It was a special night down at Calihan Hall on the University of Detroit campus. Not only because the Titans were able to get by St. John’s with a 69-63 win but because their former head coach and current ESPN college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale was in attendance.
Dick Vitale wasn’t in attendance just to watch or broadcast a basketball game though. Monday night the school honored their former coach before the game by renaming the court Dick Vitale Court at Calihan Hall.
“What a great night for Detroit basketball,” coach Ray McCallum Sr. said. “The Dick Vitale Court dedication was special and it brought a lot of enthusiasm to the evening. I’m glad our guys were able to feed off the event.”
The Titans used the energy from the night to start off strong and finished strong scoring the first eight points of the game. St. John’s was able to take their only lead halfway through the first quarter however the Titans went on a 14-2 run to take a 32-21 lead at halftime.
St. John’s started the second half with one final surge going on a 9-0 run but Detroit was able to sustain it and finish off the Red Storm for the victory.
After the game some fans rushed the court while senior Chase Simon reflected on the game as quite possibly the biggest of his career.
“This is probably the biggest win we’ve had in a while,” said Simon, a senior with the Titans. “The energy got us pumped, and we didn’t want to let everybody down.”
Detroit’s Ray McCallum had 21 points while Simon added 20 of his own in the Titan win.
Ref: Mlive.com, ESPN, Detroit News (image)