DETROIT (12/6/2023) -- Four Titans scored in double figures, but the red, white and blue could not get one more basket to fall as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team dropped a 68-65 contest at home to Ball State on Wednesday.
Senior
Jayden Stone led the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists. The six steals were the most by a Titan since 2017.
Graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia posted 11 points, six rebounds and two assists. Sophomore
Marcus Tankersley netted 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds and graduate senior Donorvann Toatley put in 10 points.
Detroit Mercy (0-9, 0-2 HL) led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but Ball State (7-2, 0-0 MAC) got off to a quick start in the second and took over the lead late in the game.
The Titans were up 56-48 with under nine minutes remaining after Tankersley had a steal and went to the rim for a layup and was fouled, hitting the free throw for the three-point play. BSU cut it to two, but Tankersley hit a pull-up jumper for a 58-54 score with 6:47 left.
Detroit Mercy was up by two, 59-57, with 5:37 to go when both teams went scoreless for the next 2:30, but the Cardinals were able to get to the line and eventually took a 60-59 lead with 1:35 left.
Stone briefly put the team back in front, 61-60, hitting a pair from the line with 1:25 on the clock, but the Cardinals were able to jump ahead, 62-61, with a basket at the 1:07 mark and went up by three, 64-61 with 22 ticks left. The Titans thought they had tied the game as Stone nailed a three with 14 seconds remaining, but a foul was called prior to the shot, wiping away the game-tying basket and UDM just could not take over the lead.
Junior
Jamail Pink finished with five points, while sophomore
Tyree Davis had four points, three rebounds and a steal.
Detroit Mercy shot 36.4% and was 12-of-16 at the free-throw line, while coming away with a season-high 12 steals and forcing a season-best 21 turnovers. They held a 27-6 edge on points off turnovers, 32-22 advantage in points in the paint and a 16-6 margin in bench points.
The Titans got off to a fast start, with their defense forcing six turnovers in the first six minutes of play. Davis got an offensive rebound and putback, and after a steal, Pink knocked in a three and hit a jumper for a 7-0 lead. Later on, Tankersley had back-to-back baskets and the Titans were in front 13-7 at the 13:41 mark.
Detroit Mercy would have a six-point lead again at 21-15 with 8:16 on the clock as Toatley and junior
Mak Manciel rang in triples. The red, white and blue would then go on a 10-2 spurt to open its biggest lead of the game. Del Cadia had back-to-back baskets and Stone nailed a jumper to make it 31-23 before Tankersley hit two at the line for a 33-23 advantage. Del Cadia then had an offensive rebound and laid it in for a 35-25 lead as the Titans took a 35-27 score at the break.
Ball State started the second half with six straight points when Del Cadia ended that with a bucket. The Titans then saw their one-time double-digit lead trimmed down to one, 37-36, when Del Cadia found redshirt freshman
Abdullah Olajuwon cutting to the basket for a layup and then a steal by senior
Kyle LeGreair set up a three from Stone for a 42-36 advantage. The Titans also led by six at 46-40 as Stone connected on a jumper with 12:54 to go.
Detroit Mercy had a five-point cushion as Toatley's jumper made it 49-44 at the 11:20 mark and the eight-point margin, 56-48, following back-to-back baskets by Toatley and Tankersley with 8:58 showing.
Detroit Mercy will now hit the road for six-straight games, starting with a trip to Chicago as the Titans meet Northwestern on Sunday, with game time set for 2:00 p.m. (EST).
Game Notes:
- Ball State now leads the all-time series, 3-2, and is 2-1 at Calihan Hall
- Head coach Mike Davis was an assistant coach at Indiana when Ball State head coach Michael Lewis was a player there from 1996-2000
- The Titans' non-conference foes came into today with a 56-27 (67.4%) overall record on the year
- The 12 steals were the most since tallying 13 at home against IUPUI last season
- The 21 forced turnovers were the most since IUPUI had 21 on the road in 2021
- The Titans hit double-digit free throws for the fifth time this year
- Stone has now played in 22 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 10 times, been in double figures 17 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 16 occasions, including all nine games this year
- Stone's six steals were the most since Jermaine Jackson Jr. had nine against Siena Heights in 2017
- Del Cadia has now scored in double figures in five games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in eight of the nine games this season
- Dating back to last season, Tankersley has now scored in double figures in eight of the last 11 games
- Tankersley's seven rebounds were one away from his career high of eight at Ole Miss earlier this season
- Pink now has five career triples and three have been this season, all in the last four games
- Toatley was in double figures for the fourth time in six games
