Box Score

Post-game with Head Coach Ray McCallum, Xavier Keeling and Eulis Stephens

HLN Video Highlights

Four Titans scored in double figures and UDM forced 26 turnovers as the Detroit men's basketball team rolled past Central Michigan, 76-58, on Tuesday night at Calihan Hall. 

"This was an important win,” said head coach Ray McCallum. “You've got to have your focus and we didn't at the start. Central had their backs to the wall after losing a game, they needed a win and they came out of the gate hard. That gave us a double-digit deficit. We went to the bench and they got us back into the game.” 

With the victory, Detroit moved to 8-4 on the season and swept all three games from the Mid-American Conference opponents on its schedule. The win also gave UDM more victories then it has had in each of the last two seasons. Central Michigan fell to 4-7 on the year. Central Michigan fell to 4-7 on the year. 

Senior Thomas Kennedy (Detroit, MI/Southeastern) led the way with a game-high 17 points to with a season-best eight rebounds. Junior Lamar Lee (Lafayette, IN/Jefferson) tied his season high with 13 points going 5-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from three, while junior Xavier Keeling (Huntsville, AL/J.O. Johnson) and sophomore Chase Simon (Detroit, MI/Community) had 10 apiece. Senior Woody Payne (Inkster, MI/Ypsilanti) handed out a career-high nine assists and had six rebounds and five points. 

Detroit shot 53% for the game (26-of-49) and forced 26 CMU turnovers, a season high as well as the most since Eastern Michigan had 26 against UDM last season. 

Down by 11, 19-8, nearly eight minutes into the game, the Titans exploded for a 20-2 run, which included 17 straight points, to take over the lead that they would never give back. The UDM defense got the Titans back in it, forcing turnover after turnover, 10 in all during the spurt. Lee got the offense off and running with the first of two 3-pointers during the run that featured five other Titans scoring to put Detroit out in front, 28-21. 

"We were disappointing to start the game, but we got a lot of energy and spark off the bench. I haven't been in too many games where the bench gave us 27 points. That's a lot of production from those guys,” added McCallum. 

CMU was able to cut it to two, 28-26, but then Keeling found Simon in the corner for a three and he was fouled on the play connecting on the free throw as well igniting a 14-6 tally to end the half with Detroit up 42-32. 

It was more of the same in the second half as the Chippewas once again scored first with four straight points to trim the lead to six, 42-36, but another huge Titan offensive blew the game wide open as Detroit went on a 17-2 attack to take an insurmountable 21-point advantage, 59-38, with 10:52 left in the game.

UDM would keep its lead at double digits for the rest of the game as it cruised to its second straight win.
 
Detroit will take the rest of the week off for Christmas break before returning to action on Monday against Shawnee State. The game, which tips at 7 p.m., will feature a special gift to all who attend with:
FREE Parking for all fans
Buy One, Get One FREE for all tickets
$2 general admission tickets for all city of Detroit residents (with proper ID)
FREE tickets for all fire, police, and rescue personnel (with proper ID)
The Titan Ticket office will open at noon on gameday.