#MotorCityMadness Quarterfinals #HLMBB Roundup: March 6
#MotorCityMadness Men's Bracket | Motor City Madness Central Page |
Wednesday's #MotorCityMadness Three Stars of the Day
INDIANAPOLIS – Wednesday’s #MotorCityMadness quarterfinal displayed some of the best basketball that #HLMBB has to offer with a pair of thrilling games. The higher seeds both earned wins hard-fought wins on their home floors as No. 2 seed Northern Kentucky and No. 3 seed Oakland advanced and will square off in a semifinal game on Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena.
TODAY'S RESULTS
| GAME |
RECAP |
| No. 2 Northern Kentucky 99, No. 7 Detroit Mercy 88 |
Box Score |
| No. 3 Oakland 88, No. 6 Youngstown State 84 |
Box Score |
GAME RECAPS
No. 2 Northern Kentucky 99, No. 7 Detroit Mercy 88
In a Motor City Madness quarterfinal matchup, it was the No. 2 seed Northern Kentucky Norse advancing with a 99-88 victory over the No. 7 seed Detroit Mercy Titans on Wednesday night at BB&T Arena.
The game was a tale of two halves.
In the opening stanza, the underdog Detroit Mercy Titans came out firing. Senior Josh McFolley buried 4-of-4 from long range and rang up 18 points. Freshman Marquis Moore sank three triples of his own, including one right before the halftime buzzer to put the Titans up 47-40.
But Horizon League Player of the Year Drew McDonald came out of the intermission on a mission. He scored three quick baskets, Detroit Mercy committed a few ill-timed turnovers, and a 12-2 Northern Kentucky blitz put the home team on top 52-49.
They would never trail again.
The Norse got a giant-sized contribution from sophomore Chris Vogt off the bench. The 7-foot-1 center made his first seven shots from the field and finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
It was a difficult evening for Titans’ star freshman Antoine Davis. The All-League First Team selection and NCAA freshman 3-point record holder ended the night with 30 points, but he shot just 11-of-29 and 4-of-13 from deep. Davis did not make a shot in the second half until 7:33 remained, though he would end with 19 points in the final 20 minutes.
The earlier two matchups between these schools were both runaway Norse victories, by 22 and 32 points. But John Brannen’s club was pushed much harder this time around.
The Norse were aided by Tyler Sharpe’s huge night. The lefty marksman tallied a team-high 25 points and bagged six 3-pointers along the way. With the Titans making a late run to get the deficit down to 74-69, Sharpe knocked home another dagger from downtown to push the lead back to eight.
McFolley finished with 24 points. Moore and Cole Long each collected eight rebounds for the Titans. Davis led the team with eight assists.
Norse freshman Trevon Faulkner made countless big plays throughout the game and finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Remarkably, Faulkner has now reached double-figures three times during Horizon League play, and all three instances have come against Detroit Mercy.
Jalen Tate struggled to find the range, missing all four of his shot attempts, but he helped the Norse cause with a game-high 10 assists and his trademark ball-hawking defense.
Northern Kentucky converted 13-of-18 shots to begin the second half and 7-of-7 from the foul line. Combined with not a single turnover during that stretch, the Norse turned the five-point halftime deficit into a comfortable lead they would not relinquish.
Father-son combo Mike and Antoine Davis made a major splash in their maiden Horizon League season, and for a good part of Wednesday night, it looked as if they might engineer another wild upset that Motor City Madness has come to be known for in recent years.
But the Norse inside game was unstoppable from McDonald and Vogt, and Sharpe avenged last year’s postseason struggles (0-12 3FG) in emphatic fashion.
Detroit Mercy ends the year with an 11-20 overall mark.
Northern Kentucky (24-8) advances to play in the Motor City Madness semifinals on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The game will be televised on ESPNU at 9:30 p.m.
No. 3 Oakland 88, No. 6 Youngstown State 84
In Wednesday night’s quarterfinal of the Little Caesars Horizon League Men’s Basketball Championship, it was the No. 3 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies moving on after an 88-84 victory over the No. 6 seed Youngstown State Penguins at the O’rena.
Both teams emerged from the locker room with some early postseason jitters. The Penguins were held scoreless for the first five minutes of the game. The Golden Grizzlies couldn’t quite take advantage, letting a quick 8-0 lead become a 20-20 deadlock a short time later.
But Greg Kampe’s squad used its muscle inside to the tune of a 17-0 advantage in free throw attempts during the opening half. For the game, Oakland went 32-of-45 at the line, while Youngstown State finished 6-of-10.
At the break, Oakland led 34-30, helped by a crucial 3 from All-Horizon freshman Braden Norris in the closing seconds.
The final 20 minutes consisted of Oakland extending its lead, Youngstown State clawing back, and Oakland making yet another big play to create separation. Freshman Tray Maddox Jr. got the crowd jumping with a steal and 3-point play to make the score 51-45. Moments later, he’d drill a triple from the right wing to push Oakland’s lead to 10. He would end the night with 19 points, two short of his career-high.
First Team All-Horizon League selection Xavier Hill-Mais and his partner-in-crime Brad Brechting owned the paint area throughout the night. Hill-Mais finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Brechting also collected a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 15 boards.
Still, the Penguins refused to go away. Kendale Hampton’s 3 closed the gap to 61-58, but the Penguins suffered an ill-timed drought, missing their next five shots and allowing Oakland to build the advantage back to nine.
All-Freshman guard Darius Quisenberry, one of the hottest players in the Horizon League down the stretch, could never quite find the rhythm. He scored just two first-half points on 1-of-7 shooting and would finish with 11. During the regular season,’ Quisenberry averaged 22 points against the Golden Grizzlies.
The Penguins were led by Devin Morgan’s 19, including five makes from downtown. Naz Bohannon enjoyed a solid all-around game with 17 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jelani Simmons chipped in 14 with an accurate 4-of-7 from 3-point territory.
Oakland featured a well-balanced attack throughout the night. All five starters reached double-figures, paced by Jaevin Cumberland’s 23. Norris logged a full 40 minutes of court time and finished with 10 points and seven assists.
The Penguins missed the services of All-Defensive selection Garrett Covington as he continues to recover from a concussion.
Jerrod Calhoun’s resilient team took the Horizon League by storm in the second half of conference play, rattling off six consecutive victories, several in nail-biting fashion. But the Penguins dropped three in a row to end the regular season and then could not recapture the magic in tournament play.
The Golden Grizzlies now roll into Detroit riding a season-best five-game winning streak.
Youngstown State concludes its season with a 12-20 overall record.
With the win, Oakland (16-16) advances to the Motor City Madness semifinals. They will square off against the No. 2 seed Northern Kentucky Norse (24-8) on Monday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
The game will be televised on ESPNU at 9:30 p.m.
2019 MOTOR CITY MADNESS SCHEDULE
| DATE |
GAME |
TIME (ET) |
TV/LIVE STREAM |
| Monday, March 11 |
No. 1 Wright State vs. No. 4 Green Bay |
7 p.m. |
ESPNU |
|
No. 2 Northern Kentucky vs. No. 3 Oakland |
9:30 p.m. |
ESPNU |
| Tuesday, March 12 |
Championship Game |
7 p.m. |
ESPN |
MOTOR CITY MADNESS
The 2019 Little Caesars Horizon League Basketball Championships will culminate with the semifinal and championship games on March 11-12 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Tickets for the semifinals and championship are on-sale now. Once quarterfinal games conclude on March 5 and 6, fan section information for participating teams will be announced.
State-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, winner of the 2018 SBJ Facility of the Year, is located in The District Detroit — a vibrant, area full of restaurants, bars, parks, and other destinations. Fans can enjoy four full-service restaurants within the confines of Little Caesars Arena and another just a short walk away. Nearby LCA are five hotels where fans can comfortably unwind after enjoying The District Detroit and the action of Motor City Madness.
To learn more, click here.