Game notes at Youngstown State

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The regular season comes to an end on Saturday as the men's basketball team visits Youngstown State in the Horizon League Network's Game of the Week. Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m., at the Beeghly Center.

Will Haskett will have the play by play and Damon Lewis will provide the color. For fans in the Detroit area, you can watch the game with the ESPN Full Court package, available on most cable outlets. Titan fans with DIRECTV and the added “Sports Pack” can also view the game on SportsTime Ohio (662). As with all Horizon League games, the contest will be web streamed live on the Horizon League Network and CSTV's gametracker will provide updated stats.

Detroit (17-13, 8-9 HL) clinched its first winning season since 2004 with a 65-54 victory over Cleveland State. The win also kept the Titan home playoff hopes alive and they now just need a win over YSU and a Viking loss to Wright State to clinch at least a six seed in the HL Tournament. UDM could also move to a fifth seed with a win and losses by CSU and Milwaukee (at UIC).

Youngstown State (8-20, 2-15 HL) has lost eight in a row and 12 of its last 13 games, but the record is a little misleading. With any luck, the Penguins could find themselves fighting for a higher seed, but they have lost four straight one-possession games. DeAndre Mays paces three YSU players in double figures in scoring at 14.3 points per game, 10th in the league. Vytas Sulskis is averaging 11.5 ppg., while Sirlester Martin is tallying 10.3 ppg., and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game.

DETROIT VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Titans are 19-7 all-time against the Penguins. They opened the series winning 17 of the first 19 match-ups, but have since dropped five of the last seven to YSU, although Detroit is riding a two-game win streak in the series with the triumph earlier this season and last year's 68-64 overtime victory at the Beeghly Center.

UDM is also 6-5 all-time on the road in the series.

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO SATURDAY
At 8-9 in the conference, Detroit is currently in seventh place, but the Titans can earn as high as a fifth seed in the upcoming HL championships. Below are the Titan playoff scenarios. 

UDM Wins, CSU & Milwaukee Lose 
This would force a three-way tie at 9-9. In this projection, Detroit would leap to the fifth spot based on owning the tiebreaker of best combined record in the group (UDM 3-1, Milwaukee 2-2, CSU 1-3) and would host Loyola. 

UDM & Milwaukee Win, CSU Loses
Detroit finishes tied with Cleveland State at 9-9 (Milwaukee 10-8), but own the tiebreaker over the Vikings giving the Titans the sixth seed and a home playoff game against them. 

UDM and CSU Win, Milwaukee Loses
This would leave both Detroit and Milwaukee tied at 9-9, but the Panthers would have the tiebreaker based on having a victory over Wright State. Milwaukee would then host Detroit. 

CSU, Milwaukee and Green Bay Win, Valpo Loses
Detroit, no matter if they win or lose, would get the seventh seed, but with the Panthers, Vikings and Crusaders all tied at 10-8, the Titans would head to Valparaiso in the first round as Milwaukee would win the three team tiebreaker for fourth and then CSU would win the fifth seed over Valpo on the last tiebreaker, higher RPI. 

CSU and Milwaukee Win, Valpo and Green Bay Lose
Detroit, no matter if they win or lose, would get the seventh seed. A four way tie occurs at 10-8 between the Panthers, Crusaders, Vikings and Phoenix, but Valparaiso would get the sixth seed based on tiebreakers and host the Titans. 

CSU, Milwaukee and Valpo Win, and Green Bay Lose
Detroit, no matter if they win or lose, would get the seventh seed. A three way tie occurs at 10-8 between the Panthers, Vikings and Phoenix, but tiebreakers would ultimately move Cleveland State to the sixth seed and the Vikings would host the Titans. 

A loss by UDM or a CSU win automatically puts UDM as the seventh seed.

THE X-MAN GETS 20
Junior Xavier Keeling recorded his fourth 20-point game of the season, and fifth in his career, with a game-high 21 points at Cleveland State. 

Keeling was 6-of-10 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. 

In an interesting stat, the Titans are 5-0 in games that Keeling reaches the 20-point plateau.

A WINNING CAMPAIGN
Detroit's 17 victories are more than UDM has had in any of the last four seasons. The Titans also clinched their first winning campaign since going 18-13 in 2003-04. 

This season has marked a 10-win improvement over last year, making it the biggest turnaround in Titan history. Prior to this season, the biggest turnaround margin between seasons was nine wins, accomplished by the 1959-60 squad (11 wins to 20) and the 1997-98 team (16 wins to 25).