Led by 19 points from Ray McCallum (the son of the head coach by the same name), Detroit blew out Valparaiso in the 2012 Horizon League tournament championship game. Despite being played on Valparaiso's campus, the Titans won 70-50 to clinch their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1999 and their sixth in program history.
Trailing by three at halftime, Detroit needed a spark to change the tone of the game. That spark came from McCallum, who had a monster second half en route to his 19-point game. He also had six rebounds, three assists and four steals and helped Detroit pull away from Valparaiso in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Jason Calliste and LaMarcus Lowe also played a big part in Detroit's victory. Calliste scored 17 points, while Lowe had 14 points and 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end of the floor.
The Titans' return to the NCAA tournament means the state of Michigan will have at least three teams in the Big Dance for the second year in a row. In 2011, Michigan State, Michigan and Oakland made the Big Dance, and this year the Titans will join the Wolverines and Spartans in the field of 68.
If you want to celebrate Detroit's Horizon League tournament title and trip to the NCAA tournament, a welcome reception is being planned for when the team returns from Indiana.
A welcome reception is planned for the Titans when they return to Detroit. Around 4am EST. Go to Calihan. Skip work tomorrow. DANCING!
— Detroit Titans (@detroittitans) March 7, 2012
Dancing is right. The Titans will keep March Madness going with an appearance in the NCAA tournament, and hey, who knows how far they might go. Fellow Horizon League member Butler made it to the NCAA championship game in 2010 and 2011, so you never know what surprises March Madness might produce.
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