DETROIT (1/26/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will look to knock off first-place Green Bay as the Titans battle the Phoenix on Saturday. 

Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Resch Center and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN App. Fans can also listen to a home audio radio feed on the net with Jeremy Otto on the call on LQV 92.7 FM & 1500 AM Faith Talk Detroit. 

Detroit Mercy was hot and cold its last time out at Milwaukee, going down by as many as 14 points in the first half, only to take the lead in the second period but eventually running out of gas playing shorthanded without senior Edoardo Del Cadia. 

Graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac led the way with a career-high 27 points, while senior Jayden Stone tallied 15 points and a career-best 10 assists.

Green Bay has won four of the last five and just defeated Oakland at home to move into the top of the conference standings as the Phoenix is 13-9 overall and 8-3 in league play. 

Following the game, the Titans will return home to host Cleveland State on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7:00 p.m. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

• Detroit Mercy has won five of the last seven, but Green Bay took the first meeting a few weeks ago in Calihan Hall and leads the all-time match-up, 36-31.
• The Titans won on the road last year, ending a nine-game slide away from UDM in the series, but they have still dropped 13 of their last 15 since 2008 as the red, white, and blue are 8-22 all-time on the road. 

LOOKING TO END THE SLIDE

• The Titans - whose last win came against Purdue Fort Wayne in last year's conference tournament - have lost 22 in a row dating back to last season, a school record surpassing the 15 straight between the end of 1986-87 and the 0-14 start of 1987-88. 

CONGRATS TITANS

• Detroit Mercy had seven players earn a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in Edoardo Del Cadia, Oton Jankovic, Emmanuel Kuac, Jamail Pink, Tobin Schwannecke, Jayden Stone and Donovann Toatley. 
• To be named to the honor roll, a student-athlete must have achieved a 3.0 GPA in the spring or fall semester.

TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

• Detroit Mercy played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the league.
• Nine of the 11 contests had the Titans on the road as the red, white and blue face teams from the AAC, ACC, BIG 10, SEC and the WCC, among others.
• The 11 foes were 202-161 (55.6%) last season, with four making postseason trips in NC State (NCAA), Northwestern (NCAA), Toledo (NIT), and Cincinnati (NIT), and are 123-83 (58.7%) this year. 
• KenPom.com rankings have the Titans' non-conference ranked 57th in the nation and the second-best in the Horizon League. 

STARTING TO SURGE

• The Titans have struggled on offense but have picked it up in the last four games, averaging 77.5 points after tallying just 60.1 in their first 17 games. They had a season-high 99 points at Robert Morris, along with a season-high 17 assists. 
• The 99 points 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 at Green Bay in 2016. 
• UDM's 79 shot attempts at RMU were the most since taking 86 shots against Siena Heights in 2017, while the 36 field goals made were the most since connecting on 39 versus Green Bay in 2019. 

LOOKING FOR THAT OFFENSE

• Everyone knew the Titans' offense might look different without Antoine Davis.
• Detroit Mercy currently ranks 341st in scoring at 63.4 points per game.
• Without the NCAA all-time second-leading scorer and the top 3-pointer shooter in NCAA history, UDM also ranks 329th with 5.7 triples per game.
• In fact, the Titans have hit double-digit 3-pointers just once this season with the 10 at Milwaukee their last time out. The 10 triples ended a streak of 22 straight dating back to last year without reaching double figures. 

SHOWING SOME DEFENSE

• Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in 12 of its' 21 games on the season. UDM also has at least 10 steals in five games on the year as it just forced 16 turnovers with a season-tying 12 steals at Milwaukee.  
• The Titans' defense forced Robert Morris into 20. UDM also had 33 turnovers in a weekend series two weeks ago as Green Bay had 15 and Milwaukee committed 18. They also recorded 11 steals against the Panthers.
• Earlier this year, they had 10 steals and forced Loyola Marymount into 17 turnovers and forced Ball State into a season-high 21 turnovers with a season-best 12 steals. 
• Detroit Mercy also posted 11 steals and six blocks against Oakland.
• The Titans are sixth in the HL in steals at 6.9 per game. 

EARNING POINTS AT THE LINE

• The Titans have made double-digit free throws in 12 of the last 15 games, going 178-of-230 (77.3%) in that span. 
• UDM connected on a season-high 25-of-26 free throws against NKU, the most since hitting 28-of-31 at Milwaukee in a 90-84 victory in 2020, while the 26 free throw attempts tied a season-high with the 20-of-26 effort at Central Michigan.
• The Titans are sixth in the HL in free-throw percentage at 73.2%. 

A PRECIOUS STONE

• Senior Jayden Stone returned to action against NKU after missing six games, but he has quickly reestablished himself as one of the top scorers in the Horizon League in the last four games at 21.3 ppg.
• He is coming off his second double-double of the year with 15 points and a career-high 10 assists, along with six rebounds and two steals at Milwaukee.
• He had a monster game with a career-high 36 points and grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds, playing 49 of a possible 50 minutes at Robert Morris, while adding four assists, two steals, and a block. Against NKU, he scored a game-high 27 points with three assists, two rebounds and two steals.
• He now has two 30-point efforts and seven 20-point performances in just 15 games played this season.
• He had a then career-best 34 points against Eastern Michigan, hitting 12-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from three with six rebounds, four assists and three steals. 
• Stone led the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists against Ball State, the most steals by a Titan since 2017.
• Stone is averaging 19.5 points, which would be tied for second in the HL but he does not have enough games to qualify, along with 2.5 triples, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. 
• He has played in 28 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 12 times, been in double figures 21 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 19 occasions, including 12 of the 15 games he has seen action in this year, and has recorded three double-doubles.

SCORE IT MARK

• Sophomore Marcus Tankersley scored just seven points apiece in the first two games at Toledo and Cincinnati, but since then, he has acclimated into one of the best scorers in the Horizon League and has now scored 20 or more five times on the year. 
• He tallied a game-high 23 points against Youngstown State on 7-of-15 shooting. That was after a career-high 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting and 9-of-9 at the line, with three boards and three assists, at Robert Morris and 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 9-of-10 at the line versus NKU.  
• Dating back to last season, he has now scored in double figures in 18 of the last 23 games and is tallying 14.8 points on the year, shooting 40.8% from the field - 10th in the HL in both categories. He is also fifth connecting on 79.0% at the line.  
• He had 20 at NC State with a career-tying three steals, two rebounds, and an assist and recorded his first career double-double with a then career-best 23 points and 11 rebounds at Northwestern back in December. He had 19 points at Ole Miss with a career-high five assists.
• Last year, he came on at the end of the season, scoring 10 points with three steals and five boards against Purdue Fort Wayne in the HL opening round and a season-best 14 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the field, with three rebounds and three assists in the HL Quarterfinals at Youngstown State.

DEL CADIA NETS CAREER BEST

• Graduate senior Edoardo Del Cadia - who missed last game with an undisclosed injury - has three double-doubles - tied for seventh in the HL - as he continues to showcase some fine all-around play as a post-player.
• He just registered a career-best 17 points on 8-of-15 from the field with three steals and three rebounds against Youngstown State.  
• He had a then career-high 16 points and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne, to go with two steals, a block and an assist. Del Cadia posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards at NC State in just 22 minutes of action due to foul trouble. 
• At Cleveland State, he scored five points, tied for the team lead with eight rebounds and handed out a season-best five assists with a block. 
• He tallied a career-best 16 points with 10 boards at Ole Miss, to go with three assists, a block and a steal.  
• He has scored in double figures in eight games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 13 as he is currently averaging 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds - 10th in the HL - 1.8 assists and shooting 49.6% (63-of-127) from the field, which would be fifth in the league but he doesn't have enough attempts to qualify.  

RETURN OF THE MAK

• Junior Mak Manciel is a local product from Sterling Heights, Michigan, who finally got his game going against NKU, recording a season-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four rebounds. He came back with 16 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from three with a season-high five assists at Robert Morris. 
• After starting the year 6-of-42 (14.2%) from the field, he is now 19-of-47 (40.4%) in his last eight games.
• He scored five points and tied his season best with six rebounds at IUPUI. He recorded four points, six rebounds and a team-high four assists at NC State.
• Last year, he was at Arkansas State, but missed last season due to a knee injury.
• He was a First Team NJCAA All-American as a sophomore at Henry Ford College after posting 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 47.6% from the field.

DAVIS COMING ALIVE

• Sophomore Tyree Davis has had some good moments in his first year with the Titans. 
• He scored six points with three boards at Robert Morris. He notched four points, five rebounds, and two steals against Milwaukee, and that was after a season-high six boards versus Green Bay. 
• He had five points, two steals, two rebounds, and a block at Loyola Marymount, and eight points and five boards at Northwestern. 
• Davis provided some energy and great minutes against Oakland, making 4-of-5 from the field and ending with eight points, four rebounds, and his first two blocks. 
• Davis' dad, Ricky Davis, played 12 years in the NBA and averaged 13.5 points per game, including a career-high 20.6 with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002-03., 40.8% from three and 83.0% at the line. 

KUAC FINALLY BREAKING THROUGH

• Graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac started the season recovering from a past injury and had a slow start, but he showed what he could do when healthy at Milwaukee.
• He drained 7-of-13 from deep - including a half-court heave at the buzzer to end the first half - en route to a career-high 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting overall to go with a season-high eight rebounds, a career-tying three steals and a block at Milwaukee. 
• Kuac had scored just 14 total points and was 3-of-22 from three entering the game and his career-high was 11 against Norfolk State as a member of New Mexico in 2021.
• The last Titan to make seven triples in a game was Antoine Davis last year at Oakland.
• He had a team-high five rebounds with a career-tying three blocks against NKU. He recorded three points, four rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal against Green Bay.
• He missed the first 12 games, recovering from an injury sustained before his arrival at UDM. Kuac saw action in 47 games in his four years at New Mexico - averaging 2.7 points and 3.6 rebounds - but played in just six games as a junior and one as a senior. 

MOTOR CITY PRIDE

• Senior Kyle LeGreair has 10 multi-assist games this year after having three helpers and a steal at Milwaukee. He now has a steal in eight straight games and 14 on the season, with multi-steal games on three occasions.  
• He had a season-high five points and a season-tying five rebounds with two assists and a steal against Milwaukee. 
• He scored four points with three assists and two rebounds at Purdue Fort Wayne and posted two points, four rebounds and three assists at NC State. 
• He registered five rebounds and three assists at Ole Miss, two steals at Ohio and three assists against Oakland. 

 
MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PINK

• Junior Jamail Pink has been seeing more action this season. He just netted seven points at Milwaukee, and that was after eight points against Youngstown State, connecting on three field goals and a 3-pointer in both games.  
• He set a career-high with 11 points at Central Michigan, going 3-of-7 from the field with a pair of triples and had five points and three boards against Milwaukee. 
• He gave the Titans some vital minutes in his first start at Southern Illinois Edwardsville, scoring six points on a pair of 3-pointers and registering two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in a career-high 29 minutes.
• He hit all six of his free throws for six points to go with two steals at LMU and scored five points with three boards and two assists at Northwestern.
• Pink had connected on just two career 3-pointers coming into this season, both last year, but has nine this year. 

OLAJUWON IN THE BOOKS

• Redshirt freshman Abdullah Olajuwon - who missed a couple of games with an undisclosed injury - had a career day at Purdue Fort Wayne, scoring a career-best 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. He is coming off four points, three rebounds and two steals at Milwaukee.
• In the first meeting with the Panthers, he tied his season-high with eight rebounds. 
• He grabbed four rebounds at IUPUI in just 11 minutes of action. 
• Against Oakland, he registered two points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists.  
• He had four points with a steal against Eastern Michigan and four points, a team-high eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals at Ohio.
• Olajuwon scored his first basket in the season opener at Toledo and added two more points with six boards at Cincinnati.
• He is now 1,295 points behind his dad, Hakeem Olajuwon, who netted 1,332 in three years at Houston from 1981-84.

WELCOME NEWBIES

• A pair of freshmen made their collegiate debuts at Loyola Marymount and got right into the thick of things.
• Ryan Hurst - who has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the start of practice in October - had a season-high 22 points at IUPUI, shooting 8-of-18 from the field, the first 20-point game by a Titan freshman since Antoine Davis in 2018-19.
• He started his career with 13 points, four rebounds and a steal at LMU and came back with a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds at Central Michigan before sitting out at NC State.
• Meanwhile, Michael Oaks - who signed with the Titans out of a prep school in early December, enrolled early and was immediately eligible - had five points and two blocks at LMU.
• He would go on to grab seven rebounds at CMU, had two points, three caroms and a block at NC State and just recorded four points, two rebounds and a steal at Milwaukee. 

ON THE MEND

• The Titans have seen their share of injuries this season that have seen Ryan Hurt (16), Emmanuel Kuac (13), Oton Jankovic (12), Trenton Johnson (11), Jayden Stone (6), Jamail Pink (3), Donovann Toatley (3), Abdullah Olajuwon (3) and Mak Manciel (1) all missed games due to injuries or illness, adding up to 68 misses contests. The coaching staff has already announced that Hurt and Johnson will miss the rest of the year.
• In addition, senior Alex Tchikou has not played for personal reasons, and junior Jonathan Ammori will miss the rest of the season due to eligibility requirements.