ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Visiting Nazareth trailed by 19 points in the second half before rallying to tie the game in the final minute on a 25-foot, three-point basket by sophomore Brad Ford. Roberts Wesleyan connected on two free throws in the final 3.6 seconds to reclaim the lead and take the victory, 61-59. Senior Jason Corletta surpassed the 1,000-point mark with 25 points Wednesday evening, including 21 in the second half. Corletta currently stands at 1,014 career points.

Following the loss, the Golden Flyers fall to 5-3 overall. The Raiders improve to 4-7 overall with the victory.

After falling behind, Nazareth chipped away at its deficit with tenacious defense. The Golden Flyers forced Roberts into 29 turnovers over the course of the game. With 2:36 remaining, a three-point basket cut the Raiders' lead to five points. On the Golden Flyers' ensuing possession, sophomore Scott Hayford's three-point attempt was short, however, Nazareth's defense forced Roberts into a turnover. Corletta then drew a foul and connected on one of two free throw opportunities. After the Golden Flyers' pressure forced another turnover, Corletta was credited with a two-point basket when the Raiders were called for goaltending. Corletta's basket cut Nazareth's deficit to 55-53.

On the Raiders' next possession, the Golden Flyers forced Roberts into a missed shot. After a scramble for the rebound, William Kemp-Harris collected the loose ball and dropped in a layup to reclaim the Raiders' two-possession lead. With just under a minute to play in regulation, senior Phil Scaffidi and Mike Stone traded two free throws apiece to leave Roberts with a four-point edge, 59-55.

Junior Tyshun Stephens drew a foul on Nazareth's next possession with 38 seconds remaining. Stephens connected on the first free throw and missed the second. Downer collected the rebound for Roberts but was whistled for traveling as he fell to the floor. The turnover provided Ford with the opportunity for his game-tying three-point shot.

Roberts attacked the Golden Flyers' basket without using their final timeout. Alif Bland forced Nazareth to foul him with 3.6 seconds remaining to avoid allowing an open layup. Bland connected on one of two free throw opportunities. Nazareth attempted a baseball pass to inbound the ball, but it was intercepted by the Raiders. Patrick Downer made a free throw with .8 seconds to play for the final two-point margin.

In the first half, the teams traded the first five baskets of the game before Roberts connected on consecutive possessions to claim a 15-7 lead with 11:57 remaining in the first half. The Raiders extended their lead to 12 points just before halftime following two free throws by Stone.

With just 9:43 to play in the second half, Stone provided Roberts with their largest lead of the game, 46-27, after he hit a three-pointer. The Golden Flyers responded with a 13-2 scoring run spanning just three minutes. Corletta and Stephens tallied five points and four points, respectively, during the run, which cut Nazareth's deficit to eight points.

After four free throws by Stone gave Roberts a 12-point lead with 5:06 to play in the period, Ford's game-tying shot capped a 19-7 scoring run. In the final 9:43 of the game, Nazareth's defense forced the Raiders into 11 turnovers and four missed field goals to get the Golden Flyers into the game.

Roberts built their first half lead after Nazareth shot just 5-24 from the field (20 percent) in the first 20 minutes. The Golden Flyers finished 19-30 (63 percent) from the free throw line as opposed to 15-20 (75 percent) from the charity stripe for the Raiders. Roberts also finished with a 34-27 advantage in total rebounds.

In addition to the 25 points by Corletta, Stephens finished with 14 points and Scaffidi added 11 points. Ford finished with seven points while senior Greg Lothridge chipped in two points.

The Golden Flyers travel to New Jersey to face New Jersey City in their next contest, December 17th. The Golden Flyers return to Nazareth January 10th against Wells.