Antoine Davis’ Pursuit of NCAA Scoring Record Falls Just Short
Thursday night should have been a historic night for Detroit Mercy basketball. Fifth-year senior Antoine Davis was just three points away from tying Pete Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record of 3,667 points. But in a 71-66 season-ending loss to Youngstown State, Davis fell just a single flick of his wrist short of making it happen.
Davis had entered Thursday night’s Horizon League quarterfinal 25 points away from Maravich’s record. With his NCAA-best average of 28.4 points per game, it seemed like light work for the tough shot specialist. However, the top-seeded Penguins sent a double team at Davis anytime he attacked off the dribble, anytime he saw daylight in transition, or anytime he curled around a screen for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. With his shot not falling, Davis had seven points at halftime, 15 early in the second half and 22 by the final buzzer.
The question now is whether Davis will get another chance to break the record. Detroit Mercy will not earn a spot in the NCAA tournament or NIT because of its 14-19 record, but after Thursday’s game head coach Mike Davis did not rule out playing in the lower-tier College Basketball Invitational. To play in the CBI, Detroit Mercy would have to receive an invitation and pay a $50,000 entry fee. Any points that Antoine Davis tallied in the CBI would count toward the scoring record.
For his part, Antoine Davis said he \”wouldn’t have a problem\” playing in the CBI but he didn’t sound overly excited about the possibility. \”Everybody wants to get to the NCAA tournament,\” he said.
The disparity between Maravich and Davis’ college careers is stark. Maravich played at LSU in the era when freshmen weren’t yet varsity-eligible and for three years, he averaged an unfathomable, almost mythic 44.2 points per game despite not having the benefit of a shot clock or 3-point line. Because of rules changes prompted by COVID-19 disruptions, Davis received an NCAA waiver allowing him to play five full seasons at Detroit Mercy. He tallied 25.4 points per game for a struggling Titans program that has posted losing records in all but one of his five seasons.
Still, Davis’ father Mike Davis believes that if his son surpasses Maravich, they both ought to be remembered as record holders. “I feel like Antoine is the best scorer of this generation and Pistol Pete is the best scorer from his generation,” he said.
Whether Davis gets another chance to break the record remains to be seen. But for the time being, it looks like Maravich’s record will stand for a little while longer.
