DETROIT (1/7/72018) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team battled defending Horizon League champion NKU all the way until the very end, but sophomore
Corey Allen's half-court game winner was short as the red, white and blue fell to the Norse, 56-54, on Sunday at Calihan Hall.
Allen had 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds and three assists, while senior
Jaleel Hogan posted 10 points and eight rebounds with three helpers. Graduate senior
Roschon Prince ended with nine points and 10 caroms and freshman
Jermaine Jackson Jr. tallied 10 points.
Defense was the story all game long as the Titans held NKU (11-5, 4-0 HL) – the second highest scoring team in the Horizon League at 81.8 points per game – to just 33.3 percent shooting overall and 21.9 percent in the first half, while outrebounding the Norse, 48-37.
The game featured 15 lead changes and 13 ties with neither team having more than a four-point lead in the contest.
The Titans (4-13, 0-4 HL) led at the break, 22-21, and were in front several times in the second half, but never by more than two points. Allen gave Detroit Mercy a 47-45 lead with 6:15 left on a layup and a little more than a minute later, the old-fashioned three-point play by Prince had the Titans in front, 50-48.
Detroit Mercy's last lead was 52-51 with 4:25 on the scoreboard, but NKU was able to get the advantage back. Junior
Josh McFolley hit two free throws with 18 seconds remaining to knot the score at 54-54, but NKU nailed a jumper with 3.3 seconds left.
It would come down to the final shot as Detroit Mercy had to go the length of the court, but Allen's half-court attempt was no good in the Titans' bid for the upset.
Detroit Mercy will be back in action on Wednesday as the Titans welcome Cleveland State into historic Calihan Hall for a 7 p.m. tip.
First Half:
- The Titan defense held NKU to just 2-of-16 shooting in the first eight minutes as the Titans had an 8-7 lead.
- Hogan had four points in that span and Allen had six rebounds to help keep the Norse to just one look at the basket.
- The defense continued to play strong as Northern Kentucky was 2-of-19, 13 minutes into the contest, but free throws had NKU ahead.
- Hogan was the offense for Detroit Mercy as his layup cut the NKU lead to 17-15 with a little more than four minutes to go in the half.
- The Titans were down 21-17 with 2:45 left when Hogan found senior DeShawndre Black and he drained a three.
- Detroit Mercy then took a 22-21 lead at the break as Black found sophomore Cole Long inside and his bucket put the red, white and blue in front with 25 seconds remaining.
- The Titan defense held NKU to just 7-of-32 from the field and 2-of-13 from behind the arc with six turnovers, while outrebounding the Norse, 27-23.
Second Half:
- NKU took the lead right out of the break, but a trey from Jackson Jr. squared it all at 27-27 at the 17:32 mark.
- A layup from Prince and then a steal from Jackson Jr. that led to a basket from the rookie tied it again at 33-33 with 15:03 left.
- A 5-0 run courtesy of a triple by Long and a jumper from Allen had the Titans on top, 40-39, midway through the half.
- The Titans trailed by three, 45-42, when Jackson Jr., hit a three and Allen's steal and layup put Detroit Mercy ahead again, 47-45, with 6:15 remaining.
- Detroit Mercy's last lead came as Prince came up with an offensive rebound and putback and was fouled, hitting his free throw to give the home team a 50-48 advantage with 5:07 on the clock.
- The Norse climbed back ahead, but McFolley tied it at 54-54 with a pair of free throws with just 18 seconds left.
- NKU called a timeout and the Titan defense played tough, but a long jumper gave the Norse a two-point lead.
- Detroit Mercy called a timeout and its final play started with 3.3 seconds as the inbounds pass from halfcourt went to Allen, but his rushed game-winning triple was short.
Game Notes:
- NKU now leads the overall series, 4-1
- Senior Isaiah Jones and redshirt junior Kameron Chatman did not play in the game due to injuries
- The Titans have won the battle of the boards in three-straight games, while their 48 rebounds was one away from their season high of 49 against Houston Baptist
- Hogan now has 1,082 points, passing Carl Pickett '97 for 34th in school history
- Allen's career high in rebounds was eight at Green Bay this season and was the most by a Titan guard since Jackson Jr. had 13 against Siena Heights earlier this year
- Prince's 10 rebounds matched his season high he had at Milwaukee, while his nine points gave him nine or more in four-straight games
