MILWAUKEE (3/5/2024) -- Senior
Jayden Stone poured in a team-high 30 points and sophomore
Marcus Tankersley added 21, but it was just not enough as the 11th-seeded Titans were edged, 83-79, at sixth-seeded Milwaukee in the Barbasol Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship first round match-up on Tuesday night.
Stone - The Horizon League leading scorer at 20.5 points per game and had 21 in the second half alone - was 10-of-20 from the field, 4-of-10 from three and 6-of-7 at the line, while also tallying three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Tankersley - who paced the Titans in the first half with 13 points - was 9-of-14 shooting with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Graduate senior
Edoardo Del Cadia posted 10 points, a team-high six rebounds, three assists and a steal and junior
Mak Manciel registered nine points on three triples.
The game featured 12 ties and 12 lead changes and deadlocked at 73-73 with 2:47 left when Milwaukee (18-14) scored seven straight points. The Titans (1-31) got it down to two, 81-79, with under 10 seconds thanks to a couple of triples from junior
Tobin Schwannecke and Stone, but the Panthers hit some free throws to seal the game.
Detroit Mercy shot 50.9% (29-of-57) from the field with nine 3-pointers and had 16 assists. The defense had seven steals and forced Milwaukee into 2-of-19 from behind the arc.
Milwaukee had the early lead at 8-3, but UDM answered with a 14-0 spurt for a 17-8 advantage at the 12:42 mark. Stone had back-to-back baskets and Tankersley hit a jumper. Stone would then come up with a steal and a slam, and then he hit a three that was followed by a Manciel trey for the nine-point lead.
The Titans would also lead by nine, 19-10, after Schwannecke stole the ball and laid it in with 11:29 left. The Panthers would start to chip away and claimed a 29-28 lead with 3:27 remaining, but a basket by Tankersley put the Titans back in front, 30-29. The game was then tied 35-35 at the break as Del Cadia ended the half with an offensive rebound and putback.
In the second half, Tankersley briefly gave the Titans the lead at 37-35, but Milwaukee went on a 13-6 run for a 46-41 margin. UDM got the lead back, 50-48 with 12:24 left, with a pair of 3-pointers from graduate senior Emmanual Kuac and Stone.
The Titans would lead by three, 61-58, after a layup from Del Cadia with 9:27 on the clock and also were ahead, 68-66 after a steal from Tankersley led to a Stone jumper with 5:49 to go, but the Panthers surged ahead again. The game was then knotted at 71-71 with 4:01 left and 73-73 at the 2:47 mark when the home team went on one final charge.
Schwannecke tied his career high with six points. Kuac had three points and three rebounds and senior
Kyle LeGreair added five boards and four assists.
Milwaukee will now head to in-state rival Green Bay for the quarterfinals.
Game Notes:
- Milwaukee now leads the all-time series, 34-29, and is 19-12 at home
- The Titans are 1-5 all-time against Milwaukee in the postseason, with the Panthers winning five in a row
- Detroit Mercy is 38-410 in its history in the HL postseason, with eight trips to the title game (1988, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2012) and three championships (1994, 1999, 2012)
- UDM has dropped six in a row and is 6-15 on the road all-time in the Horizon League Tournament, with its last win when it took down Valparaiso for the league championship in 2012
- The Titans averaged 73.5 points in their last 15 games, registering double-digit assists in 12 of the 15 games
- UDM shot over 46.0% in nine of the last 10 games
- If it holds up, Stone will make it six straight years and the 12th time a Titan has led the league in offense (Antoine Davis 5x, Rashad Phillips 2x, Ray McCallum, Jon Goode, Willie Green, Tony Tolbert)
- Stone ended the year with two 30-point efforts - tied for second in the HL - and 15, 20-point performances - tied for third in the league - in just 26 games played
- Stone has played in 39 career games with the Titans and has netted 20 or more 20 times, 30 or more three times, been in double figures 31 times, grabbed five or more rebounds on 27 occasions, including 20 times this year, and recorded three double-doubles
- Tankersley netted 20 or more 11 times on the year - tied for the seventh most in the HL - including six of the last nine and 10 of the last 15 games
- Tankersley is averaging 4.0 assists in his last 11 games
- Manciel ended the year shooting 40.0% (46-of-115) in his last 19 games after hitting just 6-of-42 (14.2%) to start the year
- Del Cadia recorded three double-doubles on the year
- Del Cadia scored in double figures in 16 games and grabbed at least five rebounds in 19 on the season
- Schwannecke ended the year hitting a three in five straight games
- Schwannecke also had six points as a member of Grand Valley State at Northwood in 2021
- LeGreair recorded 14 multi-assist games on the year
- LeGreair's career high in assists is five, accomplished on four occasions
