DETROIT (2/3/2024) -- Senior
Jayden Stone and sophomore
Marcus Tankersley recorded 20-point games, and the Titans cut a 13-point deficit into an even contest on a couple of occasions, but UDM could not get in front as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team was edged, 75-67, on Saturday afternoon.
Stone ended with a game-high 25 points and led the team with six rebounds and three assists, while Tankersley had 24 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Robert Morris (9-14, 5-7 HL) led 35-22 late in the first half and by 12, 46-34, with 15:16 left in the game when the Titans (0-24, 0-13 HL) went on a 14-2 run to tie the contest at 48-all. Stone started the spurt with a three and Tankersley followed with a layup. Stone would add another basket in the spurt that also saw junior
Mak Manciel knock down a triple and back-to-back baskets from graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia had the score at 48-48 with 11:34 left.
Tankersley would also knot the game at 50-50 with a driving layup at the 9:53 mark.
RMU pushed the lead back to five, 55-50, but another layup from Tankersley made it a one-possession game. He would also get it to within three, 55-52, with 7:54 remaining and again at 57-54 with 7:29 on the clock off baskets.
The Colonials increased the margin to nine, 64-55, with 5:27 left, but despite a Stone jumper and free throws from Tankersley and Del Cadia, the Titans could not make it a one-possession game again.
Manciel finished with eight points. Del Cadia had five points, four rebounds and two steals and senior
Kyle LeGreair added three points.
Detroit Mercy shot 46.3% and had a season-best four turnovers, but saw Robert Morris take the glass, 44-20.
The Titans started slow out of the gate as the Colonials jumped out to a 10-2 lead just over five minutes in. UDM was down by 10, 14-4, when Tankersley got inside for a score, sophomore
Tyree Davis had an offensive rebound and putback and Stone made two free throws to trim it to 14-10 with 8:32 showing.
Later on, two more free throws from Stone and Tankersley racing to the basket for a layup and it was 20-14, but Robert Morris extended the lead to double digits at the break.
Detroit Mercy will hit the road next week as the red, white and blue travel to Wright State on Thursday and NKU on Saturday.
Game Notes:
- The Titans still lead the all-time series, 6-3, and are 4-1 at home
- Titan Hall-Of-Famer Earl Cureton holds the honor of also being inducted into the Robert Morris Hall Of Fame as he played two seasons at RMU, the second of which (1976-77) was the first as an NCAA Division I institution, before transferring to U-D and then embarking on a 12-year NBA career
- Detroit Mercy shot over 45.0% for the ninth time this year
- UDM's four turnovers were the fewest since committing just four against Concordia in 2011
- The Titans have now made double-digit free throws in 15 of the last 18 games
- Detroit Mercy had two players net 20 or more for the fourth time this season
- Stone had a career-high 36 and Tankersley a career-best 29 in the first meeting
- Stone now has 10, 20-point games on the season in just 18 games played, including three straight and five of the last seven
- Stone has now played in 31 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 15 times, been in double figures 24 times, and has grabbed five or more rebounds on 22 occasions, including 15 of the 18 games he has seen action in this year, and has recorded three double-doubles
- Tankersley now has six 20-point games in his career, all this season
- Dating back to last season, Tankersley has now scored in double figures in 21 of the last 26 games
