HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY (12/18/2024) -- Three Titans scored in double figures, but some early fouls helped NKU build a lead and UDM couldn't answer back as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 73-60, on the road on Wednesday night.

Junior Orlando Lovejoy led the way with 16 points to go with five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Freshman Grant Gondrezick II had 12 points, five boards, four assists, and two steals, and freshman Nate Johnson added 11 points and four caroms.

Detroit Mercy (5-8, 2-2 HL) had a small lead early, 6-5, as freshman TJ Nadeau buried a triple, but NKU (6-6, 2-0 HL) scored eight straight points after that. The Titans made it a one-possession game as Gondrezick II hit a three and freshman Stephen Okoro had an offensive rebound and putback to make it a 15-14 contest midway through the first.

UDM was also within one at 22-21 as Lovejoy hit a jumper, but the Norse took a 36-29 lead at the break. 

In the second, two free throws by junior Legend Geeter trimmed the deficit to two, 36-34, but the Norse would slowly raise their lead to 13, 59-46, with 6:38 left and eventually as many as 14, 65-51, with 3:54 remaining. 

Freshman Miles Mitchell ended with a career-high eight rebounds, along with a block and a steal. Nadeau netted eight points and Geeter tallied six points and four boards. 

Detroit Mercy will close out the non-conference schedule in Big Ten country as it travels to Wisconsin on Sunday.

Game Notes:

• The Titans have now dropped six in a row and eight of the last 11 as the NKU leads the all-time series, 16-4, including 10-2 at home
• Lovejoy now has 48 assists against just 28 turnovers in the last 10 games
• Lovejoy now has at least one steal in 11 games and six multi-steal contests, including a career-high five at Loyola, four at Davidson and at NKU, and three at Eastern Michigan as he came into the game fourth in the HL with 1.75 steals per game
• Lovejoy also has at least three assists in 10 games and five or more in six, ranking third in the league with 4.4 per game
• Lovejoy has scored in double figures in nine games
• Nadeau as hit 17 triples in his 33 field goals
• Johnson now has five games in double figures and 11 games with three or more rebounds
• Mitchell just had six rebounds at Davidson
• Gondrezick II has tallied five straight games in double figures after scoring just 16 total points in his first seven games

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