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The Titans will look to end a three-game slide when Detroit welcomes Aquinas on “Spencer Haywood” night in Calihan Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The game is part of a UDM doubleheader with the women's team hosting Morehead State at 5 p.m., with the men to follow at 7:35 p.m. A special Spencer Haywood collector's card will be given to the first 1,000 fans in attendance for the basketball doubleheader.
UDM is also offering fans a “Holiday Family Four Pack” package to see both games on Wednesday – four tickets, four hotdogs and four soft drinks for just $24. For more information, fans may contact the Titan Ticket Office at (313) 993-1700 or click on the attached flyer.
The "Voice of the Titans" Matt Dery will have the call of the men's game live on WDTW-AM 1310. For the fourth year in a row, the Horizon League Network will feature a live webcast of the game. Fans can also catch all the action with a live stats feed through CSTV's gametracker.
The Titans (2-6) return home where they have won both of their games this season, claiming a 62-47 victory over EMU on Nov. 22 and a 62-57 decision against Saint Louis on Nov. 29. Detroit has also won 17-straight against non-Division I opponents.
ABOUT AQUINAS
The Aquinas Saints, an NAIA program and a member of the Wolverine Hoosiers Athletic Conference (WHAC), enters the game with a 4-6 record. Aquinas has rebounded from an 0-5 start to win four of its last five games.
The Saints are led by 6-6 senior forward Pedja Lazic. The 2008 WHAC Player of the Year leads the team in scoring (17.0), rebounding (9.7) and assists (2.2). He already has two 20-point games and a 30-point performance on the season.
Junior John Lierman is second on the team with 13 ppg., while senior Jordan Torres is third at 11.5 points per contest.
Dave Hammer is in his sixth season as head coach at Aquinas. In the last three years, he has guided the Saints to two outright WHAC Championships as well as a WHAC post-season tournament title. No stranger to big programs, during his 25-year coaching career, he has served as an assistant at Michigan (1984-88) and SMU (1989-93).
HONORING SPENCER HAYWOOD
UDM will honor former U-D standout Spencer during the contest against Aquinas. There's special significance in the Titans' foe in that 40 years ago, Nov. 30, 1968, the eventual All-American's first collegiate game was also against Aquinas. It ended as a 105-40 rout in favor of Detroit, but the game didn't even go the distance. With 6½ minutes remaining in the contest, Haywood swept in for a thunderous dunk – and broke the backboard in the process, causing the game to be called.
HAYWOOD'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In his only year at U-D, Spencer Haywood went on to set the Titan single season scoring record with 32.1 points per game, a figure that stood fourth in the nation behind legendary Pistol Pete Maravich, Rick Mount and Calvin Murphy. Haywood also led the country with 22.1 rebounds a contest, the only Titan ever to lead the nation in a statistical category, as well as the second highest total in NCAA history. He left U-D after the season to embark on a highly-successful, 12-year pro career. In 2007, his #24 jersey was retired by the Seattle SuperSonics.
AGAINST AQUINAS
The Titans have won all four career meetings against Aquinas, but have not faced the Saints since the 1968-69 season, when Haywood led U-D to a 105-40 rout. Detroit has averaged 94 points per game against Aquinas, while allowing just 64.5, a scoring difference of 29.5 ppg.
HISTORY VS. NON DIVISION I OPPONENTS
The Titans have won their last 17 games against non-Division I foes. The last time Detroit dropped a game outside of Division I was in 1993 when UDM fell to Wayne State, 82-76.
WHAT HE DOES BEST
Junior Woody Payne came away with a career best six steals at Bowling Green, eclipsing the five he had against Rochester last year. On the season, Payne is averaging 2.0 steals per game, a number that puts him tied for fourth in the Horizon League and 84th in the nation. Last year, Payne tallied 1.88 spg., finishing third in the conference and 64th in Division I.
