MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (1/17/2024) -- It was a double overtime thriller that ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Titans as a game that featured 17 ties and 12 lead changes saw sophomore
Marcus Tankersley's game-tying three just go off the mark as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 102-99, at Robert Morris on Wednesday night.
It was the first double overtime game since 2017 as Detroit Mercy set a season-high for points, the most points scored by UDM since 2019.
Senior
Jayden Stone posted a career-high 36 points and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds for his second career double-double, while adding four assists, two steals, and a block.
Tankersley ended with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting and 9-of-9 at the line, with three boards and three assists, and junior
Mak Manciel tied his career high with 16 points going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from with a career-high five assists.
The Titans (0-19, 0-8 HL) trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, only to take an 11-point lead in the second half. Robert Morris (7-12, 3-5 HL) had a 74-71 lead with 26 seconds left in regulation, but Stone was fouled attempting a three, and he made all three free throws to knot the score at 74-all. The Titans then had a steal to send it to regulation.
In the first overtime, RMU was able to make two free throws with 23 seconds on the clock as the Titans could not get a layup to fall at the buzzer.
In the second overtime, the Titans tied the game at 87-87 on two free throws from Manciel and 90-90 as Manciel buried a triple at the 2:51 mark, but the Colonials were able to jump ahead by six, 98-92, with under a minute to go. Graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia would get inside for a layup and then Stone came up with a steal and a slam to cut the deficit to 89-86 with 10 seconds remaining.
RMU went ahead by four again, 100-96, but Stone rang in a three with four seconds left. The Colonials were fouled and hit bot free throws and when the Titans got the ball back with three ticks showing and after a timeout, Tankersley's last-ditch effort could not send the game into another extra session.
The Titans ended the game shooting 45.6% on a season-best 36-of-79 from the field, while also hitting 19-of-23 (82.6%) at the free-throw line. UDM forced 20 turnovers and had eight steals, holding Robert Morris to 6-of-25 from distance.
Del Cadia recorded eight points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore
Tyree Davis added six points and three rebounds and senior
Kyle LeGreair had two points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Detroit Mercy and Robert Morris traded baskets early on as a three by Stone and a layup from Del Cadia had the team in front 7-6. RMU would answer that with a 14-0 spurt to open a 13-point lead, 20-7, at the 13:01 mark.
The Titans countered that with 10-straight over the next 2:30 as Davis and Tankersley had baskets and that was followed by a triple from Manciel to make it 20-14. After a RMU miss, Stone drilled a triple and it was a three-point game at 20-17 with 10:32 left.
UDM would take the lead scoring six straight as Davis hit a jumper, Tankersley got inside for two, and Stone drove to the rim for a bucket and a 23-21 advantage. Later on, the Titans would take a seven-point lead as Tankersley hit a jumper and on the next possession, he was fouled attempting a three, sinking all three for a 37-30 contest with 3:10 to go.
Robert Morris would go on a 7-0 run to knot it up and it was 41-41 at the break, a half that saw the Titans shoot 54.8% from the field and 4-of-8 from three.
In the second half, the Colonials came back to take the lead, but then the game was tied on four occasions, the latest at 56-56 at the 10:58 mark. That is when the red, white and blue went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes. Tankersley started that with a bucket and then Manciel banked in a three. Stone and Davis would follow with buckets and then Stone came up with a steal and was fouled, making both shots for a 67-56 score with eight minutes to go.
The Titans also led by 11 at 69-58 off a Stone layup with 7:03 on the clock, but the Colonials went on a 16-2 spurt over the next 5:30 to jump out in front, 74-71. It was under 30 seconds when the Titans tied it at 74-74 on three free throws by Stone
The Titans will now return home for a UDM basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 20. The women will host Milwaukee at 1:00 p.m. followed by the men taking on Youngstown State at 4:00 p.m. There will be one admission to both games, with ticket prices starting at $15, and fans can
purchase here.
Game Notes:
- The Titans lead the all-time series, 6-2, but Robert Morris has won the last two meetings, both at home
- The Titans have now dropped five straight overtime games, with the last win a 116-109 double overtime decision over Houston Baptist in 2017 on a neutral court at Belmont as part of the 2K Sports Wounded Warrior Subregional
- The 41 points scored in the first half were the most by the Titans in the first 20 minutes this season and tied for the third most in any half behind the 46 second-half against NKU, 44 second half against Eastern Michigan and the 41 in the second stanza at Southern Illinois Edwardsville
- The 99 points total were the most since a 101-83 victory against Green Bay at home in 2019 and the most points on the road since a 115-108 setback in overtime at Green Bay in 2016
- UDM's 79 shot attempts were the most since taking 86 shots against Siena Heights in 2017, while the 36 field goals were the most since connecting on 39 versus Green Bay in 2019
- Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in 10 of its' 19 games on the season, with a season-high of 21 against Ball State back in early December
- The Titans have made double-digit free throws in 10 of the last 11 games, going 160-of-209 (76.5%) in that span
- Detroit Mercy's 17 assists were the most since registering 19 in the win at Oakland last year
- The Titans had two 20-point scorers for the second-straight game and the third time this season
- Dating back to last season, Tankersley has now scored in double figures in 17 of the last 21 games
- Tankersley's career high was 23 at Northwestern as he now has four 20-point performances on the year
- Tankersley's nine free throws tied a career-high with the 9-of-10 effort he had against NKU last game
- Stone's 49 minutes were the most by a Titan since Evan Bruinsma '14 and Juwan Howard Jr. '15 played 51 in a three-overtime game against Stony Brook at home in 2013
- Stone's previous high was 34 points against Eastern Michigan earlier in the year
- Stone's 12 field goals tied a career-high with the 12 he made versus EMU, while his eight free throws tied a career-high for the third time, including two-straight games
- Stone's other double-double was in his Titan debut, as he had 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against Rochester
- Stone has now played in 26 career games with the Titans and has netted 30 or more twice, 20 or more 12 times, been in double figures 20 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 17 occasions, including 10 of the 13 games he has seen action in this year
- Del Cadia scored in double figures in seven games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 13
- Manciel just had 16 in the last game against NKU
- After starting the year 6-of-42 (14.2%) from the field, Manciel is now 16-of-35 (45.7%) in his last six games and is 6-of-12 from three in the last two contests
- Manciel had four assists at NC State
- LeGreair has nine multi-assists games on the year, with a season-high of three in five games
