YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Detroit Mercy star guard Antoine Davis finished three points shy of matching Pete Maravich as the NCAA career scoring leader on Thursday night, managing 22 in a 71-66 loss to Youngstown State in the Horizon League tournament.

Whether Davis gets another chance to break the record remains to be seen.

Davis came in needing 26 points to break Maravich's hallowed mark that has stood for over 50 years. But after picking up his fourth foul with 3:36 left, the 6-foot-1 guard didn't drive to the basket and then missed four 3-pointers -- one of them a wide-open look -- in the final two minutes of the intense game.

With Davis stuck at 3,664 points -- three behind Maravich's 3,667 -- it is unknown whether Detroit Mercy will play another game this season. They are eliminated from the Horizon League tournament and will not receive a bid to the NCAA tournament or NIT because of their sub-.500 record (14-19).

However, the Titans could still play in the College Basketball Invitational, which does not have a win percentage criteria to participate, as long as Detroit Mercy is invited and willing to pay a $50,000 entry fee. If the Titans do get into the CBI, Davis' points would count toward the record.

Davis said he would welcome another shot at history.

"I would love to play in the CBI, NIT, something," he said. "Not even for the record, just to go out on a better note."

Whether Detroit Mercy plays again or not, Davis -- whose father, Mike Davis, is the Titans' head coach -- said his career to this point has been "just special."

"Just having the opportunity to play for my dad and my brother and wonderful players over the years is just really special to have, and like I said I don't regret coming back here," said Davis, a fifth-year senior. "I felt like it was the right decision in my blood, not even just for the record but just to do it all here again and fighting one more time. I'm thankful. I was a couple points short from the record and everything, but I mean, God knows what he's doing at the end of the day, so I was really stressed about it but just thankful for everything."

From the outset, it was obvious Youngstown State was determined not to let Davis break the record on its floor. The Penguins ran double teams and trapped Davis, who was held to 15 points earlier this season in a loss to YSU.

"That's the respect I deserve," he said. "I'm the best scorer in the league, so I don't look at it as unfair or anything like that."

Wearing a protective mask to protect a broken nose sustained earlier this season at Cincinnati, Davis started slowly in front of a sellout crowd and missed his first four shots before dropping an off-balance jumper from the top of the key.

Davis finished 7-of-26 from the field, including 4-of-16 on 3-pointers.

Just weeks after LeBron James went past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's career scoring leader, Davis just missed his chance to top Maravich, the Hall of Famer his father had him study while learning to play as a kid.

Davis already holds several NCAA records, including consecutive games in double figures (143) and 3-pointers (584). He led Division I with 159 3s this season and finished four shy of breaking Stephen Curry's record of 162 in a season (2007-08).

Standing next to his son, Detroit Mercy coach Mike Davis recalled the unique journey they took together.

"He worked really hard over the years and he's done some things that should blow people away," the elder Davis said. "People thought there was no way he could get close to Maravich and he got close.

"He could have had it down to 17 in the last game, but he had some shots that he gave up to his teammates. I couldn't be more proud of the player that he is and everything he has added to the program and school. It's been beautiful to see."

Unlike Davis, who was granted a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maravich didn't play as a freshman -- it wasn't allowed at the time -- and there was also no 3-point line or shot clock, placing a premium on every possession.

Davis has reached his points total in five seasons, while Maravich amassed his in just three years. However, Maravich attempted 3,166 shots while Davis came in with 2,961.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.