TOLEDO (11/24/14) – The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team used a 25-8 run in the final 10 minutes of action to win the first sub-regional game of the Progressive Legends Classic 69-55 over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday at Savage Arena.
 
Detroit (3-2) trailed 47-44 with 10:04 remaining in regulation, before Horizon League Freshman of the Week Paris Bass took over scoring seven of the next 10 points to give the Titans a 54-48 lead. A lead they wouldn't relinquish.
 
With the win the Titans moved on to play in the sub-regional championship game against Toledo, which beat Bucknell 92-65 in the nightcap. The game will be played tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 25) at Savage Arena with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. 
 
Bass finished with 11 points – all in the last 10 minutes of the game – including a thunderous dunk over everyone to put the Titans up by 10. Altogether Bass finished with 11 points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot in 10 minutes.
 
Junior guard Anton Wilson led Detroit with a team-high 14 points, while senior forward Juwan Howard Jr. pitched in 12 and his classmate Brandan Kearney added 11. Sophomore guard Matthew Grant added eight points to go along with four steals, while junior guard Carlton Brundidge added seven points with three steals.
 
Both teams swapped baskets to start the game as the score was tied 9-9 during the first media timeout. UMES (1-5) then started to piece together a little run to build an 18-13 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the half. The Titans would answer back with a 5-0 run – including a three-point play the old fashion way from Howard to tie the score at 18 with 8:08 left. The Hawks would use a 6-3 run to build a 24-21 lead with four minutes remaining before a 6-0 run from the Titans, capped off by a jumper from Kearney gave Detroit a 27-24 lead with 2:01 remaining. But UMES would close the half with a 5-0 run to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room. Howard led Detroit with eight points in the first half, while Grant and Kearney had six points, respectively.
 
UMES shot 50 percent (12-fo-24) overall in the first half, while Detroit only connected on 30.8 percent (8-of-26) of its shots. The Hawks also dominated on the boards 22-13, to become the first team this season to hold a lead over the Titans during intermission.

The second half started out similar to the first as both teams exchanged baskets, before UMES built its largest lead of the game 39-33 with 15:23 remaining. The Hawks would maintain the lead as they were up 45-41 heading into the under-12 minute media timeout. Following the timeout is when Detroit started to chip away at the deficit. Five-straight points from Bass would give Detroit a slim 49-48 lead with 8:35 remaining, before a three-pointer from Wilson seemed to open the flood gates. Following the trifecta from Wilson the Titans would close the game with a 17-7 run including a little dunk fest from Bass, Kearney and Grant in the closing minutes.
 
Detroit shot 50 percent (13-of-26) in the second stanza, while holding UMES to just 30.8 percent (8-of-26). Detroit also won the battle on the boards in the second stage 21-14. Overall both teams shot 40 percent, but Detroit's defensive pressure forced 20 Hawks turnovers that resulted in 29 points.
 
Following a much needed Thanksgiving break after playing five games in eight days Detroit will host Bowling Green on Sunday, Nov. 30 to begin a four-game home stand. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. at Calihan Hall and will be televised locally on WADL and nationally on ESPN3. The game can also be listened to on 97.1 The Ticket with the voice of the Titans Dan Leach.