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WSU's Battle helps team earn comeback victory

Battle’s free throw with 1.4 seconds left beats Youngstown State.

WSU's Mays back on track in win over YSU
Photos: WSU vs. YSU
Photos: WSU men's basketball 2011-12
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By Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer Updated 10:18 PM Saturday, December 3, 2011

FAIRBORN — As the game clock ticked to less than 5 seconds, Armond Battle accepted a pass on the left wing.

He saw the baseline open. Instead of putting up his shot, which had fallen only sporadically the previous four games, he took off.

“We swung the ball around hard, and I got a one-way drive to the rim,” said Battle, the Wright State junior forward.

Fouled on his layup attempt, Battle made 1-of-2 free throws with 1.4 seconds left while shaking a slump with 13 points to give the Raiders a 63-62 victory against Youngstown State in front of 2,879 on Saturday at the Nutter Center.

The skin-of-their-teeth win — secured when YSU’s Damian Eargle caught a full-court pass in the paint, spun and banked a floater off the back iron at the buzzer — gave the Raiders (3-5, 1-1) a comeback from a 17-point first-half deficit, their first Horizon League win and the end of a four-game losing streak. It also kept Youngstown State (5-2, 1-1) from its first 6-1 start since 1994.

WSU junior guard Julius Mays led all scorers with 19 points, and A.J. Pacher set a career high with 16 points to go with seven rebounds. But it was Battle who shook off a 4-for-30 shooting performance in the previous four games to make 3-of-7 shots and 6-of-8 free throws, including the first of two with those 1.4 seconds left.

“I just know there are times everyone struggles, but you have to do what you do,” Battle said. “You can’t switch up because you think something’s not going for you. You have to keep pushing.”

That’s what the Raiders did when Youngstown State made 8-of-10 3-pointers to start the game and took a 30-13 lead with 7:13 left in the first half. The Penguins cooled while Wright State attacked, chipping the deficit to 38-32 at halftime, taking a 42-41 lead with 14:24 left and watching the lead change hands seven times in the second half.

The last of those came with 3:42 left on a Battle basket to give WSU a 59-57 advantage it didn’t give up.

He solidified the win with his all-net free throw that capped a comeback performance.

“Armond usually handles failure really well, and he did that,” said WSU Billy Donlon. “And (Saturday) we needed him.”

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-7389 or knagel @DaytonDailyNews.com.

Two of the best

Julius Mays (19 points) and A.J. Pacher (16) produced two of WSU’s best scoring performances of the season against Youngstown State on Saturday:

25 Mays vs. Charlotte, Nov. 26

21 Mays vs. Florida, Nov. 21

19 Mays vs. YSU, Saturday

16 Pacher vs. YSU, Saturday

16 Tavares Sledge vs. Kenyon, Nov. 13

Nonleague left