MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (12/21/2023) -- Freshman
Ryan Hurst nearly had a double-double, and the Titans erased a 15-point deficit at one point, but couldn't finish the comeback as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 75-63, at Central Michigan on Thursday night.
Hurst posted a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds, along with coming away with two steals. Junior
Jamail Pink netted a career-high 11 points and graduate senior
Donovann Toatley ended with 12 points and three boards.
The Titans (0-12) started the game down 12-0 and trailed at the break 44-31. Central Michigan (5-6) scored the first basket of the second half to go up by 15, 46-31, but Detroit Mercy went on a 21-5 spurt over seven minutes to jump out to a 52-51 lead. The defense held the Chippewas to 2-of-12 from the field with two turnovers, while the Titans were 7-of-13 shooting and 6-of-6 at the line.
Two free throws from graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia started the charge before sophomore
Marcus Tankersley exploded to the rim for a layup and was fouled, converting on the free throw. An offensive rebound led to another basket from Tankersley, and then junior
Mak Manciel found Del Cadia cutting to the basket for a layup, and he was fouled, hitting the free throw for the three-point play, and the Titans were down by just five, 46-41.
After a three by CMU, Tankersley again got to the rim for back-to-back baskets and a steal by Hurst led to a three from the rookie to pull the Titans within one, 49-48, with 13:45 left. The Chippewas had a basket, but Del Cadia got inside for another score and then the Titans crashed the boards for three offensive rebounds, leading to Hurst getting fouled and his two free throws had the team up 52-51 with 11:35 remaining.
Hurst would also give the Titans the lead again at 55-54 as he rang in a three with 10:28 on the clock, but Central Michigan went on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes en route to a 21-1 spurt to regain the lead.
Tankersley finished with nine points and four rebounds, while Del Cadia added eight points and four boards. Manciel collected a team-high four assists with three rebounds and four points and freshman
Michael Oaks pulled down seven rebounds and scored three points.
Detroit Mercy connected on a season-best 20-of-26 at the free throw line and forced 15 CMU turnovers.
The Titans got off to a slow start, missing their first 10 shots as Central Michigan took a 12-0 lead. Back-to-back baskets from Toatley had the team down by just five, 19-14, with 8:55 left. CMU took a 10-point advantage, 26-16, when Hurst split a pair from the line and Oaks had an offensive rebound and putback to make it 26-19 with 5:56 remaining.
The Chippewas went up by 11, 30-19, when Pink hit a three and Hurst made two free throws to pull the squad within six, 30-24, with just over four minutes to go. The Titans would go into the break down 44-31.
Detroit Mercy will end a busy week by getting on a plane and heading to North Carolina State on Saturday, with game time set for 1:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
- The Titans still lead the overall series, 22-12, but are now 9-8 all-time on the road
- It was the fifth game against the MAC this season as the Titans are now 184-130 all-time against current members of the league
- Detroit Mercy is now 293-177 (.620) all-time against other schools from the state of Michigan
- The 12-game slide to start the season is the longest by the Titans to start the year since going 0-14 in 1987-88, a year that saw the squad reach the MCC Championship game, while the 13-game losing streak dating back to last season is the longest since dropping 13 in a row in the 2007-08 campaign
- UDM is 63-of-84 (75.0%) at the line in the last four games
- The 20 free throws were the most since making 21 at home against IUPUI last season, while the 26 free-throw attempts were the most since going 22-of-27 at home against Cleveland State last year
- Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in six games this season
- The Titans have not hit double-digit 3-pointers this season, the longest streak since going 15 straight at one point during the 2014-15 campaign
- Hurst had 13 points in his debut at Loyola Marymount on Monday
- Pink's career-high was seven points against NKU last year
