FORT WAYNE, Ind. (12/14/2025) -- The University of Detroit men's basketball team had a lead in the second half and a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining, but could not pull it out as the Titans fell, 81-77, at Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday evening.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Spratt scored a season-high 15 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-9 from three with five rebounds. Freshman Keshawn Fisher added a season-tying 14 points with a season-best nine rebounds, and sophomore TJ Nadeau scored a team-high 16 points.

Senior Orlando Lovejoy had eight points and six boards, and fellow senior Legend Geeter posted eight points, six caroms, and three assists. 

Detroit Mercy (4-7, 2-1 HL) led 65-63 with 6:31 left after a steal by Nadeau led to a three from Spratt, who was fouled and hit the free throw for the four-point play. 

Purdue Fort Wayne (7-6, 2-1 HL) regained the lead on a 12-2 run for a 75-67 advantage with a little more than three minutes remaining. Senior Jared Lary and Nadeau each hit a pair of free throws to bring the deficit to 75-71 at the 2:35 mark. UDM would also be within four, 77-73, with 1:05 on the scoreboard as Fisher had an offensive rebound and tip-in.

UDM inched closer, making it a one-possession game as Geeter had a basket for a 78-75 contest and then again at 80-77 after two free throws with 38 seconds showing. The defense got the ball back down by that score with 10 seconds remaining, but did not get a game-tying shot off due to an errant pass. 

Detroit Mercy shot 41.2% in the game and tied its season high, connecting on 9-of-20 from three. The Titans also outrebounded the Mastodons, 44-34, were 12-of-14 at the line, and committed just nine turnovers. 

The first half featured six lead changes and four ties as the Titans got off to a fast start. Nadeau scored the first seven points for UDM, and it led 9-4 after Fisher got inside for a layup. Back-to-back baskets by Geeter had Detroit Mercy up 13-6 nearly five minutes into the game, and a three by Fisher gave the squad its biggest lead at 16-8 at the 13:58 mark.

Purdue Fort Wayne came back to take the lead, but another triple from Fisher put the team back in front, 21-20, with 8:58 remaining. The Titans also had a 29-26 advantage with over five minutes to go after two free throws from Fisher and a bucket from Lovejoy, but the Mastodons ended the half on a 14-4 run for a 40-33 lead at the break. 

Purdue Fort Wayne opened a 12-point lead in the second half at 45-33, but that is when Spratt helped lead a charge, scoring 11 points in an 18-7 spurt, and a basket by Lovejoy had the team down just 52-51. 

The game would be squared four times after that, and the Titans would surge ahead, 65-63, with the Spratt 3-pointer. 

Detroit Mercy will have one more game before Christmas as the red, white and blue host Siena Heights in the final non-conference action of the season on Saturday, Dec. 20, with tip-off set for 1:00 p.m.

Game Notes:

• These teams first met in non-conference games in 2016 and 2017 before Purdue Fort Wayne joined the Horizon League in 2020, as the Titans now trail the all-time series, 8-6, including a 1-5 mark on the road
• Junior Ayden Carter missed his second-straight game with an undisclosed injury, while junior London Maiden was limited in practice this week with an undisclosed injury
• UDM came into the game second in the conference, recording 38.2 rebounds per game, as well as second in the league and 58th in the country with 13.5 offensive rebounds per game, as it corralled 44 boards and 15 off the offensive glass
• Detroit Mercy also had nine 3-pointers at Notre Dame and against IU Indy
• The Titans came into the game first in the HL and 84th in the nation at 74.8% at the line, having now reached double digits in made free throws in nine games on the season
• It was the fourth-straight game and fifth time this season that the Titans had less than 10 turnovers
• Nadeau has netted double figures in seven of the 11 games and 18 times in his career 
• Lovejoy now has 995 career points
• Lovejoy now has 22 games with at least five rebounds
• Geeter is now averaging 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in the last four games and has 32 games with at least five boards in his career
• Spratt came into the game with just 43 points and six 3-pointers in his first 10 games
• Fisher's season-best coming into the game was 14 points against Cleary
• Fisher had 15 points total in the last eight games
• Lary also had seven points at DePaul
• Kalambay has now grabbed at least five rebounds in 15 career games

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