Ten ...

February 17, 2008
Tell us your opinion!
Email RaiderRoundball
   Email story to a friend

Photos © and Courtesy of Tim G. Zechar

Still, when he sunk two free-throws with 6.9 seconds remaining to give Wright State a 52-51 lead, and eventually the win, they were the only points that seemed to matter at the end.

He had a lot more than just the Wright State game on mind as he stepped to the line. This season he is just 12-23 from the line. On top of that he missed two free-throws in the Texas high school championship game his senior year. Although his team eventually won the title, it still rides on his mind.

"Ever since that game I've always wanted to make clutch free-throws to prove I can make them," Cooper said.

Leading up to the free-throws a Todd Brown 3-pointer had given Wright State a 50-49 lead. Before that shot Brown was just 4-12 from the field and had only attempted three shots from behind the arc at that point. In the last game against Loyola Brown had just four points.

All the same, head coach Brad Brownell still put the ball in the hands of the sophomore who has made two game winning shots for the Raiders this season.

"He's been shaky here of late but he does that (make clutch shots) and he is expected to do that, it's part of his job here," said Brownell. "We're not surprised when Todd Brown jumps up and makes a three.

"If it happens once, it's probably luck. If it happens more than that, then there's probably something to that, and some reason for it."

With 6.9 seconds on the clock, UIC was still able to make the game interesting. After Todd Brown knocked away a pass the Flames' leading scorer Josh Mayo threw up an 80-foot shot that deflected off the front of the rim.

With the victory Wright State extended their winning streak to ten games - a school record- as they head into their final home game of the season, which is against Detroit on Wednesday.

Wright State is now 19-6 overall and 11-4 against Horizon League opponents.