HEMPSTEAD, NY (11/27/2021) -- Senior Antoine Davis scored a game-high 39 points as he tried to lead the Titans back from an early deficit, but it was not enough for the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team in a 98-84 loss on Saturday afternoon.

Davis almost posted a triple-double as along with his 39 points, where he was 10-of-22 from the field with eight 3-pointers and a perfect 11-of-11 at the free-throw line, he handed out a season-high eight assists and tied his career-best with seven rebounds.

The 39 points give him 2,159 career points and is just eight shy of second place in school history behind John Long's 2,167 and 160 in back of Rashad Phillips' school mark of 2,319. 

Junior Madut Akec collected his third double-double of the year with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and senior Matt Johnson netted 10 points with three assists.

Detroit Mercy (0-5) saw Hofstra (3-4) score the game's first seven points and open a 15-point lead midway through the first half and 24-point advantage at the break, 57-33.

The Titans found themselves down by 27 in the second half when they started to chip away, eventually getting within single digits. An early 8-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers by senior Willy Isiani and Johnson had the team down 64-46. Later on, Davis had three consecutive 3-pointers to cut it to 10, 70-60, with 11:54 left and he would pull the team within nine, 72-63, with 11:29 on the clock as he hit three free throws.

Hofstra then went on a 17-4 spurt to take control of the game although Davis would go to the line six times the rest of the way and hit three more 3-pointers, while Akec scored seven points down the stretch to try and keep the red, white and blue in the game

Graduate senior Kevin McAdoo had seven points and Isiani ended with six.

The Titans shot 51.0% from the field and were 15-of-29 (51.7%) from the outside, while going a perfect 17-of-17 at the line. They also won the battle of the boards, 28-23, but had an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers. 

Detroit Mercy will be back in action on Tuesday as it visits Northeastern in another match-up against a team from the Colonial Athletic Conference. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. 

First Half:

• Hofstra started the game on a 7-0 run, but that came to an end with by back-to-back baskets by Davis and Akec
• Davis nailed a three to get the team within six, 15-9, at the 14:47 mark
• The Pride went on an 8-0 run again, which was broken by a triple by Isiani to cut it to 23-12 with 12:41 to go
• Two free throws from McAdoo and then a three by Davis trimmed the deficit to 10, 27-17, with 11:01 left
• Akec hit another three to make it 45-25 with 3:54 remaining
• McAdoo and Davis shot back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 49-31 with 1:48 on the clock

Second Half:

• The Titans went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 18, 64-46, with 15:45 left as Johnson hit two free throws, Isiani hit a three and off a steal by Davis, Johnson drained a triple
• Davis hit a three to cut it to 68-54 at 12:56 and another triple at 12:22 to get the score to 70-57
• After the Titans stole the ball, Davis nailed a three and it was 70-60 at the 11:54 mark
• Detroit Mercy got even closer at 72-63 as Davis was fouled attempting a three and connected on three free throws with 11:29 to go
• Hofstra went on a 17-4 spurt over the next four minutes to raise the lead back to 20, 89-67
• Davis and Akec drained 3-pointers in the last minute to end the game

Game Notes: 

• This was the first career meeting between the two schools
• Detroit Mercy is 9-3 all-time against current members of the CAA with a 3-0 mark vs. Delaware and a 3-2 record against Northeastern accounting for most of that
• The 15, 3-pointers was the most since making 16 at home last season against Purdue Fort Wayne
• The Titans came into the game shooting just 64.6% at the line and were a perfect 17-of-17 in the contest
• Davis now has 62 career 20-point games, 21 career 30-point outings and four 40-point contests in just 87 collegiate games and has also scored in double figures in all 87 games - reaching at least 17 points in 69 of them
• Davis has connected on a 3-pointer in 83 of his 87 collegiate games and also has 47 career games with four or more triples, 17 with six or more, nine games with seven or more, and has thrice connected on 10 in his career
• Davis came into the game just 7-of-8 at the line but was a perfect 11-for-11 and now has 386 career free throws to move to sixth in school history in most made free throws, passing Jermaine Jackson's 385
• Davis now has 37 career games with five or more assists with his career-high of nine at Wright State in 2020
• Davis tied his career-high with seven rebounds for the fourth time in his career
• Akec now has three double-doubles on the year
• Isiani has now connected on the three ball on 69 of his 101 career field goals
• Jeramy Shaw made his first DI basket in the first half