JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (11/26/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team got off to a quick start, but Tulsa was able to catch fire, and the Titans couldn't get the offense going again as UDM dropped a 63-44 contest in the first game of the Jacksonville Classic on Tuesday afternoon.
The game was played at the Florida State College at Jacksonville, South Campus.
Junior
Jared Lary led the team with 12 points and had three rebounds and two steals, while junior
Peter Fuchs Jr. added a season-high seven points. Freshman
Stephen Okoro grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and junior
Orlando Lovejoy added six points and two boards.
Early on, freshman
Nate Johnson went inside for a score and was fouled, converting on the free throw. A three from freshman
TJ Nadeau and a layup from junior
Legend Geeter had the Titans (3-4) up 10-5 six minutes in.
The Titans would extend their lead to 18-12 on a Lary jumper as the defense held Tulsa (4-3) to 4-of-16 shooting and forced four turnovers in the first eight minutes.
Detroit Mercy was ahead by five at 20-15 as graduate senior
Emmanuel Kuac drove to the rim for a score, but the Golden Hurricane ended the half on a 21-7 run to take a 36-27 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Titans were down 37-29 at the 17:53 mark, but the offense sputtered as Tulsa extended its advantage to 17, 50-33, with over 13 minutes to go and eventually took a 22-point lead.
Kuac ended with two points and five rebounds, while freshman
Ryan Kalambay had three points, tied his season-high with five boards, two assists, and a block. Geeter netted four points and pulled down four caroms and redshirt freshman
Grant Gondrezick II scored four points and had two rebounds and a steal.
The Titans held Tulsa to 36.8% shooting (21-of-57), including 11-of-34 (32.4%) from three. Detroit Mercy had a season-low nine turnovers and won the battle of the glass, 47-44, and 16-9 on the offensive glass.
The red, white and blue will conclude the event tomorrow as they face Rhode Island at Noon.
Game Notes:
- Tulsa leads the all-time series, 12-7, as the two schools were rivals in the Missouri Valley Conference in the 1950's
- Detroit Mercy is now 26-34 all-time against current members of the American Athletic Conference
- The Titans have won the rebounding battle in all seven games as they came into the contest leading the Horizon League and 11th in the nation in rebounding at 44.5 per game as well as 21st in offensive rebounding at 14.8 per game
- UDM's outstanding work on the glass has led to a 100-50 margin on second-chance points on the season.
- Okoro has at least five rebounds in four of the Titans' seven games
- Okoro's season high in rebounds was 10 in the season opener against Cleary
- Kalambay has five boards in back-to-back games as he also had five at Wake Forest
- Lary was in double figures for the fourth time this season and the 22nd time in his career
- Fuchs Jr. had not played and scored since the season opener against Cleary
