DETROIT (12/27/2020) -- The Titans and Golden Grizzlies gave everyone a holiday show for the weekend, but for the second-straight game, visiting Oakland was able to hit a shot in the final seconds as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 83-80, at Calihan Hall on Sunday afternoon.

Redshirt freshman Noah Waterman led the Titans with a career-high 19 points and added three rebounds and three assists. Junior Antoine Davis scored 18 points with three assists and two rebounds and graduate senior Bul Kuol posted 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds and three helpers. 

Detroit Mercy (1-7, 0-4 HL) and Oakland (2-9, 2-2 HL) were tied eight times in the game and had 11 lead changes, including a few times down the stretch. Junior Willy Isiani knotted it at 80-80 with 12 seconds left as Waterman found him underneath the hoop for a layup. Oakland then got the ball back and after a timeout, the Golden Grizzlies were able to knock down a 3-pointer with just one second remaining on the clock and that turned out to be the game-winner.

Junior Chris Brandon added seven points and graduate senior Marquell Fraser and seniors Dwayne Rose Jr. and Matt Johnson all netted six points off the bench. Rose Jr. also had five boards and three assists. 

Both teams came out firing early on, but the Titans were able to open up a 24-10 lead just 10 minutes into the game. Oakland trimmed that and led 44-42 at the break.

In the second half, the teams went back and forth and Detroit Mercy led by six on a few occasions, but the Golden Grizzlies hung around, eventually taking the lead. 

The Titans shot 54.2% in the game with nine 3-pointers and also out-rebounded Oakland, 32-29. 

Detroit Mercy is currently scheduled to take on UIC next weekend on the road. 

First Half:

• A different start than yesterday as Oakland was 4-of-5 and Detroit Mercy 5-of-9 from the field in the first five minutes for a 10-8 Titans' lead
• The Titans would surge ahead on a 7-0 run with Waterman's three giving the red, white and blue a 17-8 advantage with 13:48 left
• After an Oakland basket, Johnson hit a jumper at the buzzer, junior Chris Brandon added a layup and off a steal, Davis was able to get open and nail a 3-pointer for a 24-10 lead midway through the half
• The Titans saw their lead dip to 26-22, but Rose Jr. then hit a jumper and Waterman knocked in a triple to make it 31-22 with 6:38 on the clock
• Another Waterman basket had the Titans up 35-30, but Oakland went on a 7-0 run to jump out in front, 37-35, with 3:22 remaining
• Kuol tied it with a jumper and then ended the half with a bucket as the Titans trailed 44-42 at the break

Second Half:

• Kuol's opening three gave the Titans the lead back early on and then Rose Jr. hit one from distance for a 51-49 advantage just four minutes in
• Detroit Mercy extended its lead to five, 54-49, with a free throw from Brandon and then a dunk at the 15:01 mark
• Oakland came back to knot it up, but a three by Waterman tied his career-high with 15 and it was 57-54 with 12:37 remaining
• Detroit Mercy was down by one, 60-59, when Davis hit a 3-pointer and that was followed with a jumper from graduate senior Buay Koka for a 64-60 lead with 9:39 left
• Davis nit another from behind the arc and it was a six-point lead, 69-63, at the 7:51 mark
• The red, white and blue had a six-point lead, 71-65, when Oakland netted eight-straight to jump back in front, 73-71, with 3:56 on the clock
• Davis tallied another trifecta for a 74-73 lead, but Oakland regained its advantage 76-74 with 2:20 left
• The game was also tied at 76-76, 78-78 and again at 80-80 as Waterman fed Isiani and he laid it in with 12 seconds left
• Oakland would have one last chance with the ball and it hit the game-winning three with just one second on the clock

Game Notes:

• Oakland now leads the overall series, 15-13, and has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 16
• Waterman's previous career-high was 15 against Stephen F. Austin last year
• Davis now has 1,647 points, just two shy of Terry Tyler for seventh place in school history (1,649) and 41 in back of the late Terry Duerod for sixth (1,690)