DETROIT (1/31/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will return home for a pair of games as Cleveland State heads into Calihan Hall on Thursday. 

Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the Watch ESPN App with Dan Hasty and Earl Cureton '11 on the call. Fans can also listen to the action on the radio on WLQV 92.7 FM & 1500 AM FaithTalk Detroit with Jeremy Otto. 

The Titans are looking to end their slide that has seen some tough losses, including last week as the red, white and blue had second-half leads at Milwaukee and at Green Bay, but ran out of gas in each contest.

Senior Jayden Stone leads the team in scoring at 19.6 points, which would be good for second in the league, but since he missed six games with an ankle injury, he does not have enough to qualify. 

Sophomore Marcus Tankersley is tallying 14.9 points on the year - 11th in the HL - shooting 41.2% from the field - 15th in the conference - while graduate senior Edoardo Del Cadia is currently averaging 8.7 points and 5.8 rebounds - 12th in the league. 

Tickets start at just $10 and can be purchased here.

ALL-TIME SERIES

• The Titans lead the all-time series, 47-30
• Cleveland State has won five of the last seven, but over a longer period, no team has won more than three in a row over each other in the last 29 meetings, dating back to 2008-09 season. The teams have actually split the last 18 games. 
• Detroit Mercy is 31-5 all-time at home in the series and has won seven of the last eight in the Motor City, with the lone loss in overtime in 2020. 
• The red, white and blue did win 28 of the first 34 games in the match-up. 

LOOKING TO END THE SLIDE

• The Titans - whose last win came against Purdue Fort Wayne in last year's conference tournament - have lost 23 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. 

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 135-87 (60.7%) this year. 
• KenPom.com rankings have the Titans' non-conference ranked 44th 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 five games, averaging 74.8 points after tallying just 60.1 in their first 17 games. Detroit Mercy has registered double-digit assists in all five games, with 64 helpers in its 128 field goals. 
• They had a season-high 99 points at Robert Morris, along with a season-best 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 343rd 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 319th with 5.6 triples per game.
• In fact, the Titans have hit double-digit 3-pointers just once this season, with the 10 at Milwaukee.

SHOWING SOME DEFENSE

• Detroit Mercy has forced double-digit turnovers in 13 of its' 22 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 last week.  
• 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 6.98 per game. 

EARNING POINTS AT THE LINE

• The Titans have made double-digit free throws in 13 of the last 16 games, going 200-of-257 (77.8%) in that span.
• UDM just made 22-of-27 at Green Bay and 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 third in the HL in free-throw percentage at 73.8%. 

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 five games at 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists. 
• He had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists at Green Bay and that was after his second double-double of the year with 15 points and a career-high 10 assists, along with six boards 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 19.6 points, which would be second in the HL but he does not have enough games to qualify, along with 2.4 triples, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists. 
• He has played in 29 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 13 times, been in double figures 22 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 20 occasions, including 13 of the 16 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 had 17 points at Green Bay last time out. 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 19 of the last 24 games and is tallying 14.9 points on the year - 11th in the HL - shooting 41.2% from the field - 15th in the conference and is also fifth connecting on 78.5% 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 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 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 now scored in double figures in nine games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 13 as he is currently averaging 8.7 points, 5.8 rebounds - 12th in the HL - 1.8 assists and shooting 50.8% (67-of-132) 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 and added 10 points at Green Bay.  
• After starting the year 6-of-42 (14.2%) from the field, he is now 22-of-57 (38.5%) in his last nine 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 THREW

• 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 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 of the last nine 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 - who missed last game with an undisclosed injury - has been seeing more action this season. He just 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 had a career day at Purdue Fort Wayne, scoring a career-best 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. He pulled down five boards with a steal at Green Bay and that was after 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.