DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's basketball team (1-1 overall) gave the home fans their money's worth and then some on Saturday afternoon at the Matthaei as the Warriors rebounded from a 17-point first half deficit to record an 84-74 double overtime triumph over top-ranked Bellarmine University (2-1 overall).

The Knights entered the season as the No. 1-ranked squad in Division II by both the Basketball Times and The Sporting News.

BU built a 25-8 lead 11 minutes into the contest behind 13 points by Justin Benedetti, who drained three triples in 90 seconds moving a 12-6 advantage to a 21-8 lead at the 10:30 mark.

A four minute Warrior scoring drought from their first bucket, 18:54 by Bryan Smothers (Pontiac, Mich./Northern) until a fast-break lay-up by Smothers at the 14:42 mark helped the visitors build an early 10-2 advantage.

After the Knights led by 17, WSU chipped away outscoring the guests 14-6 over the final 8:40 of the first half.  Senior Bryan Wright (Warren, Ohio/Harding) had eight points in the final stretch.

Despite trailing 31-22 at intermission, and only shooting 33.3 percent (10-of-20) from the floor, Wayne State scored eight of the first 10 points in the second half to pull within three at 33-30 at the 16:11 mark.  Smothers had a steal and was awarded a basket on a goaltending which earned BU coach Scott Davenport a technical foul.  Smothers completed the four-point play by sinking both foul shots to make it a three-point game.

Four consecutive free throws by the Warriors after a bucket by Nick Holmes made it a one-point game at 35-34.  BU responded with a 5-0 run for a 40-34 advantage with 14:21 remaining.

After another foul shot for Smothers, Wright hit a bucket and answered a Braydon Hobbs jumper with a triple pulling the hosts within two at 42-40 with 12:43 left.

A block shot on the defensive end by junior Ike Udanoh (Detroit, Mich./Warren Woods Tower) led to Smothers making two free throws to knot the game at 42, which was the first tie of the game since 2-2.

The contest was tied six more times over the next nine minutes with neither team having more than a three-point lead (BU 53-50; WSU 48-46, 50-48).

Udanoh's bucket off a feed from classmate Jerry Oden (Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech) was the hoop which knotted the score at 57 with 2:51 remaining.

Benedetti's lay-up at the other end gave BU its final lead of regulation.  Wright drained a triple on the ensuing possession, then another block by Udanoh led to a jumper in the paint by Wright giving the Warriors a three-point lead (62-59) with 90 seconds left.  Andrew Patterson made his only triple try of the game on the next possession to tie the game at 62.

Following an offensive rebound by Udanoh, Smothers triple try at the end hit the rim but did not fall.

Wayne State never trailed in the first overtime session, Wright started the extra period with a pair of jumpers in the paint sandwiched around a Nick Holmes lay-up.  Holmes and Smothers each split a pair from the charity stripe, before another Holmes lay-up tied the game at 67.  Sophomore Dale Brundidge's (Southfield, Mich./Detroit Country Day) basket and free throw of an inbounds play put WSU ahead 70-67 with 88 seconds left.

Hobbs hit a triple with 23 seconds left following turnovers and missed shots by both teams.  Brundidge's three-point shot as the clock was winding down did not fall and the game headed to a second overtime period.

Despite seeing two last second shots not fall, Wayne State began the second extra session with a triple by Bryan Smothers for an early three-point lead.  Following a blocked shot by senior Bryan Edwards (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln), Wright banked in a triple from the top of the circle as the shot clock was about to expire.

Oladapo Fagbenle scored from inside for the Knights cutting WSU's lead to 76-72.

After each team missed a field goal try, Wright drained another jumper and Edwards followed with a steal at the defensive end which led to a field goal by Smothers and an eight-point advantage at 80-72.

Jeremy Kendle misfired on a triple try for Bellarmine, and Edwards calmly sank two free throws with just under a minute remaining.  Following another missed three-point shot by BU, Edwards sank a pair of foul shots pushing Wayne State's lead to 12.  Chris Dowe scored the final 35 seconds to complete the scoring.

Wayne State returns to the hardwood this Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off against Marygrove College at the Matthaei.

Notes:

This was Wayne State's first win over the top-ranked team in the nation in David Greer's tenure.  WSU knocked off second-ranked Findlay, 79-72, on Feb. 14, 2005.

Bryan Wright scored a career-high 29 points (had 24 twice last year) in a career-best 47 minutes.  He made 11 of 21 from the floor (previous high was seven field goals made - three times last season).

Bryan Smothers also tallied a career-best 26 points.  He equaled a career-high with 10 free throws made.

The Warriors had just 13 turnovers in 50 minutes, while recording 11 steals.

For the second game in a row, WSU shot 83.3 percent (20-of-24) from the foul line.  Other than the first two games of this season, the previous best free throw percentage in a game (with at least 16 attempts) was with WSU making 18-of-21 on Dec. 1, 2007, at Tiffin. 

Stacey Waters had a career-best three rebounds, all on the offensive end.

Ike Udanoh had a career-high three blocks (twice had two blocks while playing at Long Island) along with a career-best three steals, while playing 44 minutes (previous high was 23 minutes).

Bryan Edwards tied his career-best with nine rebounds including four during the overtime periods.