DETROIT (1/21/2026) -- Sophomore
TJ Nadeau led three Titans in double figures with 22 points, but UDM needed just a few more as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team was upended, 83-76, on Wednesday night in Calihan Hall.
It was his fifth 20-point game this season and the sixth of his career as he was 8-of-14 from the field, 2-of-5 from three, and 4-of-4 at the line, grabbing five rebounds. Senior
Orlando Lovejoy tallied 19 points, four assists, and three rebounds, and redshirt freshman
Tyler Spratt knocked down a career-best five 3-pointers, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Purdue Fort Wayne (13-8, 7-3 HL) had an early lead, but back-to-back baskets from freshman
Je'kel Cotton put UDM (8-11, 5-5 HL) in front, 13-11. Later on, two straight 3-pointers by Spratt had the Titans ahead, 19-13, with 10:51 left.
Detroit Mercy would open a nine-point advantage at 28-19 as Spratt rang in another triple at the 8:35 mark. The Mastodons would make a comeback and take a 36-35 lead with under two minutes to play, but Nadeau ended the half by hitting a couple of jumpers, and the Titans led 39-36 at the break.
Lovejoy started the second half by getting to the rim for a layup and it was 41-36, but Purdue Fort Wayne would go on a 28-12 run to open an 11-point lead, 64-53, with 9:43 remaining.
Spratt ended that with a triple, and the Titans tried to chip away, cutting the deficit down to five, 70-65, at the 3:21 mark, but that was as close as they would get.
Senior
Legend Geeter had eight points and a career-tying 10 rebounds. Cotton had six points and three rebounds, and junior
London Maiden and sophomore
Ryan Kalambay each pulled down five boards.
The Titans shot 44.4% at the line and 7-of-18 from three, while also winning the glass, 42-37.
Detroit Mercy will now get ready for the #MetroSeries as the red, white and blue host Oakland on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 3:00 p.m. on Dick Vitale Court.
Game Notes:
- Purdue Fort Wayne leads the all-time series, 9-6, but UDM has a 5-4 edge at home
- UDM came into the game leading the conference at 39.2 rebounds per game - 53rd in DI - as Detroit Mercy has won the glass in seven of the 10 league contests
- Nadeau had his first 20-point game with 20 at Purdue Fort Wayne last year, while his career-high is 26 points at Cleveland State
- Nadeau now has 39 triples on the year, chasing down the 48 he had as a freshman
- Lovejoy has now scored in double figures in 52 career games
- Geeter also had 10 rebounds as a member of Eastern Michigan against Winthrop in 2022
- Spratt has really come on since the start of the season, scoring in double figures six times in the last nine games
- After starting the season 10-of-47 overall (21.2%), 4-of-25 (16.0%) from three, and averaging 3.9 points, Spratt has made 40-of-87 (45.9%) from the field and 25-of-56 (44.6%) from distance and averaging 11.7 points in his last 11 games.
- Kalambay now has 22 games with at least five rebounds, including seven of his last eight games
