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DETROIT (10/12/2012) -- Family Fun Night at Calihan was a precursor to the 2012-13 men's and women's basketball season as pizza, burritos, dunks, dancing, pyrotechnics, and prizes were all part of the Titan Tip-Off Event Friday evening at Calihan Hall.
 
Pizza for students and a burrito eating contest were some of the events on tap during the evening, while the Titan Pep Band, DT2, and the Detroit Titan Cheerleaders all performed to fans of Detroit Titans basketball in attendance. All of them came out to celebrate the start of the 2011-12 campaign and support the defending Horizon League men's basketball champions and the 2011-12 women's basketball squad that advanced to the postseason for the first time since 1997.
 
The evening featured an American Idol type of competition with University of Detroit Mercy Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics Keri Gaither, University of Detroit Mercy President Dr. Antoine Garibaldi, and UDM Student Government Association President Alvin Ford serving as judges for the six acts performed on the evening, with three from the men's basketball team and three from the women's squad. The men's squad was trying to come back after being upstaged by Julianna Glanz and the women's team in last year's tip-off event. 

The performances included karaoke from women's basketball head coach Autumn Rademacher, a Nicki Minaj look-a-like, and a high-flying dunk over a group of cheerleaders from Doug Anderson. The women's basketball team combined with the women's lacrosse team to recreate the walk-out from the movie “Remember the Titans”.Ugochukwu Njoku, Olumide Solanke, Jermaine Lippert, and Anton Wilson helped form a pyramid with the Detroit Titans cheer team and Wilson tried his hand on the microphone with his best attempt to the wow the judges with his voice. For the record, the women's basketball team won with a total of 84 points compared to just 73 for men's basketball.

The day also included a knockout contest with each Titan team represented, team introductions of both the men's and women's basketball teams, and a scrimmage with the men's program that featured two ten-minute halves of running clock to entertain the fans.

The men's basketball team will kick off the 2012 home exhibition schedule on Sat. Oct. 27 as Ryerson will come to Calihan Hall for a 7pm start. The women's team will host Lawrence Tech in its exhibition opener on Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m.