YOUNGSTOWN STATE, Ohio (12/28/30) -- Freshman Antoine Davis led the way with a game-high 27 points as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team started off conference play with a 78-66 victory at Youngstown State on Friday afternoon.

Davis nailed seven 3-pointers and also had three rebounds and three assists. McFolley tallied 14 points and junior Lamar Hamrick added 10 points and a career-high eight boards. Junior Harrison Curry posted 12 points and six rebounds and graduate senior Derrien King scored 13 points. 

Detroit Mercy (4-9, 1-0 HL)  led at the break, 46-35, and had as much as a 15-point lead in the second until Youngstown State (4-10, 0-1 HL) went on a 19-3 run to jump out in front, 56-55.

The Titans countered with a three by King and a steal and layup from Hamrick to take a 60-56 advantage. YSU would knot it at 60-60, but the red, white and blue put the game away with a 13-3 spurt. 

Detroit Mercy shot 50.0 percent for the game (28-of-56) with 12 triples and was 10-of-14 at the line. The 12 treys were the most since hitting 15 in back-to-back games against Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan.

The defense forced 19 turnovers - getting 23 points off those miscues - and held the Penguins to 37.5 percent shooting and just 8-of-24 from the outside.

Senior Gerald Blackshear Jr. pulled down five boards and tied his career best with three steals, while freshman Chris Brandon grabbed six rebounds. 

The Titans will now get ready for the Cleveland State Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 30, as game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Wolstein Center. 

First Half:

• King started the scoring off with a 3-pointer
• The Titans had the lead but never by more than six until it was tied at 27-27 with 6:28 left
• Davis then hit back to-back 3-pointers for a six-point lead and after a YSU basket, he hit another trey for a 36-29 advantage with 4:13 left
• free throws by McFolley and Curry would extend the advantage to nine, 40-31, with three minutes left
• The Titans had a 13-point lead as McFolley hit two more free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but a late Penguins' basket had the red, white and blue up 46-35 at the break

Second Half:

• Davis started the period with a three and after a YSU basket, he hit another for a 15-point lead, 52-37, with 17:43 left
• Youngstown State then went on a 19-3 run over the next seven minute to take a 56-55 lead
• A three by King and a steal and score by Hamrick gave the Titans the lead back at 60-56 at the 8:39 mark
• The game was tied at 60-60 when Hamrick hit a jumper and then a steal from Blackshear Jr. led to a layup by McFolley for a 64-60 score at 6:49
• The Titans later got their lead back to double digits, 73-63, as McFolley hit a three and Blackshear Jr. went inside for a layup with 2:36 remaining
• Davis' seventh 3-pointer gave the Titans a 78-64 lead and they would go on to earn the Horizon League opening victory

Game Notes:

• Detroit Mercy the all-time series, 38-9, which includes winning 12 in a row, and a 15-6 record on the road
• The Titans are now 16-23 all-time in Horizon League openers and 12-27 in Horizon League road openers
• Detroit Mercy had dropped five-straight HL road openers with its last win coming in 2012-13, a 101-60 victory at Youngstown State
• This is the 40th year of the Horizon League (1979-80) and the 39th with Detroit Mercy as a member as the Titans are the eldest program in the league
• Detroit Mercy came into the game second in the Horizon League and 54th in the country with 8.1 steals per game and finished with 11 steals, the fifth time this season it has posted double-digit takeaways
• Davis came into the game third in the nation in scoring at 26.0 points per game
• Hamrick had nine boards against Kent State and was in double figures for the third time this season