NASHVILLE (11/19/2017) -- Sophomore
Corey Allen set a career high as well as Curb Event Center facility record with 39 points and freshman
Jermaine Jackson Jr., sent the game into overtime with a last-second 3-pointer as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team soared past Houston Baptist, 116-109, on Sunday afternoon.
The game also broke the Curb Event Center record for most combined points as the 225 points eclipsed the 198 Belmont and Tennessee State tallied in 2016. The 116 points are tied for the 13th most in school history and the most since the Titans beat UM-Dearborn 122-70 in 2015
Allen - who was named to the 2K Classic Benefiting Wounded Warrior Project Nashville Subregional All-Tournament Team - was a career-best 12-of-20 from the field and 7-of-13 from long range to go with five rebounds and career-tying five assists. The Curb Event Center record for points was 38 by Belmont's Alex Renfroe against Jacksonville in 2009.
Redshirt junior
Kameron Chatman had 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for his first career double-double, while Jackson Jr., tallied 14 points, a team and season-high eight assists and five boards.
The Titans (2-2) were down by five, 94-89, with 15 seconds left in regulation when Jackson Jr., hit a three to make it a two-point game, 94-92, with 10 seconds on the clock. After a made free throw from Houston Baptist (1-3), the Titans raced down the court with no timeouts and Jackson Jr., went up for another three, nailing it and sending the game into the extra session.
In overtime, Allen hit a three to give the Titans the lead and they never looked back, building as high as a nine-point advantage.
Graduate senior
Roschon Prince finished with 11 points and junior
Gerald Blackshear Jr., registered six points and six rebounds.
The Titans shot 48.2 percent for the game (40-of-83), including 62.5 percent (5-of-8) in overtime. Detroit Mercy hit 12, 3-pointers and was 24-of-30 (80%) at the free throw line.
Detroit Mercy trailed at the start 4-0, but then quickly built as high as a nine-point lead on a few occasions in the first half, before going into the break up 55-48.
In the second half, the Titans held the lead for most of the action, but Houston Baptist did take the lead a couple of times, the most that five-point advantage with 15 seconds remaining.
Detroit Mercy will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 22, when the red, white and blue travel to old MCC foe Saint Louis. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
First Half:
- Houston Baptist scored the games first four points, but the Titans came back with a 20-8 run highlighted by three Allen 3-pointers and then back-to-back dunks by Chatman and Prince to make it 20-12 at the 13:00-minute mark.
- The lead was cut to four, but a three-point play by Jackson Jr., and then a layup from senior Isaiah Jones extended the Titan cushion to nine, 25-16, with 11:15 left.
- Detroit Mercy led for almost the rest of the first half, but the Huskies did take a 41-39 lead with 3:51 remaining.
- Junior Josh McFolley hit a three to put the Titans back ahead and two free throws from Allen and Chatman had Detroit Mercy in front, 46-41.
- The lead was cut to three, 48-45, but back-to-back triples from Chatman and Allen had the Titans back up by nine, 54-45, and they took a 55-48 lead into the break.
- Detroit Mercy was 20-of-41 (48.8%) from the field with seven treys and it had 17 assists on those 20 baskets.
Second Half:
- The Titans held the lead in the second half until Houston Baptist went out in front by one, 61-60, with 14:42 left.
- A bucket from senior Jaleel Hogan and a layup from McFolley put the Titans ahead again.
- Detroit Mercy trailed by three, 71-68, midway through the second half, when Jackson knocked in another three and Chatman hit a jumper for a 73-71 lead.
- The Titans led by five, 82-77, with 6:41 on the clock when Houston Baptist made one more run to jump in front of the red, white and blue.
- The Titans found themselves down by five, 94-89, when Jackson Jr., hit a three with 10 seconds left.
- After a foul by the Titans and a made free throw from HBU, the ball ended up in Jackson Jr.'s hand again, and he drilled another trifecta to knot it up at 95-95 with just one second left.
Overtime:
- Allen hit another triple just 15 seconds into the extra period and the Titans slowly built up a nine-point lead.
- The Titans were 8-of-9 at the free throw line in the last two minutes of the game.
- Allen set the facility record with two free throws with 12 seconds left.
- Houston Baptist was 5-of-13 from the field in overtime, but 0-for-5 from behind the arc.
Game Notes:
- This was the first career meeting between Detroit Mercy and Houston Baptist
- The last time the Titans won a game when both teams scored 100 was in 1989 when they defeated Loyola, 115-101
- The 22 assists are the most since Detroit Mercy registered 22 against UM-Dearborn in 2015
- It was the second time this year the Titans connected on 40 field goals as they had 40 against UM-Dearborn on Nov. 13
- Allen's previous career high was 33 points at home against Fort Wayne last season
- The 39 points are the most by a Titan since Hogan had 39 in a road win at Oakland last year
- It was the 10th career 20+point game for Allen and the second for Chatman
- Chatman's previous career high in rebounds was nine when he was at Michigan against Syracuse in 2014
- The 16 rebounds were the most since Chris Jenkins '17 had 16 against Fort Wayne last year
- Jackson's eight assists were the most since Jarod Williams '17 had nine against Cleveland State at home last season
- It was the second game in double figures on the year for Prince
