Wizards show Promise, but fall to the Raptors on HBCU Night
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Posted By: Jordan Davis on March 01, 2026 HBCU Night at Capital One Arena started off great for the Wizards as Bilal Coulibaly opened up with a three and a put-back dunk off of a Bub Carrington miss early on. Kyshawn George, who had a tough matchup against Raptors all-star wings Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, poured in an early 5 points, too. The Raptors were not without their early punches, though. Aforementioned all-star Brandon Ingram looked unstoppable early as he poured in 8 of his team's first 18 points, but it was not enough to keep the Wizards from building a 33-25 lead at the end of the 1st quarter. Julian Champagnie and newcomer Jaden Hardy opened the 2nd quarter nicely as well, with a block from Champagnie on Barnes that led to a Jaden Hardy 3. After a strong start to the quarter, though, the currently 5th-seeded Raptors fought back, bringing the deficit deep into the 2nd quarter to 4 points after being down by as much as 13. The Wizards' defense was stout throughout the 1st half, though, holding Scottie Barnes to just 2 points on 1-4 shooting and no rebounds. Despite just the 64-61 lead, the wings for the Wizards arguably outplayed the much more proven Raptors guys as Coulibaly filled up the stat sheet with 11 points (5-6 FG), 4 rebounds, and 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Kyshawn George was flawless from the field on 3-3 shooting including 2-2 from 3 with 9 points. Early in the 3rd, with the game tied at 67, Keyshawn George broke the tie with a 3, giving him 12 up to that point. A couple of possessions later, he brought Capital One Arena to its feet with a dunk on Scottie Barnes. After a mini run midway through the 3rd that had the Raptors gain a 3-point lead, a 3 from Tristen Vukevic tied the game up. From this, the Raptors began to distance themselves as RJ Barrett scored 10 in the 3rd while Brandon Ingram stood at 22 points through 3 quarters, which was a big reason for the 98-92 Raptors lead at the end of the 3rd. A rocking Capital One Arena on Saturday Night was not enough to save the Wizards from the onslaught as they trailed 102-92 with 11 mins to go before rookie forward Jamir Watkins got a great take over RJ Barrett. A Justin Champagnie put-back dunk wasn’t enough to stall Toronto’s momentum as Barrett and Immanuel Quickley’s contributions stretched the lead out to as much as 17. Will Riley led the scoring for the Wizards with 19 points as they fell on HBCU Night to the Toronto Raptors 134-125. Despite the loss, there were encouraging moments and signs for Brian Keefe’s team against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Riley postgame emphasized the "growth" the team is making, further saying, "It's important we're all growing as a team and a unit, and I think that is positive." If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Jordan Davis
Camera Operator, Journalist, Broadcaster, and Host, University of the District of Columbia University of the District of Columbia class of 2025 Member Since February 2024 |
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