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The first Division I men's basketball contest of the New Year will take place in the Motor City as Detroit gets back into Horizon League play when the Titans host Youngstown State on Thursday, Jan. 1. Tip-off is slated for a 1:05 p.m. start at Calihan Hall.

Matt Dery will have all the action live on WDFN-AM 1130. The game can be seen on the Horizon League Network, now in its fourth year of existence, as well as viewed with a live stats feed on CSTV's gametracker.

All fans attending Thursday's game will be admitted free of charge with parking also free. The Titan Athletic Department will sell Bloody Mary beverages in the Titan Club Room as well as offering a non-alcoholic version of the drink for free at the concession stands. Fans can also stop by the main athletic office at any time prior to tip-off for complimentary aspirin and ibuprofen.

Detroit (4-7) is coming off a 67-44 win at Central Michigan on Dec. 23, a victory that ended a 19-game road losing streak. Junior Thomas Kennedy has been the Titans' main scorer in the last three games averaging 17.3 a night.

Youngstown State (3-8) downed Lock Haven, 81-60, on Monday night and will look to win their fifth straight game against UDM, including its second straight in the Motor City. 

ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State struggled out of the gate losing seven of its first eight, but the Penguins have rebounded to win two of their last three games. Two of YSU's three victories on the season have come against non-Division I programs in Allegheny and Lock Haven. 

YSU enters the contest as the second highest scoring team in the Horizon League at 70.1 points per game, but the Penguins are also last in the league in scoring defense allowing 72 points a night.
Junior college transfer Kelvin Bright leads the team with 14.4 ppg., which is good for fifth in the conference. He is also averaging 3.3 caroms and nearly two assists per game. 

Sophomore Vytas Sulskis is second on the squad at 12.2 ppg., to go along with 4.1 rpg., and 2.5 apg. The 6-7 Lithuanian guard is a tough cover and already has five 20+ point scoring efforts in his career. 

Head Coach Jerry Slocum is in his fourth year at Youngstown State, where he is 33-67. Overall, he is in his 34th year of coaching with an all-time record of 610-392.

DETROIT VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Titans have dominated the series with a 17-6 mark against the Penguins, but YSU has won the last four meetings, including its first ever victory in the Motor City, 70-66, on Jan. 12, 2008. UDM now stands 12-1 all-time in Detroit against its conference foe.

FIRST DIVISION I GAME OF 2009
Thursday's contest, set for a 1:05 p.m. start, is slated to be the first Division I men's college basketball game of the 2009 year. The Titans will also be the only men's Division I program in Michigan to play on New Years Day. 

All total, nine Division I men's games will be played on Jan. 1, with four other games scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start.

WHAT A TYRL
Senior walk-on Tryl Hartfield scored a career high 14 points at Central Michigan on Dec. 23, helping the Titans end a 19-game road losing streak. Hartfield was 3-of-6 from the field, 2-of-4 from three and a career best 6-for-6 from the free throw line. The Wyoming, MI native had scored just 19 career points in just 29 games in his four years at Detroit.

CAUSING MISCUES
The Titans forced Central Michigan into 16 turnovers their last time out. That defensive effort came after forcing Illinois into 20 on Dec. 20, the second time this year the tough UDM defense forced 20+ turnovers in a game (Detroit forced 26 EMU errors on Nov. 22). 

In the last three games, UDM has turned 51 opponent miscues into 51 points. On the year, the Titan “D” is causing opponents into 14.7 mishaps per contest.

KENNEDY'S SCORING SPREE
After being held to just two points at Bowling Green on Dec. 14, junior Thomas Kennedy has rebounded to lead the Titans in scoring the last three games with 17 points against Aquinas and at Illinois and tying his season high with 18 points at CMU. Against the Chippewas, Kennedy put the game away scoring 13 straight points during a UDM 19-6 run to help the Titans end a 19-game road slide.
In the last three contests, Kennedy is averaging 17.3 ppg., shooting 20-of-37 (54%) from the field and 10-of-13 (76%) from the free throw line as well as grabbing 3.7 rpg.

GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE
Detroit made 29 of 33 free throws (88%) in its 67-55 victory at Central Michigan on Dec. 23. It was the most free throws made and attempted by UDM since a 31-of-34 effort at Cleveland State on Feb. 8, 2006. 

On the year, the Titans are averaging 20.1 free throws per game, up from 13.2 a contest last year. Detroit already has six games on the year where it has gone to the line 19 or more times, once again, an improvement over last year, which saw UDM go to the charity stripe 19+ times on just six occasions.

FEE EARNING MORE MINUTES
Freshman walk-on Jordan Fee has given the UDM coaches some key minutes on the year. With injuries to two of their main players (Keeling, Stephens) Fee has stepped in to average 14.4 minutes per game in the Titans' last three contests, providing some defense and timely baskets. Against Central Michigan, Fee was 3-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the victory as well as beating the shot clock with a 3-pointer earlier in the game.