MILWAUKEE (1/23/2015) -- Junior Chris Jenkins led four Titans in double figures, but a second-half spurt by Milwaukee spoiled a first-half lead as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team dropped an 83-80 contest on the road on Saturday evening.
 
Jenkins posted his fourth career 20-point game with a team-best 20 points to go with six boards. He was 4-of-6 from three and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line. Sophomore Paris Bass tallied 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals, senior Anton Wilson netted 13 with three assists and junior Jarod Williams tied his season-high with 12 points.

The Titans (9-9, 3-4 HL) trailed by nine in the first half, but overcame that to take a 37-32 lead at the break. Milwaukee (14-6, 5-2 HL) was able to tie it up early in the second and the two teams battled back and forth, with the Panthers coming up with the victory.

Detroit came out of the locker room with the five-point lead, but the Panthers scored 10 of the second half's first 14 points to knot it all up at 41-41 just three minutes in. Bass stopped that with a three and UDM would lead by four, 47-43, as Wilson hit all three of his free throws at the 16:34 mark.

The game would be tied two more times after that until a layup by senior Carlton Brundidge put the Titans ahead, 53-50, with 14:48 remaining. Milwaukee then surged ahead, 67-60, on a 17-7 run over the next six minutes. The Panthers then increased the margin to eight on two occasions, the latest at 72-64 with 4:19 left. 

Detroit had one final comeback attempt left and Bass started it with a layup. Jenkins made two free throws and after a basket by Milwaukee, Wilson went to the basket for a bucket. The Titans then forced a turnover resulting in Bass slamming it down to trim the deficit to just two, 74-72, with just under two minutes to go, but that was as close as Detroit would get.

The Titans shot 47.2 percent (25-of-53) with eight 3-pointers. UDM also forced 15 turnovers and had seven steals. 

Milwaukee came out hitting some shots early on, but the Titan defense came together to hold down the Panthers for much of the first half. The Panthers led, 20-11, with 10:34 left in the first when Detroit caught fire offensively and defensively, ending the stanza on a 26-11 run, where it held Milwaukee to 2-of-14 shooting with five turnovers. 

Detroit jumped in front, 23-22, at the 5:38 mark as a steal by Brundidge set up another Williams' layup. The Titans led by as many as eight, 37-29, as Jenkins had five points in the final 1:10, including a trifecta that made it 37-29, before taking a 37-31 advantage at the break.

UDM held Milwaukee to 10-of-27 shooting (37.0%) and 1-of-13 from behind the arc with eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action. The Titans were 12-of-29 (41.4%) from the field, 5-of-10 from three and 8-of-11 (72.7%) at the line. Detroit also had a 7-2 edge on second-chance points and recorded five steals and two blocks. 

Detroit will return to the court on Monday, Jan. 25, as the Titans head to Green Bay. Opening tip is set for 8:00 p.m. (EST) at the Resch Center. 

Game Notes:
Detroit now trails the all-time series, 25-21… Detroit has dropped four in a row in league play for the first time since 2013-14…  The Titans had four players in double figures for the 11th time this season… Williams also had 12 points at Vanderbilt… Jenkins now has four career 20-point games, including three this season… Jenkins was perfect at the free throw line hitting all eight of his attempts and is now 50-of-58 (86.2%) on the season… His 20 points was the most since netting a career-high 26 against UCF... Wilson now has 837 career points... Bass is now averaging 20.1 points per game in Horizon League play…