Complete game notes (.pdf)

GAME 27
Detroit Titans (14-12, 8-6 HL) at Valparaiso Crusaders (17-7, 9-3)
Date:  Feb. 10, 2011 - 8:05 pm EST
Location: Valparaiso, Ind.
Arena:  Athletics-Rec. Center (5,000)
Live stats: valpoathletics.com
Live video: horizonleague.tv
TV: FOX Sports Detroit HD
Series:  Tied, 7-7
Last year:  UDM, 2-1
*Valpo 67, @Detroit 77 (1/8/10)
*@Valpo 74, Detroit 70 (2/6/10)
*HL: Valpo 82 vs Detroit 89 (3/2/10)
This year: Valpo, 1-0
Jan. 16- Valpo 78, @Detroit 68

ON TAP
The Titans will battle their second straight first-place team when they travel to Valparaiso Thursday.  The Crusaders were 10-point winners over the Titans back on. Jan. 16 at Calihan Hall (78-68).  Detroit will have the opportunity to further jumble the already-packed standings in the Horizon League as six teams are within two games of first place in the league.

ABOUT VALPARAISO
The Crusaders were the benefactor of Detroit's win over Cleveland State Monday, moving back into a virtual tie for first place in the Horizon League standings.  Valpo takes a 9-3 conference mark into Thursday's game, controlling its own destiny down the stretch with one fewer loss than both Cleveland State and Wright State, both of whom sit at 10-4 in league play.
Valparaiso's high-powered offense is headed by Brandon Wood (16.2 ppg) and Cory Johnson (15.0).  The Crusaders have alternated wins and losses in their last four games with both wins coming in overtime (vs. Butler, at Youngstown).

LAST MEETING
Valparaiso used a hot start to grab a 78-68 win over Detroit at Calihan Hall Jan. 16.  Valpo (14-5, 6-1) connected on 13 of its first 16 shots to grab the lead in the early going and never looked back, remaining atop the Horizon League standings.
Nick Minnerath had a double-double with then-career-highs-- 23 points and 12 rebounds-- but Detroit (10-9, 4-3 HL) couldn't dig itself out of a hole created in the first half with the Crusaders' jump start.  
Ray McCallum assisted Minnerath's effort with 16 points and three steals while Jason Calliste chipped-in 10 points for UDM.
Brandon Wood led Valpo with 17 points.

VIEWING PARTY
A group of people will be gathering this Thursday at Champps West Bloomfield to watch the Titans men's basketball game  Valparaiso. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The night gets started with the premiere of the newest Detroit Titan Court Report on FOX Sports Detroit at 7:30 p.m. followed by the game at 8:00 p.m. with Dan Dickerson (play-by-play) and former Titan standout Earl Cureton (color analyst) on the call.

NICK'S KNACK
It has been a great 2011 for Nick Minnerath thus far.  Since the calendar turned to the new year, the junior is averaging a team-high 13.8 points per game.  All four of his 20-point performances have come in that 12-game span.  He is 9-of-20 from three-point range in the new year and has hit six of his last nine from distance.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Detroit makes the trek south on I-65 to Indianapolis to take on Butler Saturday.  The game will be aired nationally on ESPN2 with an 8:05 p.m. tip.  The Titans and Bulldogs are separated by just a half-game in the Horizon League standings heading into Thursday's action.

AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
Several Titans have their names appear among the NCAA Division I leaders in the Feb. 3 report.  As the time of the release, junior Eli Holman had 10 double-doubles, which ranked 21st.  He also was 18th in rebounds per game (10.1).  LaMarcus Lowe was 18th in the NCAA with his 2.7 blocks per game clip.  Ray McCallum's 4.8 assists per game is 61st while Nick Minnerath cracked the report with his .833 free-throw percentage (90th).

MAC OF DIMES
Freshman Ray McCallum is among the top freshman in the country, ranking second in NCAA D-I in total assists heading into Thursday's action.  McCallum's 4.9 per game average ranks tied for second among all Horizon League players.  A look at those freshman with at least 100 assists (through Feb. 6).

NCAA D-I Freshman Assist Leaders
1. Juwan Staten, Dayton                   147
2. Ray McCallum, Detroit                120
3. Brian Voelkel, Vermont               114
4. Kendall Marshall, UNC                 110
     Jason Brickman, Long Island       110
6. Luke Davis, Gardner-Webb        106
7. Tyreek Duren, LaSalle                  102
8. Sean McGonagill, Brown             101
    Kendall Williams, New Mexico   101

LEADING THE LEAGUE
Eli Holman leads the Horizon League in both offensive (3.5 rpg) and defensive (6.5 rpg) rebounds per game (10.0 total).  He is also second in field goal percentage, connecting on 59.8 percent of his shots (113-of-189) and is 5th in blocks (1.6 bpg).

THE LOWE DOWN
Junior LaMarcus Lowe blocked another shot in Monday's win, giving him 68 for the season.  Lowe's block total ranks second in the Horizon League and he now has 16 games with multiple rejections this season.  He has 18 blocks in his last five  games combined.

Single-season block records at UDM
1. Terry Tyler, 1978 .....................    172
2. Terry Tyler, 1976 ......................   107
3. Terry Tyler, 1977 ......................   86
4. Eli Holman, 2010 ......................    77
5. LaMarcus Lowe, 2011 ............68
    Greg Grant, 1992......................   65
7. Stacy Johnson, 1988 .................  63
     Brian Humes, 1986 ...................  63
9. Keith Jackson, 1979 ..................  61
10. Alan Renner-Thomas, 1994 .... 56
       Brian Alexander, 1998 ............ 56
(*block records not kept before 1976)

TOUGH ROAD
Detroit will have its work cut out for itself over the final three weeks of the regular season.  UDM has five games remaining, four away from home.  Included in the opponents are teams all ranked above Detroit in the current Horizon League standings (at #1 Valpo, at T-4 Butler, at T-2 Wright State).