It wasn't easy for the Wright State men's basketball team on Saturday evening at the Ervin J. Nutter Center, but in the end the Green and Gold claimed a 60-59 victory over Youngstown State. The Raiders winning streak looked to be in jeopardy when the Penguins held a 13-point advantage at the half, but a 40-point second half and a last second defensive stand helped WSU to their winning streak to six games.

The Raiders fell behind 4-0 at the 17:53 mark, before a pair of layups from Cory Cooperwood knotted the game at four apiece. The Green and Gold took their first lead of the contest on a Troy Tabler three-pointer from the top of the key with 13:17 remaining, giving WSU the edge at 7-6.

Sirlester Martin scored the next four points, giving YSU a 10-7 lead, but Ronnie Thomas knocked down a jumper and Will Graham grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a layup to give WSU an 11-10 lead with 9:29 left in the first half.

Youngstown State built a 13 point lead with a 23-9 run over the final nine minutes of the opening half, including a three pointer by DeAndre Mays at the buzzer, to head to the locker room with a 33-20 cushion.

YSU shot 51-percent (14-27) from the floor in the opening stanza, compared to only 30-percent (8-26) for the Raiders. Mays led all scorers with ten points in the opening frame, while Cooperwood, Todd Brown and Cooper Land each tallied four points for the Green and Gold.

The Raiders got the first basket of the second half when Graham slashed to the basket and converted a layup, followed by a Penguin turnover and a Cooperwood three-point play to cut the lead to 33-25 with 18:30 to play.

On the next possession, John David Gardner found Brown cutting on the baseline for a slam dunk and the Green and Gold cut the halftime deficit to six with 18-minutes left in the contest. Cooperwood pulled down a pair of offensive rebounds on the next WSU possession and found a slashing Thomas for a layup to pull WSU within four points at 33-29.

After a YSU basket, the Raiders connected on their next two possessions and the lead that was 13 points at the half was only two points just five minutes into the second stanza.

After an exchange of points made the score 42-38 in favor of Youngstown State, Gardner hit a three pointer to pull the Raiders within one point with 12:40 remaining.

Brown hit one-of-two free throws and Gardner drove to the basket and converted a layup to give WSU their first lead since early in the first half at 46-44 with 10:23 remaining in the contest. YSU took the lead back on a basket by Kelvin Bright, but a pair of free throws by Land knotted the game at 48-48.

With the game tied at 56-56, Dallas Blocker picked off a WSU pass and found Vytas Sulskis in the corner for a three pointer to give the Penguins a 59-56 advantage with 2:00 remaining in the contest. Gardner pulled the Raiders within one with a layup at the 1:00 mark and after a YSU turnover and foul, Brown headed to the free throw line for a pair of shots.

Brown toed the line with 33.7 seconds remaining in the contest and hit both attempts to give Wright State a 60-59 lead.

With the shot clock off, Mays drove to the basket and missed a layup but the ball went out of bounds and the Penguins retained possession with 12.5 led on the game clock. With time winding down, Mays tossed up an off-balance shot and Brown secured the rebound to run out the final seconds of the victory.

In the game, Wright State shot 42-percent from the field (20-47) and forced 15 turnovers. YSU finished the contest with a 47-percent showing from the field, but the Raiders made 16-of-23 free throws to only seven-of-12 for the Penguins. The Green and Gold held a 32-27 edge on the boards and nine of the 10 Raiders to appear scored.

Brown, Cooperwood and Land each scored 11 points to pace the Raiders, while Thomas and Gardner added seven points apiece. YSU's Mayes paced all scorers with 15 points and Thomas and Jack Lyles each pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

The Raiders move above .500 for the first time this season at 8-7 and are an even 2-2 in Horizon League play heading into their meeting with nationally-ranked Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Wright State will meet Butler (#25 in the Associate Press Poll) on Thursday, January 8 at 7:00.