Panthers forced to watch one-man show
That terrific defense UW-Milwaukee had been playing of late?
Antoine Davis absolutely shredded it on Friday night.
Detroit Mercy's senior guard put on a one-man show at Calihan Hall, pouring in a season-high-tying 39 points in 31 minutes while also becoming the program's all-time leading scorer as UWM was drilled, 85-60.
Davis hit 13 of 20 shots overall and 8 of 13 from three-point range while also chipping in seven rebounds and six assists for Detroit, which was playing its first game in 18 days after a COVID-19 pause.
The Titans fed off Davis's hot shooting as well, as they hit 18 of 35 threes (51.4%) to tie the most ever surrendered by UWM in a game. Northern Kentucky hit 18 threes against the Panthers on Feb. 5 last season.
Josh Thomas scored 19 points to pace the Panthers (5-10, 3-3 Horizon League), who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
After returning from a bout with COVID-19 in Thursday's victory at UWGreen Bay, Patrick Baldwin Jr. was once again sidelined – this time with a left calf injury he suffered against the Phoenix.
But the way Davis was shooting the ball, it's doubtful Baldwin would have made much of a difference.
The 6-foot-1 dynamo came out firing from the outset hitting all six of his shots and all five of his three-pointers by the time the second media timeout had rolled around.
Lightning-quick, Davis pulled up from every angle as the Titans blitzed the Panthers out of the gate.
After Noah Waterman hit a three of his own to briefly halt the Davis show, Davis then scored on a tough jumper in the lane and then a layup to leave him with 23 points and UWM trailing by a score of 32-13 with 9 minutes 11 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Panthers tried multiple defenders on Davis with no success.
With their offense also sputtering – they had 13 turnovers compared to seven made baskets over the first 20 minutes – they headed to intermission simply shaking their heads after being outscored, 16-2, over the final 5:26.
Davis had outscored UWM personally, 23-20, and the Titans led the Panthers by 28 after shooting 56.7% (17 for 30) and 63.2% from beyond the arc (12 for 19).
His season-high coming in was 39 points, established Nov. 27 at Hofstra, and it appeared as though the only question would be by how much and how quickly he'd surpass it in this one.
Davis converted a four-point play after being fouled by Jordan Lathon with 18:14 remaining to start his second half.
He then scored on a drive, a three from the left wing, a long jumper that was initially ruled a three but later changed to a two-pointer when replays showed he had a toe on the line, then assisted on a dunk to leave him with 34 points and Detroit with a 65-35 lead with 14:17 left.
UWM began finding its footing offensively by that point, but it was clearly way too little too late.
Davis surpassed Rashad Phillips for Detroit's all-time scoring mark with a pair of free throws with 6:07 remaining, then tied his season high of 39 points by banging in a three-pointer from well beyond NBA range a little more than 2 minutes later.
He finished with 2,323 points. There were 14 NBA scouts in attendance, no doubt hoping to be able to scout both Davis and Baldwin. But they had to have been impressed with the performance of Davis, who was the preseason pick for player of the year in the Horizon League.
The Panthers had limited Northern Kentucky to 29.4% and then UW-Green Bay to 27.8% shooting in their past two games, with the effort against the Phoenix a season-best effort defensively.