HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (3/4/2025) -- Junior
Orlando Lovejoy scored a game-high 21 points, but the NKU Norse went on a couple of big runs, and the Titans could not recover as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team fell, 99-75, in the first round of the Barbasol Horizon League Basketball Championship.
Lovejoy also had four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Senior
Mak Manciel netted 13 points and freshman
TJ Nadeau ended with 11.
The 10th-seeded Titans (8-24) saw #7 NKU (17-15) get off to a fast start on offense, hitting on eight of its first 10 shots, but UDM was matching and trailed just 16-13 five minutes into the contest. The Norse then went on a 12-2 spurt to open a 14-point advantage, 29-15, with 10:55 left in the period.
Detroit Mercy responded with a 9-2 charge as Manciel had a bucket and a foul, converting on the free throw and followed with another basket. After two NKU free throws, Lovejoy had back-to-back buckets, and it was 31-24 with 7:01 remaining.
The Norse then went on another run, opening a 15-point advantage before taking a 49-27 lead at the break.
In the second half, UDM started chipping away as Nadeau and freshman
Nate Johnson rang in 3-pointers to make it an eight-point game at 51-43 at the 18:28 mark.
Detroit Mercy got even closer as Lovejoy got in the paint for a floater and graduate senior
Emmanuel Kuac hit a three and the Titans trailed by just five, 56-51, with 15:50 remaining.
NKU countered with a 16-3 offensive charge to take an 18-point advantage at 72-54. The Titans tried to stay close, but the Norse just had too much offense, and eventually, the margin ran to 25, 84-59, with 9:15 left.
Kuac ended with eight points, two rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Johnson had seven points and three boards. Freshmen Ryan Kalanbay posted six points and six rebounds and freshman
Stephen Okoro tallied six points and four caroms.
UDM shot 45.6% from the field and was 17-of-24 at the free throw line, but NKU shot 51.6% overall, with 13 triples, and was 22-of-26 at the line.
Game Notes:
- NKU leads the all-time series, 17-5, including 11-2 at home
- UDM has dropped
- This was the fourth time these teams have met in the postseason, and NKU has won all four - all at home -with a 99-88 tally in 2019, a 70-69 buzzer beater in 2021 and a 77-59 decision in 2022
- Detroit Mercy posted double-digit free throws 24 times during the year
- Manciel was in double figures for the eighth time this season in his 12 games played
- Lovejoy ended the year scoring in double figures in 24 games - with nine 20-point contests - and grabbing at least three rebounds in 26 games and six on nine occasions
- Lovejoy also had at least three assists in 23 games and, five or more in eight, and at least one steal in 25 games with 10 multi-steal contests
- Lovejoy ended the season with 489 career points after coming into the year with 392 in his first two years
- Nadeau was in double figures for the 11th time this season and ended the year leading the team with 48 triples
- Kuac has made 146 field goals, 64 of those from three, including 45 of his 97 field goals as a Titan
- Kalambay has tallied at least five rebounds 10 times in his last 13 games
- Sophomore walk-on Nick Schorr made his collegiate debut in the game
