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FAIRBORN — With just more than three seconds left Saturday night, everybody on the Butler University bench went scurrying down the sideline, looking for a quick exit from the court.

They knew what was coming. They'd seen it and felt it all night from the amped crowd of 10,827, largest in Wright State history.

It was the defining moment for Wright State, and the Butler subs and coaches knew if they didn't retreat, they'd leave the Nutter Center with more than a stunning loss. They'd have footprints on their backs.

Raider fans — faces painted, T-shirts screaming BEAT BUTLER, many of them so excited, so ready to run, they were actually bouncing in place — were lined up in the aisles and on the sidelines.

And when the final buzzer sounded and Wright State had its greatest regular-season victory ever, a 77-65 upset of 10th-ranked Butler, the crowd swarmed the court and engulfed the jubilant WSU players.

"It was a mob scene, and I loved it," said Raiders forward Drew Burleson whose double-double —16 points and 10 rebounds — was, as Butler coach Todd Lickliter put it, a turning point of the game.

Burleson, who got hugged, kissed and pummelled afterward, said the only casualty may have come from center Jordan Pleiman: "He might have hit somebody with an elbow."

So before (they came in winners of 15 of their last 18), during and after Saturday's game, Wright State was a tough bunch to handle.

"The way we stepped up to the moment, the way we played, the celebration afterward," Burleson said. "I'm gonna remember this for the rest of my life."

So much happened Saturday:

• It was the Raiders' biggest victory since they upset No. 8 Michigan State some seven years ago. That was an aberration — the Raiders had the 311th RPI of 318 teams — but this was not.

• The victory, paired with a win by Illinois-Chicago on Saturday — helps put the Raiders (12-2 in the Horizon League) in a better position for bringing the league's postseason tournament to the Nutter Center.

• Best of all, this game could not only reignite interest in Wright State basketball, it could be the springboard moment that takes it to a level it's not been before.

WSU coach Brad Brownell is one of the big reasons. He took over an undermanned team and made it a league power. He's got my vote for Horizon coach of the year.

And for his team, picked in the preseason poll to finish fifth in the league, it's fun to watch.

"That's the real benefit from tonight," Brownell said. "We've been playing some good basketball lately, and I'm glad a lot of people came out and finally saw it. To experience this should make you want to come back."

There's not a more exciting player in town than Raiders guard DaShaun Wood, who finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists. More importantly, he all but shut down Butler's A.J. Graves, who was 3-for-16 from the floor, and before Saturday may have had an edge on Wood for league player of the year.

And then there was Burleson.

When WSU played Butler last month — a 31-point Bulldogs victory — Burleson had two rebounds and never scored.

"I knew tonight was going to be different," Burleson said. "I mean when I walked into the gym at 5:30 to shoot around, usually the place is empty then. But tonight there was a bigger crowd there already than at some of our games. "Right from the start, I figured it would be a night to remember."

It was.