Detroit, Mich. - Eli Holman had 27 points, including six in the second overtime, and grabbed 15 rebounds, as Detroit outlasted UAlbany, 84-82, on the first day of the Legends Classic Detroit Subregional on Friday, Nov. 26 at the University of Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall.
      UAlbany (1-5) forced both extra periods with three-point field goals. Mike Black, a sophomore guard who made his first appearance since spraining his ankle in the season opener on Nov. 12, canned a long-range jumper from left of the key with less than one second left to tie the contest at 68 apiece in regulation. Billy Allen (12 points) beat the buzzer with a 24-footer to draw his team at 72-all to end the first overtime.
      In the second extra session, Detroit (2-3) took the lead when Holman, a 6-foot-10, 259-pound center, converted a converted a conventional three-point play when he scored with an offensive rebound. Chase Simon, who had 19 points and eight rebounds, drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner for a 78-72 margin. The Great Danes closed the gap to one point twice in the stretch on another 3-pointer by Allen and Jacob Iati's driving layup with 7.7 seconds left. However, Ray McCallum split a pair of free throws and UAlbany's Ralph Watts missed a 3-pointer under pressure as time expired.
      "We played as talented a team as there is on our schedule and we showed a lot of character," said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team made 14-of-27 beyond the three-point arc. "We got better today. We got a lot of contributions. Luke Devlin got us going early, Billy Allen made some big shots, and John Puk was tremendous in a tough matchup with (Eli) Holman."
     In the first half, UAlbany snapped an early 9-9 deadlock with six unanswered. Luke Devlin, who scored all 12 of his points in the period and collected 10 rebounds, drilled a three-point field goal and Tim Ambrose added a three-point play when he was fouled on a fastbreak layup. The Great Danes extended their lead to as much as seven points on three occasions, including 29-22 when Black canned a long-range jumper following Devlin's offensive rebound.
     The Titans, who were picked to finish second in the Horizon League's preseason poll behind Butler, rallied within eight straight points to go back in front. Simon, a 6-foot-6 junior, had three baskets in that run, including a driving layup that gave his team a one-point advantage. The game seesawed in the final minutes of the period, and Simon put his team ahead again, 39-38, with a three-pointer from the left corner. UAlbany took a 42-39 lead to the intermission when Allen sank two foul shots and Logan Aronhalt made a 10-footer in the lane.
     Detroit reversed a 57-54 deficit in the second half with seven consecutive points. Nick Minnerath (13 points) hit the go-ahead basket and McCallum made two free throws to end the run. Donavan Foster, who had 10 points, would later make two free throws to give his team a 68-65 lead with 6.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
     Ambrose and Aronhalt led six UAlbany players in double figures with 18 points apiece. Black finished with 11 points, while John Puk, a redshirt freshman center, added four points, seven rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots. The Great Danes will meet Niagara, a 65-61 winner over Bowling Green, in Saturday's second round.

Paw Prints:  UAlbany last played in a double-overtime contest on Dec. 2, 2006, a 76-75 loss to Siena at the Times Union Center ... the Great Danes are 8-17 all-time in Division I overtime games ... Tim Ambrose moved to No. 18 on the program's career scoring list with 1,149 points ... Ambrose climbed past Jon Iati, whose younger brother, Jacob, has started the last three games at point guard ... Mike Black made his first appearance since the season opener with 15:53 left in the first half ... Black played 31 minutes and scored in double figures for the 12th time as a collegian ... Billy Allen's 12 points was his highest total since Jan. 3, 2010 ... the Great Danes made a season-high 14 three-pointers and have canned 10 or more in 42 games as a Division I program.

Detroit 84, UAlbany 82, 2OT (11/26/10 at Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

Albany 82

DETROIT 84