DETROIT (2/25/2022) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will look to remain hot and perfect at home as the Titans look for another win against a team ahead of them in the standings we the red, white and blue battle second-place Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. 

Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN App with Jeremy Otto and Earl Cureton on the call. Fans can also listen to the action on the radio on WLQV 92.7 FM & 1500 AM FaithTalk Detroit with the Voice of Detroit Mercy basketball Dan Hasty.

It will be Senior Day Saturday as the Titans honor their three-member class in Antoine Davis, Willy Isiani and Matt Johnson prior to the game. 

Detroit Mercy will also unveil this year's John Conti award winner during the game. 

The Titans downed first-place Cleveland State to move to 13-13 overall and 10-6 in the Horizon League, where they currently stand in fifth place. Detroit Mercy has already clinched a home game in the Keeps Horizon League men's basketball championship, but is now trying to secure a first-round bye with a win and a Wright State loss at home ton Robert Morris. 

The Titans can finish as high as fourth or as low as seventh in the postseason based on several outcomes on the final day of play. 

Detroit Mercy will also look for a perfect regular season at home as the Titans have won 15 in a row on Dick Vitale dating back to last season, the longest home winning streak since the red, white and blue won 17 in a row between the end of the 2011-12 and the start of the 2012-13 season

Senior Antoine Davis enters the game with 2,629 career points for 33rd in NCAA history, while his 414 career triples are now tied for 14th in NCAA history with former Davidson standout and Golden State star Stephen Curry. Graduate senior DJ Harvey is tallying 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in his last 11 games, while junior Noah Waterman is posting 11.2 points on 47.3% (41-of-85), including 27-of-61 (44.2%) from three in his last 11. 

Meanwhile, Purdue Fort Wayne has won eight in a row and is looking for a share of the regular-season title as the Mastodons are 19-10 overall and 14-6 in the HL. A Mastodons' victory combined with a Cleveland State loss would give them a share of the title, although they have already clinched the number two seed since CSU owns a tiebreaker over them. 

If the Titans get the first-round bye, they would host a home game next Thursday, but if the Titans finish 5th-7th, their next action will be on Tuesday. Either date would have a 7:00 p.m. tip. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

• Despite being just 161 miles apart, this is only the sixth career meeting between the two schools.
• Detroit Mercy swept the series last year at home, 82-72 and 83-56, while Purdue Fort Wayne captured a 62-60 win earlier this season. 

AGAINST THE MASTODONS

• Senior Antoine Davis averaged 28.0 points against Purdue Fort Wayne last season with a 30 and 26-point game, shooting 47.1% overall and was 12-of-19 (63.2%) from three and a perfect 12-of-12 at the line, but struggled in the first match-up netting 17 points with six assists on 6-of-19 shooting. 
• Senior Matt Johnson tallied 16.0 points last year with a 24-point game and was 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the field and 8-of-13 (61.5%) from three, but scored just six points in the first meeting, while junior Madut posted 12 points and sophomore Noah Waterman netted 12. 

ROAD WARRIORS

• The Titans began the season with nine-straight road games and, due to cancellations, played 13 of their first 16 and 18 of their first 23 on the road.
• In fact, Detroit Mercy will play just nine of its 27 overall games at home as well as six of its 17 HL games.

DAVIS NETS ACADEMIC HONOR

• Antoine Davis was named to the 2021-22 CoSIDA Academic All-District® 5 Team, the first Titan men's basketball player to take home the honor in school history.
• He was one of two Horizon League student-athletes to make the list joining Robert Morris' Kahliel Spear in District 2.  
• The 2021-22 Academic All-District® teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot and will be announced in mid-March.
• Davis holds a 3.39 GPA as a Communications major. In his time, he has also been a member of the Detroit Mercy's Athletic Director's Honor Roll and the Horizon League's Fall and Spring Academic Honor Rolls.  

MORE ACADEMIC AWARDS

• Senior Antoine Davis was named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team, the first Titan on the HL All-Academic Team since Evan Bruinsma and Ugochukwu Njoku in 2013-14.  
• The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes with seasonal Academic All-League Teams in each of its 19 championship sports. To be eligible for Horizon League All-Academic consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits, and participate in 50 percent of the team's overall contests.

PLAYING SOME DEFENSE

• After holding CSU to just 67 points, the Titans have held 14 opponents under 70 points this year, including five under 60 points with four of those in league play. 

KEEPING THE BALL

• Detroit Mercy committed 12 turnovers against Cleveland State and is second in the HL and 95th in the nation with 11.8 turnovers per game. 

AMONG THE BESTS

• Senior Antoine Davis ended last year leading the Horizon League and ranking third in the country in scoring at 24.0 points per game, marking the third-straight season he finished in the top four nationally in scoring (26.1 for third in 2019 and 24.3 for fourth in 2020).
• He also became just the second player in HL history to lead the conference three times joining Loyola's Alfredrick Hughes (1983-85) as he could put just himself on that pedestal if he were to lead the league again this year as he is currently third in the nation in scoring at 23.6 ppg.
• The Titans have had one national individual stats leader in school history in Spencer Haywood, who led the country in rebounding at 22.1 rpg. in 1968-69. 

LONG RANGE TITANS

• The Titans have connected on at least nine 3-pointers in 17 games this season and connected on 18 against Milwaukee, tying a school record and tied for the ninth most this season against DI competition. 
• Detroit Mercy also had 18 triples against Milwaukee in 2000. 
• The team currently ranks eighth in Division I in 3-point field goals per game (10.5) and 41st in three-point field-goal percentage (37.2%), tops in the HL in both.

WHERE WE RANK

• Outside of the long-distance shooting, the Titans are second in the league and 17th in the nation in free throw percentage (77.5%). 
• Individually, senior Antoine Davis is third in the nation in scoring (23.5), second in 3-point field goals per game (3.93), sixth in total 3-pointers (98), 10th in minutes played per game (37:22) and total points (589), 39h in free-throw percentage (87.5%), 56th in assists (4.7) and 68th in three-point field goal percentage (37.3%).
• He leads the HL in scoring, three-point field goals per game and three-point field-goal percentage, while standing second in free-throw percentage and total points and third in assists. 
• His 39 points at Hofstra and against Milwaukee is a HL and tied for the 18th-most in the country and the eight triples in both is tied for the 24th most. 

CASHING IN ON THE FREE ONES

• Senior Antoine Davis, who claimed fourth in DI in free-throw percentage with a league-best and school-record 91.7% (88-of-96) last season, currently owns the school record at 88.6% (459-of-518).
• He is 38th in the nation in free-throw percentage at 87.5% (91-of-104) this year. 
• He had a streak of 57-straight free throws come to an end at Louisville.
• His career 88.6% is also 13th among active returning players in the nation and tied for 27th all-time in NCAA history. 

RACKING UP THE POINTS

• Senior Antoine Davis now has 74 career 20-point games, 25 career 30-point outings and four 40-point contests in 107 collegiate games and has also scored in double figures in all 107 games - reaching at least 17 points in 88 of them.
• Davis was in double figures for the 107th straight game with 24 points against Cleveland State State and is now fifth in NCAA history in that category, one shy of former Arizona standout Sean Elliott (1985-89). 
• He has a chance at the NCAA record, held by La Salle's Lionel Simmons (1986-90) and Campbell's Chris Clemons at 115 (2015-19). 
• Last year, he recorded a HL-best 15, 20-point games, five 30-point outings and a conference high-tying 46 points, just two off his career-high and a HL Tournament record with his 46 coming against Robert Morris in the first round of the playoffs. 
• The 46 points was tied for the league and nation high with Cleveland State's D'Moi Hodge (vs. Purdue Fort Wayne). 

AD THE QUICKEST TO 1,000 & 2,000 & NOW OWNS THE SCHOOL RECORD

• With his 39 points at home against Milwaukee, Antoine Davis became the Titans' all-time leading scorer passing Rashad Phillips (2,319) with his 36th point and now has 2,629, third in HL history. 
• Davis scored 27 points at Notre Dame in the 2019-20 season, but it was his free throw for 26 that made history giving him 1,000 career points in just 39 games, passing the great Dave DeBusschere as the fastest Titan to reach 1,000.
• DeBusschere accomplished the feat in his 43rd collegiate game.
• Davis became the 43rd player in school history to eclipse 1,000 career points and just the third second-year player joining DeBusschere (who did it as a junior as freshmen could not play) and sophomore Ray McCallum in 2010-11.
• Last year, he passed DeBusschere again (1,978) for third in Titan history as he crossed the 2,000-point plateau in his 81st game, quicker than the other two 2,000-point scorers in John Long (2,167 total - 2,000 in game 102) and Rashad Phillips (2,319 total - 2,000 in game 116). 

ABOUT 2,500 POINTS

• Antoine Davis is the highest active scorer in the country in total points with 2,629, tied for 33rd in NCAA history. 
• At the moment, only 76 players have reached 2,500 at the DI level.  
• It was his 18th point at Robert Morris on a three that put him at 2,500 career points.
• It was the fourth time that a student-athlete has posted 2,500 with his dad as head coach following Pete Maravich (Press Maravich), Doug McDermott (Greg McDermott) and Allan Houston (Wade Houston). 
• Only 12 players have reached 2,000 career points in the Horizon League as he is third in conference history in that category, 67 out of second and 285 shy of the all-time mark.
• Imagine that record with the idea that Davis and the Titans have seen 11 games canceled and not made up in the last two seasons due to the pandemic.

ONE LETHAL SHOT

• Antoine Davis comes into the game fifth all-time in NCAA history with 3.87, three-point field goals per game.
• He has connected on a 3-pointer in 41-straight games and 103 of his 107 collegiate games. He has 57 career games with four or more triples, 21 with six or more, 10 games with seven or more, and has thrice connected on 10 in his career, tying a school record as well as breaking a conference tournament record. 
• His 98 triples on the season are fifth in the school record book as he looks to knock down 100 for the third time in his career following the 132 as a freshman for second and 101 as a sophomore for fourth.
• In a COVID shortened season, he tallied 83 last year and the school record is 136 by Rashad Phillips in 2001. 
• He was the league leader and second in the nation in 3-point field goals per game (3.77) last season, and that marked the third-straight year that he has been top 10 nationally in 3-point field goals per game. 
• Davis is already the school and career 3-point record holder at 414 career triples as he passed former Titan All-American Rashad Phillips (348) for both records with his second trey at UIC.
• He is currently tied for 14th in NCAA history in total 3-pointers at 414.

HIGH WATERMARK

• Junior Noah Waterman - who missed time early with an injury and just came back from health and safety protocols - tallied just 3.0 points in his first seven games on 26.6% shooting (8-of-30), but now been in double figures eight times in his last 11, tallying 11.2 points on 47.3% (41-of-85), including 27-of-61 (44.2%) from three in that span.
• He just had 12 points, five rebounds and two steals versus Wright State and 15 points, four rebounds and a career-best 13 boards his last time out. 
• That was after back-to-back season highs with 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-7 3FG), five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal against NKU and 16 points with six rebounds at Oakland, going 5-of-13 with four 3-pointers. 
• He had 11 points and four rebounds at Robert Morris and eight points and five boards at Youngstown State 
• He scored 10 points with a season-high seven boards and two blocks at Green Bay. He had 12 points with four boards against Milwaukee and 12 points, five boards and two blocks at Purdue Fort Wayne. 
• He became eligible mid-season last year and played in 15 games with 12 starts and was third on the team in scoring (11.9), fourth in rebounding (4.5) and tied for the team lead with 10 blocks. 
• He shot 55.5% from the field and 52.8% from the outside (38-of-72), scoring in double figures in eight games.
• At Oakland in the win, he recorded 18 points and a career-high eight rebounds and two blocks.
• He netted 17 points with five rebounds and two blocks in the win at Cleveland State, going a career-best 5-of-7 from three with three of those in the final three minutes to seal the win. He had a career-high 22 in game two against Robert Morris, where he was a career-best 8-of-11 from the field with five triples. 
• He then had 19 points and pulled down five rebounds in the Horizon League Championship quarterfinals at NKU. 
• A transfer from Niagara, Waterman played in seven games with five starts until an injury ended his freshman year.
• In high school, he was 6-2 but is now almost seven feet allowing him to play as a guard with his shooting skills. 

DJ ON THE REQUEST LINE

• Graduate senior DJ Harvey has come alive recently after dealing with some early injuries and health and safety protocols.
• In his last 11 games, he is averaging 11.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 48.9% (46-of-94) overall and 37.2% from three (20-of-54), going in double figures seven times with a career-high 20 at Wright State. 
• Prior to that, he was tallying just 4.8 points and 5.0 rebounds on 32.1% shooting and just 9-of-27 (33.3%) from distance.
• He started his hot play with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists against UIC and followed that with a double-double against Michigan-Dearborn with a then season-high 15 points and career-tying 12 rebounds, hitting 4-of-8 from three. 
• He netted a career-high 20 points with seven rebounds at Wright State, a 15-point, nine-rebound effort at NKU, 14 points and nine rebounds at Robert Morris, 14 points at Youngstown State and just flirted with a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists at Oakland.He also scored 15 points with four rebounds against Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Earlier in the season, he had one of his best collegiate games posting his first career double-double with a season-high 14 points and career-best 12 rebounds against Central Michigan.
• He started his collegiate career playing two seasons at Notre Dame before playing the last two years at Vanderbilt. 
• He was one of the top recruits in the nation coming out of high school. 

HL'S SIXTH MAN RETURNS 

• Matt Johnson was selected the HL Sixth Man of the Year last season and once again has been a steady contributor going for 12 points, three rebounds and two assists against Cleveland State. 
• He had a great all-around weekend last week tallying nine points, a career-high nine rebounds, three assists and three steals against Wright State and six rebounds, two assists and a steal against NKU. 
• Johnson tallied 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-best six assists against Michigan-Dearborn. He scored a season-high 16 points and tied his then career-best with eight boards against UIC.
• He had seven points with five rebounds, three assists and three steals at Cleveland State and scored 10 points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals at Louisville.
• He saw action in all 22 games with eight starts last season and averaged 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
• Johnson posted a then career-high 20 points (7-14 FG, 4-6 3FG) along with five rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in his Titan debut at Michigan State and followed that up with 15 points and five boards at Notre Dame. 
• He recorded a career-high 24 points on a career-best 9-of-14 from the field with six 3-pointers to go with six rebounds against Purdue Fort Wayne.

ROLLING DOUBLES

• The Titans have had two games this season that has seen two players post double-doubles in the same game.
• Antoine Davis (20 pts., 10 ast.) and Madut Akec (18 pts., 12 rebs.) each had a double-double against WMU, the first time the Titans had two players post a double-double in the same game since 2018. 
• With that said, the Titans followed that with another pair as Akec (25 pts., 10 rebs.) and graduate senior DJ Harvey (12 pts., 14 rebs.) accomplished the task their against Central Michigan. 
• Davis also picked up his third double-double of the season and his career with 18 points and a career-tying 10 assists against UIC and Harvey added his second with 15 points and 12 boards versus UM-Dearborn.