FAIRBORN, Ohio (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune and expectation, the Wright State Raiders, anchored by a career-defining performance from Breezie Williams, snapped a five-game losing streak with a dramatic 70-67 victory over the Fort Wayne Mastodons in a Horizon League women’s basketball thriller Thursday night at the Ervin J. Nutter Center.

The result defied both recent form and statistical projection, as the Raiders, who entered with a 6-17 record, upended a Fort Wayne squad that was 15-8 and had been projected by analytics as a overwhelming favorite. The win was sealed in a frantic final ten seconds that saw three lead changes, two timeouts, and a critical pair of made free throws by a reserve.

The game’s defining sequence, a masterclass in late-game tension, began with Wright State clinging to a 66-63 lead. Fort Wayne’s Alana Nelson, who finished with 18 points, stole an errant Olivia Brown pass and found Jordan Reid for a driving layup to cut the deficit to one with 22 seconds remaining. The Raiders inbounded to Williams, who was immediately fouled.

Williams, a 5-foot-5 guard from Canton, Ohio, calmly sank both free throws, pushing the lead back to 68-66 with 21 seconds left. Fort Wayne answered swiftly, with Lauren Lee driving for a layup to tie the game at 68 with just 15 seconds on the clock.

On the ensuing possession, Wright State’s Brown was fouled on a drive with 10 seconds remaining. The freshman from Fishers, Indiana, who had played only five minutes and scored four points, stepped to the line with the outcome in the balance. She sank the first free throw to break the tie. After a Fort Wayne timeout intended to ice her, she swished the second for a 70-68 lead.

Fort Wayne had one final chance. Nelson’s potential game-tying three-pointer from the wing missed, but Lee secured the offensive rebound and put it back in as time expired, leaving the final margin at three points.

The thrilling finish capped a game where Wright State led for over 37 minutes but could never fully shake the Mastodons. The Raiders built an early advantage, leading 19-15 after the first quarter and 34-25 at halftime, largely behind the scoring of Williams and the interior play of Claire Henson, who had 12 points.

Fort Wayne, plagued by turnovers and missed opportunities in the paint for much of the night, mounted a characteristic second-half surge. A 19-point third quarter, fueled by Reid and Lili Krasovec, brought them within four points. The Mastodons’ relentless pressure finally manifested in the fourth, where they outscored Wright State 23-22 and repeatedly threatened to take over before the final chaotic exchange.

Williams was the undeniable catalyst for the Raiders, playing 38 minutes and scoring a game-high 28 points on an efficient shooting night, including four three-pointers. She added five assists and was the primary ball-handler against Fort Wayne’s defensive pressure. Her performance surpassed her recent outputs and provided the steadying force Wright State desperately needed.

For Fort Wayne, Reid led the way with 19 points, while Krasovec, the 6-foot-3 forward from Budapest, Hungary, added 14 points and several key defensive plays. Lee facilitated the offense with six assists to go with her seven points.

The loss halts a two-game winning streak for Fort Wayne, which falls to 15-9 overall. Wright State improves to 7-17. The Raiders avenged a 68-52 loss to the Mastodons in Fort Wayne back on Dec. 7.

Attendance was 1,087.

Fort Wayne looks to rebound quickly, traveling to face Cleveland State on Saturday. Wright State, buoyed by the upset, will host IU Indy on Saturday.