Wright State Tops No. 19 Butler, 60-55, To Win Horizon League Championship
March 6, 2007
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FAIRBORN, Ohio (AP) - DaShaun Wood scored 27 points and Will Graham hit four free throws in the last 12 seconds to lead Wright State past No. 19 Butler 60-55 Tuesday night for the Horizon League postseason title and its second trip to the NCAA tournament.
Butler still holds out hope of receiving an at-large bid to its seventh trip to the NCAA tournament.
The Bulldogs have lost six of their last seven games at Wright State's Nutter Center - ending a five-game skid with Saturday night's 67-66 overtime win over Loyola of Chicago.
Wood helped turn the tide after Butler (27-6) had scrambled back from an eight-point deficit to take the lead in the final minutes.
With the score tied at 52-52 and 1:25 left, Butler's A.J. Graves drove to the basket but Wood blocked the shot from behind. Then at the other end, Wood curled off a pick and hit a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:06 left for a 55-52 lead for Wright State (23-9).
Brandon Crone, who led the Bulldogs with 18 points, scored inside off the inbounds pass to cut the lead to a point as hundreds of Wright State students crammed around the floor in expectation of a celebration.
Freshman Vaughn Duggins was fouled and hit one shot in the double bonus to make it 56-54 with 31 seconds remaining.
Crone made the second of two foul shots with 11.6 seconds left to again narrow the gap to one point.
Before the ball could be inbounded, Graham was fouled. A 66-percent free-throw shooter, he made them both for a 58-55 lead.
Graves then rushed the ball up the court but missed a 3-pointer while trying to draw a foul with 4.5 seconds left.
Graham again was fouled with 1.3 seconds left and poured in two more to clinch the win, touching off a wild rush to the floor by hundreds of students.
Wood was the spark on this night for the Raiders, who got off to an abysmal start against the team they shared the regular-season title with but ended up winning for the 11th time in their last 12 games.
Two fans dressed like the Wright Brothers, who were from just a short distance away in Dayton, held up a sign that said, "Win One for Orville and Wilbur!"
Even though the teams shared the title, Wright State won the top seed - and the right to host the tournament - by virtue of a tiebreaker. Butler won at home 73-42 on Jan. 6 but lost at Wright State 77-65 late in the season while the Raiders were in the midst of a nine-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs hit their first four shots from the field - including a sweeping reverse layup and a 3-pointer by Betko - to take a quick 10-0 lead in the opening 3:12.
Ahead 35-34 early in the second half, the Raiders stretched the lead to 40-34 when Scottie Wilson hit a 3 from the right corner and Drew Burleson powered in a half-hook.
After a Butler free throw, Burleson then tossed in a 3 from the left wing for a 43-35 lead.
Butler scratched back to tie it at 43-43 with just over 7 minutes left, Crone hitting a pair of 3s sandwiched around a layup by Mike Green.
Graves added 12 points for the Bulldogs.
Burleson scored 15 points and Wilson had 10 for Wright State, which has won a national championship in basketball - the 1983 Division II crown.
Raiders only previous trip to the NCAA tournament in the 20 years in Division I came in 1993, when they were pounded 97-54 by Indiana in the first round after capturing the Mid-Continent Conference tournament title.
Notes and Quotes
No. 1 Wright State 60, No. 2 Butler 55
Wright State Head Coach Brad Brownell
On the game:
"It was a great basketball game. Our guys competed all year. But we really improved throughout the course of the tournament. We did not make a couple of baskets in the second half, but the kids didn't panic. We remained composed and we made good shots down the stretch to win it."
On when Butler took the lead late:
"Our kids believed all along that we could win this game and that we were going to play well. We just didn't know what it was going to come down to. In every huddle we told them to relax, stay calm, play the next play and fortunately Will (Graham) stepped up and made some big free throws."
On the NCAA automatic bid:
"We're not worried about the NCAA's for at least another 48 hours and we're going to enjoy this with our fans."
On Butler's start:
"Butler's a good team, they made their shots to start the game. I knew once we made our first shot that we'd relax and play better."
Wright State player DaShaun Wood
On the win:
"It's a great feeling. As far as our team, we are just as happy and that makes me even more proud. This win was not just for the team, but it was for everyone."
On winning the league and moving on to the NCAA Tournament:
"Nobody believed we could do this, so we have to keep going and make things happen in the (NCAA) tournament. We'll see where we go on Selection Sunday."
On the ending:
"I have been working hard all season and the team has worked hard all season and we came too close not to win it. I knew that if I could make a couple of shots and get my teammates involved, then we'd have a good shot."
Wright State player Drew Burleson
On the win:
"It's unreal. I don't know where to start. We pulled it out, like we always do. We really jelled as a team this year and we all stuck together."
On DeShaun Wood's play:
"DeShaun is such a great player. He makes things happen. He's hit them all year."
Butler Head Coach Todd Lickliter
On the game:
"This was not neutral. This was something that was a good environment for now. For our guys to maintain their poise for most of the time but you have to do it all the time to win."
On rebounding for the NCAA Tournament:
"We will not have any problems playing. We've played really good basketball.Over the course of the last couple of weeks, where we've been (with playing the Bracket Buster, flying to Green Bay, then hosting Loyola a day later)."
On the difference in the game:
"There weren't very many possessions. When we went up two (points), they were able to counter. It seemed like they were able to counter a lot. I was really impressed with Wright State's poise. They're well coached. They're a good team. There's a reason whey they've only lost one home game."
Butler player A.J. Graves
On his last shot:
"I was just trying to push the ball up and see what the best shot was that we could get, because I knew we needed a three and I knew we didn't have any timeouts left."
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