DETROIT (2/23/2020) – The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team quashed a 17-point first-half lead only to dominate the second half, and earn a hardscrabble, conference victory on Senior Day 79-73 versus Milwaukee Sunday afternoon from Calihan Hall.
 
The home finale began as senior student-athletes, including Titan forward Justin Miller, joined their families mid-court for a special celebration preceding tip-off.
 
Sophomore guard Antoine Davis proved yet again why he should be in the conversation, as he lit up the Panthers (12-16, 7-9) for a game-high 27 points, including going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, as well as a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Sophomore Marquis Moore scored 18 points -- his fourth straight game in double-figures -- including 15 in the first half to go along with eight caroms. Forwards Boe Nguidjol and Willy Isiani also chipped in with 11 rebounds apiece and Graduate senior guard Brad Calipari scored 12 second half points off the bench for the red, white and blue (7-22, 5-11).
 
The Titans started the first half fluid offensively making the game's first three shots. However, Milwaukee shot well which saw Detroit Mercy on the ropes, down by 17 points in the first half.
 
Moore was fouled in the corner before swishing a corner trey and would convert the free throw for the four-point play, giving the Titans some life while trimming the Panther lead to twelve in the first half with 0:48 left. Several plays later, Davis was fouled while driving to the tin and his two shots would see the Titans heading into the locker room on a 6-0 run, down ten 48-38 heading into the locker room.
 
The second half was all Titans, all business as they started the second half white hot embarking on a 29-6 run over a nine-minute stretch which held Milwaukee scoreless for almost six full minutes and seeing their lead balloon to as many as 14 points.
 
When Isiani fouled out with 3:35 left in the second half, Milwaukee would make a run of its own, trimming the Titans lead back down to four with less than a minute to go in regulation. After a Titan timeout, Junior Jordan Gorman was fouled and sent to the line shooting two. The pride of Fort Wayne, Ind. stepped in and stepped up, sinking two crucial free throws – he had only attempted two all season prior – to make it a four-point Detroit Mercy lead with 0:31 seconds left. A Milwaukee turnover gave the Titans the ball back, Moore was fouled with 4.7 seconds left, he iced the free throws and that would seal the deal for Detroit Mercy 79-73.
 
The Titans held Milwaukee to 22 percent shooting from the field and only 11 percent from downtown in the second half, while on the flipside, the Titans shot 40 percent from three-point land and as a team, finished with 82 percent Free Throw shooting.
 
Beginning next Thursday, the Titans hit the road for the last trip of the season as they travel to Chicago to do battle with UIC. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST)
 
FIRST HALF

•  After Milwaukee controlled the opening tip, Isiani scores the first of three straight buckets for the Titans at 18:40 making the score even to start at 2-2.
•  After the first media timeout, Moore drove to the goal and was fouled. The SoCal native splashed the pair of foul shots and the score was 6-4, the Titans only lead of the afternoon until ¾  through the second half.
•  Chris Brandon slashed through the lane and was rewarded by Davis for an easy lay-in at 1:41. At this point, the Panther lead had swelled to 15 points, 45-30.
•  On the ensuing possession, Detroit Mercy was able to turn MIL over. Several plays later, Moore is fouled in the corner in the act of shooting and making a 3PT. He would make the free throw   sealing the four-point play, cutting the deficit to 12, 48-36 Panthers with :48 seconds left, beginning a 6-0 run to close out the first half.
•  Davis makes a pair of free throws and it's a 48-38 ball game, heading into the halftime break.

 
SECOND HALF

•  An Isiani three at 19:40 to start the second half would prove prophetic and cut the lead to seven points, 48-41.
•  Davis found Brandon for the alley-oop to make it 50-43, continuing the massive scoring run the Titans would embark on over the course of nine-minutes.
•  Davis hits his first three-pointer of the afternoon at 15:57 trimming the lead to six 52-46.
•  Calipari's three in the corner at 14:56 cut the lead to one 52-51.
•  A block and subsequent turnover by Milwaukee in the same sequence gave the Titans possession back, and very much still on fire. After Nguidjol rebounded a miss on the offensive end,  Calipari shot a three and was fouled in the act, sending him to the line for three shots. After making all three, Detroit Mercy would enjoy its first, but not largest lead of the game, 54-52 with just over thirteen minutes left in the contest.
•  Davis would convert yet another three-pointer at 6:13 to make it a fourteen-point Titan lead. They wouldn't trail the rest of the game.

 
NEWS AND NOTES

• The Titans swept the series last year too and trimmed Milwaukee's all-time series lead to 29-27, but do lead the match-up at home, 15-10
• Detroit Mercy leads the HL and is third in the country in free-throw percentage at 79.4 percent, connecting on at least 20 or more free throws seven times this season
• Davis passed Terrell Riggs for 16th place in school history with 1,444 points
• Davis now has 224 career 3-pointers, tied for fourth place in school history with Dwayne Kelley
• Davis now has 23 career games with five or more assists
• Moore's career-high in points was 20 against Cleveland State at home last week
• Nguidjol's previous career-high in boards was nine in the season-opener at NC State
• Isiani's previous career-high in rebounds was seven, done three times with the last earlier this season against SIU-Edwardsville
• Brandon leads the HL with 1.46 blocks per game and now has 43 total swats on the year
• Calipari was back in double figures for the first time since scoring 11 at Cleveland State