Box Score

Post-game press conference with head coach Ray McCallum and senior Woody Payne

A valiant second half comeback fell just short for the Detroit Titans men's basketball team as the red, white and blue fell to visiting Tennessee State, 70-69, on Tuesday night. 

UDM (6-3) had two opportunities with under 10 seconds left to take the lead, but twice senior Woody Payne (Inkster, MI/Ypsilanti) was denied the game-winning basket while driving to the rim. 

“There were 6.9 seconds and the ball was in our point guard's hands,” said head coach Ray McCallum. “It's what we wanted. The ball just didn't go our way on that play. But we shouldn't have let it come down to that play. We just didn't have the energy, the sense of urgency we should have, or it wouldn't have come down to the last play.”

Senior Thomas Kennedy (Detroit, MI/Southeastern) led the team with 14 points, while sophomore Chase Simon (Detroit, MI/Community) had 13 points and six boards. Sophomore Donavan Foster (Chicago, IL/Curie) added 11 markers and junior Xavier Keeling (Huntsville, AL/J.O. Johnson) chipped in with 10. 

Payne posted eight points, six boards and six assists. He also reached a milestone with his three steals as he moved into 10th place on the all-time UDM list with 140 career steals. 

The Titans, who trailed for most of the second half but never by more than seven points, would battle back and get within one on five occasions. UDM started its comeback with 12 minutes left. Down by seven, 53-46, senior Eulis Stephens (Detroit, MI/Southeastern) started a UDM spurt with a free throw and then Foster added a layup and a 3-pointer to get Detroit within one, 53-52. 

Every time UDM got within one, though, it was followed by a mini-TSU run to get the deficit back up to five or six. Detroit was finally able to pull ahead with three minutes left when Payne came up with a steal and fed the ball to Keeling, who dunked to put Detroit out in front, 65-64. 

The teams exchanged baskets and UDM would take its final lead of the night, 69-68, off a jumper from Simon with 46 seconds left in the contest. The Titans played good defense, but TSU's Jeremiah Crutcher was able to connect on a long jumper with just under 26 seconds left in the game. 

Detroit struggled early to contain the Tennessee State offense as the Tigers went into the half up 38-34 on the strength of shooting 63% in the stanza. They would finish at 55% for the game, including hitting 8-of-18 from behind the arc. TSU was led by Josh Sain's 25 points and six boards. 

UDM shot 44% in the game and outrebounded the Tigers, 31-21, while also forcing 15 turnovers. 

The Titans will now get ready to face in-state rival Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sunday. Game time is set for noon at Crisler Arena with the contest televised on the Big Ten Network.