DETROIT (12/15/2016) -- Just in time for the holidays, the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will begin a four-game homestand on Saturday as the Titans host Western Kentucky in historic Calihan Hall.

Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Fans can catch all the action on ESPN3 with Dan Leach on the call alongside former Titan standout Earl Cureton as well as on the radio dial on 910 AM Superstation with Cliff Russell providing the action. Live stats will also be provided.

Detroit Mercy has also teamed up with Health Alliance Plan (HAP) to host a Community Health Day from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Community Health Day will offer residents an opportunity to learn how physical exercise can help shape the overall health, mood, and behavior of students and their families. Community partners like Playworks, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Detroit will show attendees how to make physical exercise fun. Additional information will also be available on a variety of health-related issues, including diabetes, breast cancer awareness, immunizations, hypertension and oral health. To aid this effort, Covenant Community Care will be onsite to provide free screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose and oral health.

After playing just three games at home in the first 10 contests, the Titans will close out the calendar year with four straight on campus.

Tickets to all home games start at just $10, $6 for children and seniors. 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.

ALL-TIME VS. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Detroit Mercy and Western Kentucky are meeting for the second-straight year and just the fourth time overall

The first meeting had a lot on the table as it was in the 1962 NCAA Tournament with the Hilltoppers downing the Titans, 90-81, in Lexington, Kentucky, in what was Detroit Mercy's first ever trip to the big dance. 

Last season, WKU won at home, 79-74, while in 2003, the red, white and blue claimed an 86-65 victory. 

ABOUT THE HILLTOPPERS
Western Kentucky is 4-6 on the season after dropping a 73-51 road contest at No. 20 Saint Mary's on Wednesday.

WKU is currently on a stretch of seven in a row away from home, where they are 3-0 on the season.

Que Johnson - a native of Pontiac and a transfer from Washington State - leads the team in scoring at 14.1 ppg. Justin Johnson is tallying 12.7 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds, while Anton Waters is registering 6.5 points and a team-high 5.9 assists. 

As a team, WKU is averaging 65.0 points, while allowing 70.5 a game. 

TOUGH SCHEDULE
The eleven (11) non-conference foes on the Titan men's basketball schedule posted a 197-161 (.550) last season with four teams making the postseason in East Tennessee State (Vegas 16), Florida State (NIT), New Hampshire (CIT) and Fort Wayne (NIT).

So far, the non-conference foes the Titans have faced are a combined 58-40 (59.1%), including 32-5 (86.4%) for the six non-conference match-ups on the road. 

In the national polls, Florida State is ranked No. 23 in the AP and coaches poll. ETSU is ranked no. 23 in the mid-major poll, while Fort Wayne is receiving votes.  

VS. CONFERENCE USA
Detroit Mercy is 15-5 all-time against current members of Conference USA. 

AGAINST THE BLUEGRASS STATE
Detroit Mercy is 7-13 all-time against teams from Kentucky. 

LOOKING TO REGAIN THE OUTSIDE SHOT
After hitting the three ball at 35.7-percent in the first eight games (60-of-168), the Titans are just 3-of-30 in the last two games, both on the road.

The Titans season high for 3-pointers is 12 against Adrian and on the road at ETSU. 

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
The Titans have shown some improvements on defense since the season has started.

After allowing teams to shoot over 50.0 percent in the first five games, the Titans have held their last five teams to under that mark, including a season-low 40.4 percent at Toledo.

In fact on the road against the Rockets, Detroit Mercy limited the Rockets to just 30.4 percent in the first half, including 1-of-8 from three. 

Also, after being outworked on the boards in seven-straight games - including three by double digits - the Titans have won the glass the last two times with a 43-37 advantage at Toledo and a 39-34 margin at Bowling Green. 

Both of those games also saw Detroit Mercy come away with more offensive boards. 

The 43 boards at Toledo represented the most since the 44 they corralled in the season opener against Adrian. 

UNSTOPPABLE
Junior Jaleel Hogan has once again been an offensive force down low for the Titans as he is tied for fourth in the Horizon League in field-goal percentage at 57.0 percent (49-of-86). 

He is currently second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 58.4 percent trailing only Eli Holman '12 (60.5%). 

JALETHAL
Junior Jaleel Hogan saw his streak of six-straight games in double figures come to an end at Toledo, but he is looking to begin a new one after leading the Titans with 16 points at Bowling Green. 

He has now been in double figures in eight of the 10 Titan games and is tied for first on the team and 14th in the HL in scoring at 13.0 ppg. 

His other double-digit scoring efforts have included: 
16-points at Murray State
11 points against Eastern Michigan
19 points against Manhattan
18 points at New Hampshire
16 points at Illinois
12 at Florida State
12 against Adrian

Hogan has also just missed a double-double a couple of times corralling back-to-back nine-rebound outings against Manhattan and Eastern Michigan. 

HIGH SCORING MCFOLLEY
Sophomore Josh McFolley is currently tied for the team lead and shares 14th in the Horizon League in scoring at 13.0 points per game. 

He has been in double figures seven times already, including the last three games with 10 against Bowling Green, 14 at Toledo and a team-high 17 at Murray State. 

McFolley also owns the Titan best of 25 points on the season at ETSU, 16 at Illinois, 13 at New Hampshire and 18 versus Manhattan. 

He is currently tied for ninth in three-point field goals made (2.0) and is 14th in free throw percentage (75.7%). 

LITTLE GUY, BIG BOARDS
For the second time this season, sophomore Josh McFolley was able to pull down a career best in rebounds coming away with eight at Bowling Green His last time out.

With the 10 points he scored, he just missed his first career double-double.

Earlier this season, he posted his then career high of five boards at Illinois. 

CJ DOES IT ALL
Senior Chris Jenkins is off to a slow start from behind the arc, but he currently ranks eighth in school history in three-point field goal percentage at 40.1 percent (81-of-202). 

Jenkins has scored in double figures in seven games on the season and tallied his first double-double of the year, and fifth of his career, with 15 points and a career-best 14 rebounds at Toledo. 

On the season, he netted his season-high of 18 at Florida State. 

He has also just missed recording a couple of other double-doubles with 13 points and nine boards at Illinois and nine points with eight rebounds against Eastern Michigan. 

Jenkins has handed out an assist in eight games with a season-high five at ETSU.

His last time out at Bowling Green, he finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

He is third on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg.) - 21st in the HL - while topping the squad on the boards (6.6 rpg.) - seventh in the HL.

DRE DAY
Junior DeShawndre Black has had at least three assists in eight of the first 10 games, including a season-best seven assists against Manhattan and five assists at Murray State.

He is currently ninth in the Horizon League with 3.2 assists per game.

Black also has a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season (32 assists, 11 turnovers) - good for second in the HL and ranking 56th in the nation. 

JUST PERFECT
Sophomore Gerald Blackshear Jr. is coming off a few very active games including just missing a double-double by tying his career high with 12 points and pulling down a season-best nine rebounds at Bowling Green. 

He was 6-of-9 shooting, the eighth time this year he has connected on 50.0-percent or more from the field. 

Blackshear Jr. also had 10 points, five boards and a steal at Toledo and eight points, five rebounds and an assist at Murray State. 

He had a solid game recording 10 points (4-6 FG) and six boards against Manhattan, and that was after a nine-point, seven-rebound performance at New Hampshire, where he was 4-of-5 from the field. 

On the year, he is 31-of-47 (66.0%) from the field, good for second in the Horizon League.

Last season, he averaged 4.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game, while shooting a 55.2 percent from the field. 

COREY GETTING IN A ZONE
Freshman Corey Allen has notched double figures in scoring four times this season, including in three-straight games at one point before his outing at BGSU. 

He started that streak with 10 points against Manhattan and then netted a season-high 20 points against Eastern Michigan, where he was 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from deep. At Murray State, he had 16 points and was 5-of-9 from the field with four 3-pointers and tied his season high with five rebounds and two assists. 

In his last four games, he is averaging 11.5 points on 15-of-29 shooting (51.7%) and 10-of-19 (52.8%) from three.

In his first five games, Allen averaged 8.2 points on 36.6 percent shooting (15-of-41) and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from long range.

He is currently fourth on the team in scoring at 10.7 points, 30th in the Horizon League and third most among HL freshmen. 

Allen is also sixth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (44.4%) as well as tied for 13th with 1.8 three-point field goals per game. 

DOUBLE J
Senior Jarod Williams came up with his first career double-double in the season-opening win over Adrian as he ended the contest with 10 points and a career-best 10 boards. 

He came back to record 16 points - just two shy of his career high - at ETSU. 
Williams is once again finding himself offensively averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in the last three games. 

In that span, he posted nine points and five boards at Murray State, 13 points with six rebounds at Toledo and nine points at BGSU. 

On the year, he is shooting 50.0 percent (27-of-54) in averaging 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds.

2017 LITTLE CAESARS MOTOR CITY MADNESS UPDATE
The 2017 Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will run concurrently from March 3-7, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Tickets 

The championship games will be held on Tuesday, March 7, for the Horizon League title and an automatic bid into the NCAA Men's and Women's Tournaments.

2017 marks the final year the Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be contested at Joe Louis Arena before moving to the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, currently under construction in downtown Detroit. 

All tickets for the Little Caesars Horizon League Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will go on sale on Thursday, December 29. Fans can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Joe Louis Arena Box Office, Campus Box Offices, or the Joe Louis Arena Tickets Sales and Service Office at 313-471-7575.

Over 20,900 fans attended the four-day tournament last year, the first neutral-site HL men's basketball championship since 2003.
 

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