DETROIT (1/16/2017) -- Sophomore Josh McFolley scorched the Youngstown State defense with a career high eight 3-pointers and 26 points and the Titan defense forced 21 Penguin miscues as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team ran past YSU, 87-71, on Monday night.
 
It was the second-straight win for Detroit Mercy.
 
McFolley was 8-of-14 overall and 8-of-11 from three besting his previous high of seven triples he knocked down at ETSU earlier in the season. He also had three rebounds and three assists.
 
Senior Jarod Williams scored 11 points with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. Senior Patrick Robinson Jr. posted 10 points hitting a pair of triples and sophomore Gerald Blackshear Jr. netted 10 points with four boards.
 
Each team was shooting the ball well from the field at the start as neither squad could go on a big run to take the lead. In the first 10 minutes, no team led by more than three points and there were seven ties in the contest.
 
The game was tied at 22-22 when a free throw by freshman Cole Long – who tied his season high with six points and six rebounds - and a three by McFolley put the red, white and blue ahead, 26-22.
 
The Titans (4-14, 2-4 HL) were down, 30-28 with 6:37 left in the half when they took the lead for good on a 10-0 run. The defense held YSU to 0-of-4 shooting and three turnovers in that 3:19 span to jump out in front.
 
Senior Chris Jenkins started it with a pair of free throws and then junior DeShawndre Black nailed a trifecta giving the Titans the lead. After his three, he stole the inbounds pass and went to the rim for another bucket and a 35-30 lead.  Another steal led to Robinson Jr.'s layup and a free throw by Blackshear Jr. had Detroit Mercy up 38-30 with 3:40 on the clock. The Titans then took an eight-point lead, 42-34, at the break.
 
Detroit Mercy forced 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, turning those into 15 points. The Titans also shot 43.8 percent from the field.
 
The red, white and blue quickly extended its lead to double digits to start the second half as junior Jaleel Hogan stole the ball and took it nearly the length of the court an emphatic slam and a 44-34 lead.
 
Youngstown State (8-12, 2-5 HL) trimmed that to six, 47-41, but McFolley then took over connecting on a triple for a 50-41 margin and later knocking down another to push the advantage to 12, 55-43. Yet another three from McFolley also made it a 12-point game at 58-46 with just over 14 minutes left.
 
The Titans would extend that to 14, 61-47, as Williams coasted to the rim for a layup with 12:52 left in the contest.
 
YSU would try and fight back getting within eight, 66-58, but the hot-shooting McFolley buried back-to-back treys to move it back to a 14-point advantage, 72-58, at the 7:23 mark. The Penguins then cut it to seven, 74-67, but 3-pointers from Williams and back-to-back tallies off the hand of Robinson Jr. had the Titans taking a game-high 16-point advantage, 83-67, with under four minutes remaining and the Titans won by that margin.
 
Hogan finished with eight points, four rebounds, a career-high four assists and three steals. Jenkins tallied five points, six rebounds and two steals, while freshman Corey Allen chipped in with five points, four caroms and three helpers.
 
The Titans shot 48.3 percent for the game, including 53.6 percent in the second half. Detroit Mercy was also 14-of-26 from three (53.8%) and registered 10 steals and a season-high 19 assists.
 
The Titans will hit the road for a pair of games this weekend as they visit Wright State on Friday and Northern Kentucky on Sunday.
 
Game Notes:
Detroit Mercy leads the overall series, 34-9…The win was the eight-straight against Youngstown State, which is the third longest current winning streak over an opponent trailing only the 26 in a row against Hillsdale and the 12 in a row over John Carroll…The Titan defense forced 20 or more turnovers for the fourth-straight game and has 89 total turnovers in that span… The Titan defense also has 44 steals in the last four games… The 19 assists were the most since accumulating 22 against UM-Dearborn in 2015… This is the sixth game this season that the Titans have hit double-digit 3-pointers with their largest of 15 triples against Fort Wayne… It was McFolley's fourth career 20-point game and third this season… McFolley now has 14 career games with three or more triples…Long had six points and rebounds in the season opener against Adrian… Seven of Robinson Jr.'s nine career field goals have been from long range…  Robinson Jr.'s career high in points was five until today and he had never scored more than one field goal in 18 career games… Hogan's career high in assists was three entering the game… Williams was in double figures for the third time this season… Blackshear Jr. was in double figures for the first time since his season high of 12 at Bowling Green… Earlier in the day, Hogan was named the HL Player of the Week and Allen was tabbed the Freshman of the Week after their performances at Oakland last Friday… 

For your #SCtop10 consideration. That is 6-7, 260-lb Jaleel Hogan with the steal and the jam @SportsCenter @FOXSports #DetroitsCollegeTeam pic.twitter.com/kZu7LrgbFr

— Detroit Mercy MBB (@DetroitMBB) January 17, 2017

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