3-1 start this year and hosted Bellarmine University on Wednesday November 19th in an early morning 11am contest. The Raiders would fall in overtime to the Knights 83-78 and drop to 3-2 on the season.
The morning start was part of a special education day to allow schools in the Miami Valley to bus kids in from elementary schools to take in a Lady Raiders game with 6,192 fans in the Nutter Center. It would be the second-largest crowd in program history with 30 local schools in attendance and a spirited group that made the arena electric at times.
Wright State got off to a good start holding an 18-14 lead after the first quarter with Rylee Sagester knocking down a triple and a free throw for 4-points in the quarter.
The Raiders would give up their lead and trail 31-30 at the half. Bellarmine would win the third quarter as well 24-20 to take a 55-50 lead.
Wright State played with urgency and pace to start the 4th quarter and would regain the lead on back-to-back triples from Sagester that had the Nutter rocking, now up 59-58.
The two teams would battle back-n-forth but they would have a tough time slowing down the Knights in the open floor. Their point guard, who went for 22 points, gave them a two-point lead 68-66 … but Claire Henson would knock down a 15-foot jumper to send the game into overtime.
The extra period didn’t appear to upset the nearly 5000 students in attendance knowing they wouldn’t have to leave just yet.
Tri-Village would be one of the schools on hand to witness one of their own playing, with Elementary and Junior High students on hand. Also, there to support were the Junior High 7th and 8th grade girls and the High School JV and Varsity teams as well.
In the overtime period, a foul was whistled on a pass out to Rylee Sagester, who proceeded to knock down a triple. Of course, it didn’t count, but it didn’t stop the Patriot fans on hand from screaming and hollering, rooting for their favorite player.
“I was wondering what all the screaming and hollering was about because I knew the basket didn’t count,” Rylee would say after the game.
Of course, she smiled when I let her know it was her Tri-Village cheering section. Rylee was grateful for their support.
That support wasn’t enough for the Raiders to overcome the Knights going up in the overtime period as they were able to score in the open floor and then knocked down two triples late to open up an 81-73 lead.
Wright State would run a set for Rylee to try to get a quick score, and she promptly sank one from the logo, like we’ve seen many times in her high school career. It wouldn’t be enough as time ran out with the Raiders falling 81-76 to go to 3-2 on the year.
Rylee would finish with 16 points on five three’s and a free throw. Sagester scored 19 in the previous game and is averaging 13.8 ppg in five games this year, shooting at a near 50% clip.
That start is a stark difference from the one she had last year, and Sagester credited it to her work ethic and coaches believing in her and giving her more of a green light, which has given her the confidence she needs.
“It’s been easier for me this year to get in the groove starting the game and I feel like my coaches have opened up the game for me to be able to take some of the shots that I would have taken two to three years ago,” Rylee would say after the game.
“I feel like I put a lot of time to be able to be in this spot again and for them to see that is important to me,” Sagester added.
One of the things Rylee has done is improve her defense, especially man-to-man in the half-court.
“I’m not sure how great my defense was in high school. I think when I got to college, I realized defense was a bigger part of the game and something they’re looking for someone to play all the time. Good defense, being able to rebound, and being able to keep people in front is something I’m taking pride in, not letting my person score on me and being in the right spots,” Sagester explained.
With improved effort on the defensive end, it’s allowing Rylee more minutes and more opportunities to score, which is her strength, and we know what happens when she sees one go down from distance.
“When you see one go in, you think they’re all going to go in, and that’s kind of how I play, and it’s important to know that if I do miss one or two, it’s ok. I’m probably going to make the next two, and I feel like the coaches have allowed me to stay in, and I know they have that confidence in me,” Sagester stated
Although the Raiders lost in overtime, it also meant a lot to her to see the support from her school back home.
“It means a lot that everyone still comes to support me, people still ask how I’m doing, and want to know how many points I had … you know all that good stuff. But it’s nice to see faces that I know, and that’s one of the reasons I stayed close to home so everyone could come and share these moments. Today, 150 Tri-Village students, administrators, and parents got their money’s worth.
As the final buzzer sounded, it was clear that while the scoreboard didn’t favor the Raiders, the day was a resounding win for Rylee Sagester and her supporters. Surrounded by familiar faces from Tri-Village, she showed not only her growth as a player but also the power of a community rallying behind one of its own. For Rylee, playing close to home means more than just points on the board—it’s about sharing each milestone with those who have believed in her from the very beginning. And if this early season is any indication, both Rylee and her cheering section have plenty to look forward to in the games ahead.
