KALAMAZOO, Mich. (11/6/2018) -- Freshman Antoine Davis tallied a team-high 32 points, but a slow start by the Titans was the story as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 89-76, at Western Michigan on Tuesday night.

The game marked the started of the Mike Davis coaching era in the Motor City. 

Senior Josh McFolley posted 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior Lamar Hamrick had 13 points and four steals and senior Gerald Blackshear Jr. recorded eight points and a team-best 10 boards.

The Titans started the game with a 7-2 lead, but went cold from the field as Western Michigan took a 45-28 lead at the break.

In the second half, WMU had a 21-point lead, but Detroit Mercy chipped away as Davis scored 18, McFolley 12 and Hamrick netted 10 in the frame and the Titans cut the deficit to 10 twice, 62-52 and 65-55, in the frame

The Titans had just nine turnovers and forced 15 total. 

The red, white and blue will return to action this Friday, Nov. 9, as the Titans play at Temple in the first game of the Gotprint.Com Legends Classic Presented By Old Trapper. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. 

First Half:

• Davis hit the first basket of the game and later a three gave the Titans a 7-2 lead
• WMU went on a 12-0 run after that to open a 14-7 lead with 15:09 left
• Back-to-back 3-pointers by senior Derrien King and Davis pulled the Titans within three, 19-16, with 13:07 remaining
• The Broncos then went on a 14-1 run top take a 33-17 advantage with 7:26 left in the half

Second Half:

• A layup by Davis and a quick three from McFolley cut it to 12, 45-33, just a minute into the second half
• WMU raised its lead to 21, 56-35, but a 12-2 run over a two and a half minute span had the Titans within 11, 58-47, with 13:14 left
• Hamrick had a pair of treys in the spurt along with a layup and off a turnover, a Davis layup made it 58-47
• The Titans cut it to 10, 62-52, at 10:18 when McFolley drilled a three and off a strong rebound from Blackshear Jr., Davis hit a jumper on the other end 
• The Broncos started to pull away again, but two-straight steals by Hamrick led to four points and a 79-68 deficit with 3:55 remaining

Game Notes:

• The series with Western Michigan dates all the way back to 1916 and is now tied at 26-26
• The Titans have lost six in a row on the road in the series and are 10-13 all-time on the road at Western Michigan
• Detroit Mercy is 178-113 all-time against current members of the Mid-American Conference
• The Titans are 81-32 all-time in season openers with two years in the early 1900's unknown due to record keeping
• Davis' 32 points is the most by a freshman since Jermaine Jackson Jr. had 32 against Youngstown State last season
• McFolley's two steals give him 148 in his career, passing Bill Wood for eighth place in school history
• McFolley two 3-pointers also give him 169 in his career, tied for sixth in school record book
• Blackshear Jr.'s 10 rebounds are the most since his career high of 11 at Cleveland State as a sophomore

Highlights of Detroit Mercy at Western Michigan as Titan freshman Antoine Davis goes off for 32 in his collegiate debut. Josh McFolley had 14 points & Lamar Hamrick had 13 points and four steals in his DI debut #DetroitsCollegeTeam #HLMBB #NCAAB @marchmadness pic.twitter.com/ngSpizNsQb

— Detroit Mercy MBB (@DetroitMBB) November 7, 2018