Gameday Central - Toledo DETROIT (12/8/2015) -- Stormtroopers might be in the building, but it will be the Rockets that the Titans will look to fend off as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team hosts Toledo on Star Wars Night on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
The game is part of a Titan doubleheader as the women host IPFW at 5:00 p.m., before the men face the Rockets at 7:30 p.m. The men's game will be televised locally on WADL-TV 38 as well as streamed online at ESPN3.com and the Watch ESPN App, with Matt Dery and Earl Cureton on the call. Fans can listen to the Voice of the Titans
Dan Leach on an online audio stream on 97.1 (available online or on your phone with the Tunein or Radio.com APP). Live stats will also be available.
Star Wars night will give fans a chance to mingle with Star Wars characters and even dress up yourself for a chance to win a prize. Fans will also have an opportunity to win tickets to go and see the new movie - Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which premieres on Dec. 18, 2015.
For tickets, call 313-993-1700 or visit
detroittitans.com/tix.
DETROIT VS. TOLEDOThis is the 56th career meeting between Detroit and Toledo as the Midwest rivals are separated by just 67 miles.
The teams have split the last 10 meetings and no program has won more than two in a row since Toledo claimed five straight from 1985-90.
The Titans trail the all-time match-up, 31-24, but are 17-11 at home in the series and have won five of the last six against UT in Calihan Hall.
ABOUT THE ROCKETSToledo enters the game at 6-2, including two-straight wins over Horizon League-rivals Cleveland State and at Green Bay. UT has played just two games at home to start the year and is in the middle of a stretch that will see it play four-straight games against HL foes.
The Rockets are averaging 80.8 points per game, led by Jonathan Williams' 19.9 ppg. He is shooting 50.4 percent from the field with 15 from long distance.
Nathan Booth is tallying 19.6 ppg., and team-highs in rebounding (9.3) and assists (4.7), while Stuckey Mosley is posting 12.9 ppg., 6.0 rpg., and 3.8 apg.
Tod Kowalczyk is in his sixth year at the helm of the Rockets. He also knows Detroit pretty well as he was the head coach at Green Bay for eight years before coming to Toledo.
CALIHAN HOSPITALITYThe Titans have made life tough for non-conference opponents visiting Calihan Hall as Detroit is 79-19 in its last 98 home games against non-league schools.
AGAINST THE BUCKEYE STATEThe Titans are 266-208 (.560) all-time against programs that reside in the state of Ohio.
WE LOVE THE 80'SDid you know that Detroit is a remarkable 49-5 overall when scoring 80 or more points under head coach
Ray McCallum.
The Titans are even better outside of the Horizon League where they have a 25-2 record when reaching 80 points.
Year-by-Year Mark When Reaching 802015-16 (2-1)
2014-15 (6-0)
2013-14 (3-2)
2012-13 (14-1)
2011-12 (9-0)
2010-11 (8-1)
2009-10 (7-0)
POINTS, POINTS, POINTSThe Titans have had a great start to the year offensively as they are 26th in the nation - and second in the HL - in scoring averaging 85.3 points per game.
OFFENSIVE ATTACKDetroit has scored at least 76 points in five of its six games, including 88 or more three times. The lone contest it did not reach that amount was at #16/13 Vanderbilt (52).
UDM has also made at least 30 field goals in three of its six games and has posted 39 baskets in two of the past four games.
Against UM-Dearborn, the Titans were 39-of-68 from the field (57.4%), including 15-of-27 (55.6%) from behind the arc and 29-of-39 (74.4%) at the free throw line. It was the highest field goal percentage since finishing at 68.2 percent in a victory at Youngstown State last season.
The 29 free throws were the most since going 37-of-43 at the charity stripe against Stony Brook in a triple overtime game in 2013
BOMBS AWAYDetroit was 15-of-27 from three against UM-Dearborn on Nov. 23, the most since knocking down 15 against DePaul in 2007.
UDM drained another 11 triples at nationally-ranked Vanderbilt and has now tallied 10 or more treys three times this season.
Last year, UDM hit 10 or more 3-pointers just three times all year.
The Titans are currently 31st in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (40.1%) and 36th in three-point field goals per game (9.5).
POST PLAYUDM has outscored its counterpart in the paint, 219-174, including 46-20 against UM-Dearborn, 55-20 at Oral Roberts and 36-20 over Northeastern.
GETTING HOT EARLYSenior
Anton Wilson recorded his third career 20-point game as he led Detroit with 20 markers at Pittsburgh on Nov. 20.
He scored all 20 of his points in the first 20 minutes of play, the first Titan to score 20 in the first half since Nick Minnerath had 21 against Valparaiso on Jan. 17, 2013.
It was also one point off his career high of 21 set against UM-Dearborn in 2013.
Wilson now has five double-digit scoring games on the year as he put in 13 points in the opener versus Central State, 19 at Oral Roberts, a team-high 14 at #16/13 Vanderbilt and 10 in the win over Northeastern.
He currently leads the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game and is also third in rebounding (5.2).
MCFOLLEY NETS ANOTHER HL HONOROff his 20-point performance in a big victory over Northeastern, University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball rookie
Josh McFolley was tabbed the Horizon League Freshman of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, Dec. 7.
McFolley tallied a season-best 20 points in a 76-73 victory over the Huskies. He was 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from behind the arc and also came away with an assist and a steal.
He started the week with 11 points at No. 16/13 Vanderbilt, hitting 3-of-7 from downtown.
For the week, he averaged 15.5 points per game and shot 53.8 percent from three.
The top scoring freshman in the HL, he is currently third on the team in offense at 13.6 ppg., and leads all conference freshmen in field-goal percentage (45.6%) and three-point field goals per game (2.4).
TRIPLE 3 SPECIALITYSenior
Anton Wilson started the season with back-to-back games hitting four 3-pointers, and he added another game with four treys nailing four at #16/13 Vanderbilt.
He now has 13 career game with four or more treys.
He also has 68 career games with at least two 3-pointers and 21 games knocking down at least three triples.
#1 SHOOTING 3'SSharpshooting senior
Anton Wilson continues to make his name show up in the Titan record books.
He shot 41.8 percent from behind the arc last season, a number that ranks sixth in school history as he was 56-of-134 from long distance.
With his four triples in the season opener, he passed Titan legend and 12-year NBA veteran Willie Green and is now eighth in school history with 136 career 3-pointers.
He is also sixth in school history with a 40.1 career three-point field goal percentage.
Titan Career 3-Point Field Goal Leaders1. Rashad Phillips, 1998-01 - 348
2. Desmond Ferguson, 1998-00 - 235
3. Dwayne Kelley, 1990-93 - 224
4. Jon Goode, 2005-08 - 202
5. Greg Grays, 2001-02 - 169
6. Michael Jackson, 1992-95 - 157
7.
Juwan Howard Jr., 2012-15 - 146
8.
Anton Wilson, 2012-pre. - 136
Titan career 3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders1. Archie Tullos, 1985-88 - .433
2. Bill Wood, 1987-90 - .415
3. Tony Tolbert, 1993-94 - .409
Jon Goode, 2005-08 - .409
5. Derrick Hayes, 1997-98 - .405
6.
Anton Wilson, 2012-pre. - .401
EASY POINTSSenior
Anton Wilson is a career 83.9 percent shooter at the free throw line connecting on 78-of-93 career attempts.
He does not have enough free throw attempts to qualify for the school record book, or his career percentage would rank fourth.
DOUBLE-UP CHRISJunior
Chris Jenkins has scored in double figures in four-straight games, which includes a career high in points and a double-double.
He is coming off a 14-point, six-rebound performance against Northeastern, where he was 5-of-8 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers. He also recorded two assists, two steals and a block.
At #16/13 Vanderbilt on Dec. 2, he netted 11 points hitting three 3-pointers and registering a career-high four steals.
At Oral Roberts on Nov. 28, Jenkins had 16 points and a career-tying 13 rebounds for his second career double-double.
He started the streak with a career-high 25 points four rebounds and three assists against UM-Dearborn, his second career 20-point game.
He is currently second on the team in scoring (13.7) and rebounding (5.5) and is shooting 49.1 percent (22-of-47) overall, 44.0 percent (11-of-25) from three and 89.5 percent (17-of-19) at the charity stripe.
JA-LETHALSophomore
Jaleel Hogan recorded a career-high 16 points at Pittsburgh as he was a career-best 7-of-12 from the field with five rebounds.
He then had a 15-point performance - in just 15 minutes of action due to foul trouble - at Oral Roberts, where he was 7-of-11 from the field.
He is currently fifth on the team with 4.7 rebounds per game and 10.0 points per game, all while shooting 53.3 percent (24-of-45).
PAINT MANWith his strength, sophomore
Jaleel Hogan is uncanny in the paint showcased by his career 59.3 percent (86-of-145) field goal percentage.
Last season, he ended the year with a blistering 62.0 field goal percentage (62-of-100), which would rank third in school history for a single season, but was 25 shot attempts shy from qualifying for that mark.
TOTAL CONTROLSenior
Carlton Brundidge has run the offense with excellence so far shown by his Horizon League-best 4.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year.
He has 24 assists against just five turnovers.
GREAT START FOR CBCarlton Brundidge has jumped out to a quick start in his final year of eligibility.
Through six games, he leads the team with 4.0 assists - sixth in the Horizon League - and is fourth in scoring (10.8) and fifth in rebounding (4.3). He is also shooting 43.1 percent from the field and has seven steals.
Brundidge posted a career-best 23 points at Oral Roberts - 17 in the second half - where he was a career-high 10-of-19 from the field with five boards and two assists.
He had 14 points in the season opener and followed that up with 12 points at Pittsburgh. Against UM-Dearborn, he scored 10 points and handed out a career-high nine helpers.
The four-straight games in double figures to start the year was also a career-best streak.
GERALD'S CASEFreshman
Gerald Blackshear had an excellent start to his career and is coming off a career night where he scored 12 points and had five rebounds with a block in the win over Northeastern.
In his collegiate debut, he posted a game-high 10 rebounds to go with six points, three assists, three steals and a block against Central State.
He then had seven boards with three blocks against UM-Dearborn, seven caroms with seven points at Oral Roberts and six rebounds at #16/13 Vanderbilt.
Blackshear currently leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game, eighth in the HL.
THEFT ALERTJunior
Jarod Williams is back for the Titans and the opposition should take note of that.
Williams led Detroit last year with 40 steals, after tallying 33 as a freshman, the second-highest total on the team.
He has played in 71 career games with 54 starts and is averaging 7.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game.
WHAT A DEBUTFreshman
Josh McFolley didn't have to wait long before he made an impact as he scored the first basket of the year for the Titans and led Detroit with 17 points in the season-opening victory over Central State.
McFolley was 7-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-8 from three, finishing with a team-high 17 points in just 26 minutes.
He is the first Detroit netter to lead his team in scoring in his Titan debut since sophomore Chase Simon had 17 at California in 2009. He is also the first freshman to lead the team in scoring in his collegiate debut since Jerry Davis had 18 against Toledo in 1978.
On Nov. 23, he was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week after notching 17 against CSU and eight at Pittsburgh.
AN AFS SIGHTINGRedshirt freshman
Aaron Foster-Smith has been improving every game.
He played 24 minutes in the season opener and registered nine points on 4-of-7 shooting with a pair of blocks and two rebounds. He also had 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting - 4-of-4 from three - against UM-Dearborn.
On the year, he is averaging 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds and shooting 54.8 percent (17-of-31) overall, including 6-of-10 from behind the arc.
GIBSON PROTECTING THE RIMFreshman
Jalen Gibson has seen limited action in the first five games, but that has not stopped him from showing off some of his defensive skills.
He currently leads the team with six blocks, including two at Pittsburgh - where he played just two minutes.
He is also averaging 2.4 rebounds per game and had a nine-board performance against UM-Dearborn in just 11 minutes of action.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARDThe Titans dropped a 100-95 contest at Oral Roberts on Nov. 28.
It was the highest combined score in a Titan game since UDM lost to Stony Brook, 104-102, in triple overtime in 2013.
It was also the highest combined score in regulation since Detroit downed Duquesne, 108-97, in 1989.
PROTECT THE ROCKThe Titans committed 25 turnovers in the season opener, but still came away with a win.
Since that game, Detroit has turned it over a total of 52 times in the last five outings.
KEEPING IT ALIVE The Titans have been hitting the offensive glass outrebounding Vanderbilt, 13-11, and Oral Roberts, 20-8, on the offensive end.
DEFENSIVE NUMBERSThe offense might be averaging over 80 points so far, but the defense has had some strong outings.
In the season opener, Detroit held Central State to 32.4 percent shooting, including just 4-of-18 (22.2%) from three, while outrebounding the Marauders, 52-35. The Titans had nine blocks, the most since Detroit swatted away nine against Youngstown State in last year's Horizon League Championship first round game and also recorded nine steals.
Against UM-Dearborn, UDM registered nine steals and forced 21 turnovers - turning those into 40 points.
In the win over Northeastern - who came in averaging just 13.3 turnovers per game - the Titans forced 24 turnovers and posted a season-high 13 steals. The 24 turnovers were the most by a Titan opponent since Arizona State had 24 in the NIT game in 2013, while the 13 steals were the most since posting 13 at Valparaiso last season.
