A quarterfinal matchup last week in the Horizon League Tournament between Detroit Mercy and Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio, drew national attention. Why? Because Detroit Mercy’s Antoine Davis was only 25 points behind LSU legend Pete Maravich’s all-time college basketball scoring record (3,667 points).
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With 22 points as the final seconds ticked away, Davis had a 3-point attempt that would have tied the mark. However, the shot missed and the Titans lost, 71-66. A poor shooting performance could not have come at a worse time for the fifth-year senior, who made only seven of his 26 attempts (4-of-16 from 3-point range).
Antoine Davis misses a 3 at the buzzer in his final NCAA game. The 3 would have tied him with Pistol Pete for the most points in NCAA history
Pistol: 3,667 (83 GMS)
Davis: 3,664 (144 GMS)Davis does have the record for most career NCAA 3PTS (588). There pic.twitter.com/8h4qIWkTmq… https://t.co/VP4OZoHs1S
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 3, 2023
With a 14-19 record, Detroit Mercy’s season and Davis’ career was seemingly over, as an NCAA Tournament or National Invitation Tournament berth are out of the picture. But Titans fans and indeed many college basketball fans are clamoring for Davis and Detroit Mercy to receive an invite to the College Basketball Invitational, another postseason tournament, where Davis would almost assuredly break Maravich’s record.
Both Davis and his father, Mike, the head coach at Detroit Mercy, said they would welcome an invitation to the CBI, but if it doesn’t come to pass, Antoine said he would be at peace.
“Just special,” he said, according to ESPN, as he reflected on his career, which involved him leading the country in scoring this season at 28.2 points per game. “I had the opportunity to play for my dad. I was a couple of points short of the record. God knows what He’s doing.”
In the midst of Davis’ record-breaking pursuit, however, something even more momentous is happening in his life. Just two weeks ago, he was baptized.
“That’s probably the biggest day of our lives with [Antoine], to be able to know that he’s walking with Christ now,” Mike told DetroitCatholic.com. “That’s a perfect complement to everything that he’s done. It was so special to see and be a part of.”
Antoine talked about the joy that comes with surrendering to God.
“Being able to give myself up to God, I felt so much better then, just being able to do that,” he said. “That was a special thing, and I feel so good. I feel like He’s right there with me every step of the way.”
As he keeps an eternal perspective, Davis said he would be content with wherever he ends up and whatever he’s called to do.
“The NBA, professional basketball, or wherever God takes me,” he said. “Those are the goals, but I just want to give back to the kids in general. I ultimately want to be a player development coach and train kids.
“I enjoy this game, but I know basketball could stop for me tomorrow or whenever. I was brought up to be appreciative of everything and to not take anything for granted.”
The CBI bracket will be revealed following the NCAA Tournament and NIT brackets, and the tournament itself will be held in Dayton Beach, Florida, from March 18-22.
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