ROCHESTER, Mich. (3/2/2024) -- Four Titans scored in double figures and the red, white and blue had a seven-point lead in the second half, but Oakland was able to erase that as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 75-70, on the road on Saturday night.
With the loss, the Titans will be the 11th seed in the upcoming Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship and will be at sixth-seeded Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Senior
Jayden Stone tallied a team-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Sophomore
Marcus Tankersley had 15 points and four assists and two boards. Graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia posted 14 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals and graduate senior
Emmanuel Kuac had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The Titans (1-30, 1-19 HL) led 44-37 after two straight baskets from Stone with 16:12 left in the game. UDM led by five a few times after that, the latest at 51-46 after Stone drilled a three with 13:06 left, but Oakland (20-11, 15-5 HL) went on a 13-1 run over the next five minutes to take the lead.
Detroit Mercy didn't go away and kept making it a one-possession game as Stone's two free throws cut it to 64-63 with 5:51 left. Two minutes later, he would hit another pair for a 66-65 margin, but Oakland ran its lead to 70-65 at the 2:19 mark and 72-67 with 1:30 showing.
A triple by junior
Tobin Schwannecke had the squad down by just two, 72-70, with 45 seconds left, but the Titans could not get the equalizer after that.
The Titans shot 48.9% (22-of-45) from the field with nine 3-pointers and were 17-of-18 (94.4%) at the free-throw line. UDM also handed out a season-high 18 assists and came away with seven steals.
Tip-off for the game at Milwaukee will be 8:00 p.m. (EST) and a win would put the Titans back at Oakland in the quarterfinals next Thursday.
Game Notes:
- This was the 35th meeting between the two schools, located about 26 miles apart, as Oakland leads the series, 20-15, and is 10-3 at home
- The Titans struggled on offense to start the year but are now averaging 71.5 points in the last 14 games after tallying just 60.1 in their first 17 games
- Detroit Mercy has registered double-digit assists in 11 of the 14 games
- UDM has shot over 46.0% in eight of the last nine games, including some big performances, shooting 51.7% against Wright State, 52.2% against Purdue Fort Wayne, and 51.0% in the win over IUPUI. UDM tallied 47.5% at NKU - including 66.0% in the second half - and hit a season-high 59.6% at Wright State
- The previous season high in assists was 17 at Robert Morris
- It was the sixth game this season with at least four players in double figures
- The Titans have made double-digit free throws in 23 games this season and came into the game fifth in the HL in free-throw percentage at 72.9%
- Stone has now played in 38 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 19 times, been in double figures 30 times, grabbed five or more rebounds on 276 occasions, including 20 times this year, and recorded three double-doubles
- Del Cadia has now scored in double figures in 15 games and has grabbed at least five rebounds in 19
- Del Cadia's previous high in free throws was six at Purdue Fort Wayne
- Del Cadia has at least three assists in seven games this season
- Tankersley is averaging 4.2 assists in the last seven games
- Kuac was in double figures for the second time this season after his career-high 27 at Milwaukee
- Kuac has at least three rebounds in seven-straight games
- LeGreair has 13 multi-assist games this year and a steal in 15 of the last 18 games and 21 on the season
- LeGreair has seven multi-steal games this year
- Schwannecke has now hit a three in four straight games he has played in
