DETROIT (12/7/2024) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team made a few runs, but couldn't get over the hump as the Titans dropped an 80-72 contest to Wright State on Saturday afternoon.

Five Titans scored in double figures, led by senior Orlando Lovejoy's 14 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Freshman Nate Johnson added 12 points with three rebounds and two assists, and junior Legend Geeter recorded 10 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Grant Gondrezick II scored 11 points with four boards, two assists, and two steals, and freshman TJ Nadeau added 11 points.

The Titans (5-6, 1-1 HL) led early on but Wright State (6-5, 1-1 HL) took a 15-point lead in the second half and despite a few runs, UDM was not able to come back.

UDM had a couple of early advantages, the latest at 14-12 as Nadeau knocked down a jumper with 12:26 on the clock. Wright State came back with a 14-5 spurt for a 26-19 lead with 8:06 remaining. 

The Titans cut it to three, 32-29, on two free throws from Geeter and a layup from Lovejoy, but the Raiders went up 42-34 at the break.

WSU started the second half with seven straight points to extend its lead to 15, 49-34. The Raiders were up 11, 57-46, when the red, white and blue netted seven in a row. Johnson started it with a basket, and graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac buried a three off a steal. Gondrezick II then hit a jumper, and off another steal, Johnson laid it in to pull the squad within four, 57-53, at the 9:36 mark,

The Titans were also behind by just four at 59-55, but that was as close as they would get. 

Kuac finished with eight points and freshman Miles Mitchell had four points and three rebounds.

The Titans shot 41.8% from the field and turned it over a season-low seven times. 

UDM will have a week off for finals before heading to Davidson next Saturday. 

Game Notes;

• Wright State has won 15 of the last 17 and 22 of the last 27, as the Raiders lead the all-time battle, 42-28, including 17-16 in the Motor City
• It was only the second time this season that Detroit Mercy has been outrebounded
• UDM posted 18 second-chance points and now has a 146-78 margin on second-chance points on the season
• Lovejoy now has 40 assists against just 22 turnovers with 10 steals and 35 boards in his last eight games
• Geeter has now scored in double figures in four straight games and five times this season
• Nadeau was in double figures for the fourth time 
• Johnson's season-high is 13 points at Loyola
• Gondrezick II has now reached at least 11 points in three straight games