DETROIT (1/25/2020) -- Sophomore Alonde LeGrand hit a masterful fadeaway jump shot with three-tenths of a second left to give the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team a much-needed conference win against the visiting UIC Flames 70-69, Saturday afternoon from Calihan Hall. 

Amidst the star-studded backdrop on a Hall of Fame weekend, the gymnasium was filled with former Titan student-athletes, a couple of whom were honored at pregame and at halftime, as former men's basketball players Eli Holman and Willie Green had their jerseys retired.

 Down the stretch, sophomore Antoine Davis hit a three to make it a one-point game and after UIC missed a free throw, LeGrand was able to hit a game-winning shot.

Sophomore Marquis led the way with 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Brandon finished with 15 points, eight boards and three blocks and Davis added 13 points with four helpers. 

Detroit Mercy was able to start smooth, as they lead by as many as 16 points in the first half. An array of spectacular dunks from Chris Brandon gave the Titans momentum. UIC was able to answer back with a run of their own, going into halftime down nine. 

Aside from a Davis basket at 18:41 to open the second-half scoring, it seemed the Titans were knocked out on their feet, grasping the ropes as they had gone almost nine full minutes without a conversion in the beginning of the second half. 

After missing the previous ten attempts, sophomore wunderkind Antoine Davis sank a three-pointer with 13.4 seconds in regulation to cut the Titans (6-16, 4-5) deficit down to one point. 

Then the Justin Miller - who ended with 11 points and three rebounds - show began. 

The senior big man went on an impressive 7-0 run by himself, scoring on three straight trips down the floor beginning at the 9:05 mark, with a left-handed hook shot in the lane after a head fake sent the Flames defender reeling, enabling him to convert. The subsequent free throw cut the UIC lead to five 55-50. After a missed three from Miller, Marquis Moore snagged the rebound and nailed the stick back, which would begin a 9-2 scoring run with 4:35 left in the contest. 

On the ensuing possession, the Flames dribbled square into a Titan defender resulting in the offensive foul getting called, giving the Titans the ball back with around 1:38 remaining. Titan Forward Chris Brandon swished a pair of free throws to make it 67-65 UIC. 

The Titans were outrebounded 34-28 on both ends of the floor but were able to limit turnovers and play smart, especially down the stretch. They also scored 30 points in the paint and won the battle on second-chance points, besting the flames 12-10. 

Detroit Mercy continues their homestand with the final of three games continuing Friday night, Jan. 31, at Calihan Hall as the Titans welcome Oakland for another #MetroSeries battle. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

Game Notes:

• The Titans ended a six-game slide to UIC and now lead the overall series, 32-21
• Detroit Mercy leads the HL and is fifth in the country in free-throw percentage at 79.1 percent
• Davis came into the game third in the country and leading the Horizon League in scoring at 23.8 points per game
• Davis has now scored in double figures in all 51 games and has a 3-pointer in all 51, the fourth-longest active streak in the country
• Brandon came into the game leading the team in rebounding at 7.6 per night - fifth in the HL - while his 3.25 offensive rebounds is fourth in the HL and 52nd in the NCAA. 
• Miller has reached double figures in eight of the last 12 games
• Moore has now been in double figures in scoring seven times in the last 11 games and is averaging 11.6 ppg., in that span