Notes vs. Milwaukee

Horizon League Network

CSTV Gametracker

The Detroit Titans men's basketball team will look to rebound from Thursday's tough loss when UDM hosts Milwaukee in a pivotal Horizon League contest on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 3:05 p.m.

With the game comes a special promotion as all City of Detroit employees, including all rescue and emergency personnel, can receive up to four (4) FREE tickets. Headlining the event is Detroit Mayor Dave Bing who will serve as guest coach for the day. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. City employees must show identification at any Calihan Hall ticket window to receive their free tickets. For more information, contact the Titan Ticket Office at (313) 993-1700. 

Detroit (15-11, 7-7 HL) once again proved that no lead is safe for the opposition as the Titans turned a nine-point second half deficit into a lead on two occasions before succumbing to another close loss, 64-62 to Green Bay on Thursday. Junior Xavier Keeling posted his first double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds and sophomore Chase Simon scored all 15 of his points in the second half. UDM is currently sixth in the Horizon League, which would give the Titans a home first-round playoff game, and could get closer to making that a reality with a win over Milwaukee. 

UWM (13-12, 5-8 HL) has dropped three in a row and four of its last five. The Panthers are 1-5 on the road in league play and right now sit in seventh place in the HL standings. Ricky Franklin paces the squad with 14.7 points per game. James Eayrs is second in scoring at 12.2 ppg., while pulling down 5.9 rebounds per contest. 

The Horizon League Network will carry the game live online, while a live stats feed of the event can be accessed through CSTV's gametracker. Both links are available on top of the page.

TITANS VS. MILWAUKEE
Detroit and Milwaukee have met 33 times with the Panthers owning a slight edge, 17-16. The squads have split the last six meetings but UWM has also won 13 of the last 17 games. 

The Titans are 9-5 all-time against the Panthers at home.

RECAPPING THE LAST MEETING
Sophomore Chase Simon netted a career-high 33 points and Detroit shot nearly 56 percent for the game as UDM used an explosive 26-5 second half run to rout Milwaukee, 81-65. 

On the night, Simon was a career-best 15-of-24 from the field to go with his first career double-double, adding a game and career high 12 rebounds. 

Junior Xavier Keeling scored 20 points with four boards and four assists and sophomore Eli Holman came close to his seventh double-double with 15 points and nine boards along with four blocks. Sophomore Donavan Foster grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, while senior Woody Payne pulled down a season-best seven caroms and handed out five assists. 

Detroit trailed by seven, 41-34, when the Titan defense clamped down on the Panthers, forcing UWM to miss its next 17 shots from the field. Detroit would eventually tie the game at 42, but a Milwaukee free throw once again had the Titans down, 43-42, with 17:19 left. 

That was when Simon silenced the home town crowd by scoring 16 straight for the Titans en route to 22 second half points. Only three UWM free throws accounted for their scoring in that span as Detroit raced out to a 12-point lead, 58-46. 

Detroit would later extend its advantage to as many as 21. 

The Titans connected on 33 field goals and outrebounded the Panthers, 47-31. Detroit also dominated in the paint outscoring the opposition, 36-16, on the night.

A FAMILY AFFAIR NO. 2
Titan head coach Ray McCallum will see his nephew, Ja'Rob McCallum, suit up for Milwaukee. Ja'Rob is a freshman on the Panthers' squad and is third on the team in scoring at 8.2 ppg. 

The last time these two teams squared off, the uncle got the best as Ja'Rob was 1-of-10 from the field and 0-for-5 from long range finishing the contest with just five points and four rebounds.

ALL IN THE SECOND
Sophomore Chase Simon netted his 11th straight game in double figures with 15 points against Green Bay. Even more impressive was that Simon did not score in the first half, missing his four shots while only playing five minutes due to foul trouble. After the intermission, he was 7-for-11 from the field.

THE AGONY OF DEFEAT
Nine of the Titans' 11 losses have been by a total of 24 points, with Detroit getting off a potential game-winning or tying shot in most of those contests, including four at the buzzer. 

All seven of UDM's setbacks in league play have been by five points or less. 

Detroit has lost two games in overtime, 68-66 at DePaul and a 64-62 setback against No. 24 Butler.
The Titans were also edged by Tennessee State, 70-69, at UIC, 60-56, at Green Bay, 74-72, against Wright State, 61-59, at Butler 63-58, at Valparaiso, 74-70, and most recently to Green Bay, 64-62.

X'S FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Xavier Keeling recorded his first career double-double against Green Bay with 14 points and a career-best 13 rebounds. 

Not only did he reach that feat, he actually posted the double-double in the first half with 10 points and 10 boards.