FAIRBORN, Ohio (Interstat) — In a game defined by gritty defense and a dramatic final possession, the Detroit Titans snapped a five-game road losing streak with a 77-74 victory over the Wright State Raiders on Thursday night at a tense Ervin J. Nutter Center.

The Horizon League contest, played before 3,271 fans, was a tale of two halves and ultimately decided by a single, critical defensive stand in the closing seconds. Detroit, which led by as many as 11 points in the second half, saw its advantage evaporate under a sustained Wright State rally, setting the stage for a frantic finish.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded with Detroit clinging to a 75-74 lead and under 30 seconds to play. After a missed jumper by Detroit’s Orlando Lovejoy, Wright State secured the defensive rebound and called a timeout with 42 seconds remaining. Out of the break, the Raiders worked the ball to their leading scorer on the night, Michael Cooper, whose driving layup attempt was emphatically blocked by Detroit’s Legend Geeter with 36 seconds left.

Geeter secured the block and the rebound, and was fouled. He made the first free throw but missed the second, keeping the Detroit lead at 76-74. On the ensuing Wright State possession, Cooper again looked to create, but his pass was stolen by Lovejoy near midcourt with 10 seconds to go. Lovejoy was fouled and made one of two free throws, pushing the lead to 77-74.

Wright State had one final chance to force overtime. After advancing the ball, Cooper’s contested three-point attempt from the wing as time expired missed everything, sealing the Titans’ narrow escape.

The game was a reversal of a Jan. 9 meeting in Detroit, where Wright State escaped with an 84-82 win. This time, Detroit’s interior defense and efficiency proved decisive. The Titans shot 52.5% from the field (32 of 61) and dominated points in the paint, 42-36. They also out-blocked the Raiders 6-5, with Geeter and Ryan Kalambay each recording three rejections.

Wright State, which entered as a 10.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, struggled offensively, shooting just 40.6% overall and 28% from three-point range. The Raiders compensated by forcing 10 Detroit turnovers and converting them into 17 points, and also held a 17-6 advantage in fast-break points, but could not overcome their shooting woes.

Detroit established control early, building a 40-34 halftime lead behind 12 first-half points from Lovejoy. The Titans then opened the second half on a 12-4 run, capped by a Ryan Kalambay layup, to take their largest lead at 52-38 with 17:25 remaining.

Wright State responded with a methodical comeback, fueled by Cooper and Andrea Holden. A 13-2 Raiders run, featuring two three-pointers from Cooper, cut the deficit to 64-61 midway through the half. The Raiders finally drew even at 72-72 on two Dominic Pangonis free throws with 4:43 left, and took their first lead since early in the first half when Kellen Pickett scored inside to make it 74-72 with 3:15 to play.

Detroit answered with a TJ Nadeau jumper to tie it, and then regained the lead for good on Geeter’s tip-in with 1:21 left, setting up the final dramatic defensive stops.

Lovejoy led all scorers with 18 points for Detroit. Kalambay added 8 points, 3 blocks and several key rebounds. Geeter finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and the pivotal block. Tyler Spratt contributed 9 points and 4 assists in a team-high 37 minutes.

For Wright State, Cooper led the way with 15 points and 4 assists. Holden also scored 15, while TJ Burch added 11 points. Pickett was a force defensively with 4 blocks.

With the win, Detroit improves to 11-13 overall and evens its conference record, while Wright State falls to 16-10. The Titans host Youngstown State on Sunday. Wright State travels to face Cleveland State, also on Sunday.