DETROIT (1/3/2020) -- Four players scored in double figures and the Titan defense held NKU to under 35.0 percent shooting as the University of Detroit Mercy started 2020 with a win defeating the defending Horizon League champion NKU Norse, 66-58, on Friday night in Calihan Hall.

Senior Justin Miller led the team with a season-high 18 points to go with six rebounds and a season-best five assists, while sophomore Antoine Davis posted 17 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Marquis Moore scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds and sophomore Chris Brandon tallied 10 points and nine caroms and had two more blocks.

After a slow start in the first half, which saw the team shoot less than forty percent from the field and only 12.5 percent from three-point range (1-of-8), the Titans (3-13, 1-1 HL) were able to eventually find a rhythm and knock down some shots culminating in a 14-2 scoring run the last five minutes of the first half, giving the Titans a one-point deficit heading into the locker room, 27-26. 

The second half was a different story as a three from the wing from Moore at 18:45 tied the game at 29-29. Junior Dwayne Rose Jr. stole the ball from a Norse player, which led to a subsequent fast break and goaltending call on a layup, which gave Detroit Mercy the lead 31-29. 

The Titans were able to expose the flaws of the NKU (9-6, 1-2 HL) matchup zone as they ran the high-low to near perfection with Miller in the middle feeding cutting Titans along the baseline, as he would finish the game tallying five assists to add to his impressive stat line. 

The fast-paced, uptempo style seemed to favor the Titans as they were able to notch 15 points off of fast breaks and 23 points off of turnovers. They also won the battle of the boards, 41-30 and scored 38 points in the paint. 

The defense also held NKU to 33.3 percent shooting and just 7-of-26 from the outside, limiting Tyler Sharpe - one of the top scorers in the league - to just five points. 

Detroit Mercy will be back at Calihan Hall on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 5, as they host preseason conference favorite Wright State in a 1 p.m. tip. 

First Period: 

• A Moore jump shot from a pass from sophomore Willy Isiani from the left corner opened the scoring for the Titans after finding themselves down 11-2
• At the 12:10 mark of the first half, Moore had a rebound and kicked it ahead to a streaking Davis for a running mid-range jumper to cut the deficit to twelve, 16-4
• Another turnaround jumper from Moore led to an and one three-point play
• Moore made the free throw to make it 16-9 to start a 5-0 scoring run for the Titans at the 10:28 mark 
• After a missed Norse jumper on the ensuing possession, Davis receives a pass on the wing and hits an acrobatic layup to cut the deficit to five 16-11
• Detroit Mercy would open up a 14-3 scoring run, which lasted the previous five minutes 7:29, during which the Titans would hold the opposition scoreless for 4:25 of that stretch
• The same run would be extended following a Davis three-pointer put Detroit Mercy in the lead 21-18
• Freshman Sam Hofman's rebound off of a Norse miss led to the outlet pass, which would find Miller in the soft spot in the middle of the zone defense for a shot with 1:52 left in the half to keep it within one point of NKU 25-24

Second Period: 

• Moore started the party in the second half, adding to his scoring output by draining a trifecta from the wing at the 18:45 mark of the beginning of the second half to tie the contest at 29-29. 
• Junior Dwayne Rose Jr. steal and fast-break layup led to a Norse goaltending call to give Detroit Mercy 31-29 at 16:43
• Consecutive baskets from Miller, as well as a three-point play conversion, would open the Titans up to yet another large scoring bonanza culminating in an 11-2 run at the 15:15 mark of the second half giving them a seven-point lead 38-31
• A Titans miss led to an offensive rebound by Brandon that kept the possession alive at 9:19 and after that, Davis would hit a three on a pass from Rose that would extend the lead to nine, 54-43
• After a missed shot from Rose, Chris Brandon skied over a NKU defender in the lane for a big offensive rebound and tip to give the Titans their largest lead of the game up to that point 57-45 with 6:54 remaining in the game
• Miller stole the ball, which led to a fast-break dunk from Rose Jr. to blow the game open to a whopping sixteen-point lead with 4:57 to go
• A late surge from NKU cut it to six with just a few minutes left
• The Titans would ultimately hold off the Norse charge

Game Notes:

• This was the 10th career meeting between the two schools as NKU leads the all-time series, 8-2, as the Titans snapped a seven-game slide
• The last time the Titans let up under 60 points in a league game was their 79-58 victory over Wright State last season, the first league game at home also
• The 16 assists were the most since recording 16 against Milwaukee at home last season
• Davis came into the game leading the nation in scoring at 25.6 points per game
• Davis passed Michael Jackson for 29th place all-time in scoring with 1,134 points
• Moore has tallied a career-high 12 points four times in his career
• Miller is averaging 17.5 points in his last two games
• Brandon saw his streak of double-digit rebounding come to an end at three-straight games
• Brandon came into the contest leading the HL in blocked shots at 1.3 per contest