DETROIT (1/2/2025) -- Junior Orlando Lovejoy tallied a career-high 32 points and the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team erased a 14-point first-half deficit in a thrilling 78-76 overtime victory over Robert Morris at home on Thursday.
It was the second straight season the Titans and Colonials played an overtime game, and it was also the third overtime win for UDM, the most in extra session since 1982-83.
Lovejoy was 13-of-21 from the field and 6-of-7 at the line to go with a season-high nine rebounds and four assists. Graduate senior Emmanuel Kuac had 16 points with four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal, and junior Legend Geeter added 10 points.
UDM (6-10, 2-3 HL) snapped a five-game losing streak, but had to mount a comeback as Robert Morris (9-6, 1-3 HL) took a 31-17 lead in the first half and was up 31-21 at the break. The Titans were just 5-of-20 in the first 12 minutes of action but started to heat up, hitting five of their last 10 shots in the stanza.
In the second half, the Colonials led by 11, 40-29 at the 16:30 mark, and 49-39 with 12:57 left, when the red, white, and blue started to rally as Lovejoy got to the rim and was fouled, connecting on the free throw, and then went inside for another score to cut the RMU advantage in half.
Later on, Geeter had back-to-back baskets, and then a layup from freshman TJ Nadeau had the team down just 53-52 with 7:41 remaining. Lovejoy would knot the game at 58-58 with two free throws at the 5:20 mark, and the Titans would grab a 64-62 lead on two straight field goals from Lovejoy with just 3:17 left.
UDM also had a 66-64 lead as freshman Nate Johnson made two free throws and 68-66 with a minute to go after another Lovejoy basket, but both teams missed shots in the final 30 seconds as the game went into overtime.
In overtime, a three by Kuac had the Titans up 71-70, but Robert Morris answered and led 74-71 with just 2:17 left to play. RMU then led 76-73 with 1:07 showing, but Lovejoy found Nadeau for a layup, and after a steal by Lovejoy, Kuac hit a pair at the line, and UDM would go on to victory.
The Titans shot 61.3% from the field in the second half and were 12-of-13 at the line in the final 25 minutes of the game. The defense forced Robert Morris into 36.4% shooting overall and 4-of-23 (17.4%) from behind the arc with 10 turnovers.
Johnson finished with eight points, four rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist. Nadeau had six points and five boards, while freshman Miles Mitchell registered four points and four caroms.
Detroit Mercy will look for a home sweep in the opening weekend of 2025 as the Titans host Milwaukee on Saturday, with game time set for 1:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Despite being 208 miles apart, this was just the 10th career meeting between the two schools as the Titans lead the all-time series, 7-3, including 6-3 since the Colonials joined the Horizon League in 2020 and 5-1 at home
- The last time the Titans played three overtime games in a season was in 2013-14, while the last time UDM had three overtime wins in a season was in 1982-83 with triumphs at Michigan State and against Canisius and Dayton
- With just three 3-pointers, the Titans have made double-digit triples just once this season (11 vs. PFW) and three times going back to the start of last year (spanning 48 games)
- Lovejoy's 32 points were the most by a Titan since last year when Jayden Stone had 36 in the double overtime game at RMU
- It was the third-straight game and fourth of the season that Lovejoy netted 20 points, following 23 at Youngstown State and 20 at Wisconsin, while netting 28 against Rhode Island earlier in the year
- In all four of Lovejoy's 20-point games, he has not attempted a three
- Lovejoy also has at least three assists in 12 games as well as at least one steal in 14 games with six multi-steal contests
- Geeter has been in double figures seven times now on the year
- Kuac's season-high was 18 points against Toledo as he now has six double-figure contests in his 13 games this season
- Johnson now has 13 games with three or more rebounds
