DETROIT (11/7/2016) -- Freshman
Corey Allen led five Titans in double figures with 19 points as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team ended its preseason with an 85-79 loss to Ferris State.
Sophomore
Aaron Foster-Smith tallied 15 points, six rebounds and a team-high three steals and junior
Jaleel Hogan added 12 points and five boards. Senior
Jarod Williams recorded 11 points, eight rebounds and a team-best three assists and sophomore
Gerald Blackshear had a double-double collecting 10 points and 10 caroms along with a team-high five blocks.
The game was the final tune-up for the regular season, which will be on Friday, Nov. 11, when the red, white and blue host Adrian College. It will be a special Veterans Day promotion as the Titans have "joined forces" with the Michigan Veterans Foundation and all veterans and active military members, with proper ID, can receive free tickets in advance or on game day and an additional ticket for a friend or family member. Others in the group can purchase tickets for half-price.
Detroit Mercy was down by 18, 79-61, with 4:42 left when the Titans made one last charge to claim the game going on a 13-2 run over the next two minutes. The Titans were 4-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line during that span, all while forcing three Ferris State turnovers and holding the Bulldogs to 0-of-4 shooting.
Blackshear started it with a free throw and after a forced turnover, Hogan was able to get inside for a layup. Allen then scored five in a row, including the old-fashioned three-point play, to make it 79-69. After another Ferris State miscue, Hogan got loose again inside for a bucket and Detroit Mercy was down 79-71 with 2:22 remaining.
Almost a minute later, Blackshear converted on three of four free throws to make it a seven-point contest, 81-74, with 1:12 left. A final heave at the buzzer from Williams made the final, 85-79.
The Titans forced 16 turnovers on the day and came away with six steals.
Sophomore
Josh McFolley netted five points in his first action of the preseason and freshman
Ed Carter III ended the game with four points.
It was a game of runs early on as Ferris State scored the first four points, only to see the Titans run off seven in a row. The Bulldogs then went on an 11-2 run and led 14-9 with 11:50 left in the first.
Ferris State led by as many as eight after that, but Allen caught fire scoring seven-straight, including a triple that had the Titans within one, 23-22, with 6:57 left in the half. The Bulldogs, though, would hold off the Titan charge and take a 49-35 lead at the break and led by double digits for much of the second half until the final Titan spurt.
To purchase tickets online, visit
detroittitans.com/tix. To purchase over the phone or for more information on game and season tickets, contact Director of Ticket Operations & Sales
Justin Hairston at 313-993-1700 ext. 7301 or at
hairstjj1@udmercy.edu.
Game Notes:
Detroit Mercy and Ferris State have only met one time during the regular season, a 59-58 Titan victory during the 1993-94 campaign…. Ferris State made the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen last season after posting 20 wins for the second- straight year… Detroit Mercy dropped both exhibition games by the same score... The Titans were without the services of senior
Chris Jenkins who missed the game with an undisclosed injury… Sophomore
Josh McFolley returned to action after missing the first preseason game with an injury.
