Box Score
Box Score (PDF)
Box Score (HTML)

PHILADELPHIA (2/28/13) – The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team dropped a hard fought contest to Temple 83-78 Thursday at the Liacouras Center as part of the Chevrolet Gotham Classic. Junior guard Ray McCallum scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Titans.

Detroit (19-11) led at the half, 39-31, and held a 74-71 lead with just over a minute left in regulation, before Temple (20-8) came back late, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Khalif Wyatt, to take the lead 77-74. The Owls then held on down the stretch by making six straight free throws to complete the late comeback.

McCallum finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead the Titans, while classmate Jason Calliste had 19 points and Doug Anderson pitched in 17. Senior Nick Minnerath finished with 15 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds, while Evan Bruinsma grabbed six boards.

Temple scored the first four points of the game, before the Titans responded with a 10-4 run to take a 10-8 lead into the first timeout. Detroit then extend its lead to nine 17-8 with a 7-0 run, which forced Temple to call a timeout. The Owls responded with a 10-4 run to trim the lead to 21-18 with just under eight minutes remaining, but that was as close as the score would get in the first half as the Titans responded with an 8-0 run, including a Sports Center top-10 highlight dunk from Anderson, to build a 29-18 lead with less the seven minutes left. Detroit would carry its 11 point lead for the next four minutes, until Temple closed the half with a 6-3 run to make the score 37-31 at break. Calliste led Detroit with 12 points, while Anderson and Minnerath each had 10.

The Owls started the second half with a 9-2 run to trim Detroit's lead to one, 41-40, before the Titans answered right back with three-pointer from McCallum to extend the lead to four. Temple kept picking at the lead before tying the game 48-48 with 12:53 remaining. But just like the first run the Titans responded with a three point play from Calliste to go back ahead 51-48 with 11:32 left. The Owls finally took the lead 53-51 with 10:47 left, before Detroit scored four straight to regain the lead. After both teams exchanged baskets for the five minutes the Owls were leading 63-60 with just six minutes remaining, before the Titans jumped back with a 14-6 run to build a 74-69 lead with 2:55 on the clock.

After a basket by Wyatt made the score 74-71 with just under two remaining, the Owls forced a turnover at mid-court which led to Wyatt banking in a three-pointer to tie the game. The Titans had a chance to answer back on their next possession, but a missed jumper from Anderson resulted in a quick three for Wyatt on the other end to put the Owls up 77-74. McCallum missed a game tying three on Detroit's next possession and the Titans had to start to foul, which resulted in six-straight made free throws.

The Titans ended the game shooting 51.9 percent (28-54) from the field, while Temple shot 45.8 percent (27-59) overall. The Owls won the battle on the boards, 35-33, and forced 15 Titan turnovers while making five more free throws.

Wyatt finished with 20 points to lead Temple, while Scootie Randall added 18 points and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson hauled down a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with 13 points for his third double-double of the season.

Detroit will conclude its regular season with a visit to Chicago on Saturday, March 2 when the Titans face UIC. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. ET at the UIC Pavilion and will be streamed live on the Horizon League Network.