HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (1/15/2026) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting NKU squad, and the result was not kind as the Norse handed UDM a 96-71 setback on the road on Thursday.
Sophomore
TJ Nadeau led the team with 14 points and pulled down five rebounds, while junior
London Maiden had 11 points and a team-high six boards.
Detroit Mercy (7-10, 4-4 HL) saw NKU (14-5, 6-3 HL) score the first 10 points of the game, but then ran off nine in a row. Maiden started it with back-to-back baskets before Nadeau nailed a three. Senior
Orlando Lovejoy then came away with a steal and fed freshman
Keshawn Fisher to make it a 10-9 contest.
The Norse would maintain the lead and extend it to nine, 30-21, but Nadeau rang in a pair of triples. Lovejoy would add a triple of his own and then had another steal, getting to the rim for a layup, and it was 36-34 with 5:59 left.
That is when NKU ended the half on a 16-3 run for a 52-37 advantage.
Maiden had the first basket in the second, but NKU opened a 17-point lead at 58-41 just two minutes in. The Titans chipped away, and two straight scores from senior
Legend Geeter and sophomore
Ryan Kalambay cut it to 12, 61-49, with 14:01 left, but that was as close as the red, white and blue would get.
UDM could not get on a run, and the margin stayed in the 13-15 range in the next few minutes before the home team went on a spurt to push it into the 20's.
Lovejoy finished with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Geeter ended with eight points and four rebounds, and Stone netted eight points.
The Titans were an uncharacteristic 3-of-9 at the line, but did have just seven turnovers.
Meanwhile, NKU shot 54.2% from the field and was 23-of-31 at the line, with LJ Wells scoring a game-high 35.
Detroit Mercy will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 15, as the Titans visit IU Indy.
Game Notes:
- NKU leads the all-time match-up at 18-5, including 12-2 at home
- The last opponent to score at least 35 against the Titans was Oakland's Jalen Moore, who had 37 in 2023
- The Titans came into the game leading the HL and 64th in the nation at the free-throw line at 75.7%, while their 17.3 makes per game was third in the league and 78th in the country
- UDM's season low in turnovers was six at Cleveland State
- Nadeau has netted double figures in 11 of the 17 games
- Nadeau now has 37 triples on the season, as he is already nearing the 48 he hit all of last year
- Lovejoy now has at least two steals in 11 of his 16 games played, 18 career games with at least three steals, and 150 total in his career
- Maiden was in double figures for the third time this season and the first since his season-high 18 against IU Indy
- Kalambay now has at least five rebounds in six of his last seven games, and 20 times in his career
