DETROIT (2/8/2025) -- Junior
Orlando Lovejoy scored a game-high 24 points to lead five Titans in double figures, but an early hole was too much to overcome as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team dropped an 87-72 decision to Youngstown State at home on Saturday.
Lovejoy also added six rebounds and three assists. Junior
Legend Geeter netted 11 points with seven rebounds and six assists and senior
Mak Manciel scored 10 in his return.
Detroit Mercy (8-18, 4-11 HL) saw YSU (16-10, 10-5 HL) take a 40-15 lead at one point in the first half, but the Titans were able to shave that down to 10, but could not get any closer.
Geeter started a 22-10 spurt with back-to-back baskets before Lovejoy had four straight points. Manciel then ended the half with three free throws and it was 43-26 at the break.
The Titans inched closer in the second as Lovejoy made two free throws and a three from freshman
Nate Johnson trimmed the deficit to 50-37 with 16:20 left. Freshman
Ryan Kalambay then connected on two free throws to make it 50-39 with under 16 minutes to go.
UDM would pull within 10 at 67-57 with 7:17 remaining as Manciel and Johnson hit back-to-back jumpers. It was also a 10-point game at 69-59 off two Johnson free throws and 71-61 when Johnson had another bucket at the 5:20 mark, but the Penguins would have one more run to get the win.
Johnson finished with 11 points and six rebounds and Kalambay added 10 points and seven boards.
Detroit Mercy shot 47.4% from the field and was 15-of-19 (78.9%) at the line, while outrebounding YSU 36-29.
The defense saw the Penguins get off to an 11-of-14 effort from the field, but held them to 14-of-44 the rest of the way. YSU was helped by its long-range shooting connecting on 16-of-34, compared to UDM's 3-of-14.
The Titans will now get ready for its #MetroSeries match-up next Sunday, Feb. 16, at Oakland.
Game Notes:
- Detroit Mercy still leads the all-time series, 40-20, but Youngstown State has won eight in a row and 11 of the last 13 meetings
- The Titans are now 21-8 all-time at Calihan Hall in the match-up, but the Penguins have won their last five trips to the Motor City
- Last time the Titans have five guys in double figures was in the home setback to Wright State
- UDM is 65-of-79 (82.2%) at the line in the last five games as UDM came into the game fourth in the Horizon League at 74.0%, but in HL games only, it tops the conference at 77.1%
- Detroit Mercy has tallied double-digit free throws 19 times on the year, including a season-high 22 at Youngstown State
- Lovejoy has scored in double figures in 19 games as well as grabbing at least three rebounds in 22 games and five on on eight occasions
- In his six 20-point games, he has not even attempted a three in five of them
- Lovejoy has at least three assists in 18 games and at least one steal in 21 games with eight multi-steal contests
- Geeter has been in double figures in three of the last four games and 10 times this season and has at least five rebounds in eight games
- Geeter also had six assists at EMU against Kent State last season
- Nadeau has connected on a three in 20 of his 26 contests
- Johnson was in double figures for the ninth time this year and has 23 games with three or more rebounds
- After posting just 31 points (1.7), 43 (2.4) rebounds and eight blocks in just 11.4 minutes of action in his first 18 games, Kalambay has 52 points (7.4), 46 boards (6.5) and seven rejections playing 30.1 minutes in the last eight, with three games in double figures
- Manciel was in double figures for the 11th time in his career
