ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (2/28/2026) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team made sure they will start the postseason at home as the Titans got some revenge from a home loss earlier in the season with a 95-89 victory over #MetroSeries-rival Oakland on Saturday.

Senior Orlando Lovejoy tallied 29 points and was 13-of-16 from the field, to go with four assists and two steals. Sophomore TJ Nadeau posted a career-best 28 points, going 7-of-11 from the field, 5-of-7 from three, and 9-of-10 at the line, while also handing out a career-high five assists.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Spratt had 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists, and senior Legend Geeter added 13 points, six rebounds and a career-tying six assists, and three steals.

The Titans finished 15-14 (12-8 HL) and tied for third in the standings, earning the third seed in the Horizon League Championship and facing eighth-seeded Milwaukee in the first round on Wednesday, Mar. 4.

The game was tied at 78-78 with 5:28 left when Geeter went inside for a layup, and Spratt made two at the line for a four-point lead. Two minutes later, Lovejoy started a 7-0 run with a steal and made three-straight baskets, and that was followed by a free throw from sophomore Ryan Kalambay and an 89-80 lead with 2:18 to go.

Oakland (16-15, 12-8 HL) would trim it to four, 89-85, with 40 seconds left, when Nadeau hit two from the line. The Golden Grizzlies were also within four at 91-87 when the Titans broke the press, and Spratt slammed it down, and 93-89 when Nadeau sealed it with two more from the charity stripe.

Kalambay ended with eight points, six rebounds, a block, and a steal, and sophomore Nate Johnson had three boards and an assist.

The Titans shot 54.1% from the field (33-of-61), accumulating 22 assists, and were 23-of-29 (79.3%) at the line.

Detroit Mercy led for much of the game and had an early 14-point lead in the first half. It was 29-25 at the 7:50 mark when the red, white and blue scored 10 in a row. Geeter started it with back-to-back baskets, and Nadeau finished it with two straight triples.

The Titans also had a 14-point lead at 43-29 off a Kalambay layup and at 49-35 after Nadeau connected on three from the free-throw line, but Oakland cut it to a 49-42 margin at the break.

In the second half, UDM led by nine at 59-50 after a Lovejoy layup, but Oakland would go on a 14-2 spurt to take a 64-61 advantage with 12:17 left.

The Golden Grizzlies would also lead by three at 66-63 when Nadeau knotted it up with a trifecta. The Titans would never trail after that, although there were three more ties, the last at 78-78 when UDM made one final push.

The Titans will now prepare for the postseason and a chance to win their fourth HL title, the first since 2012.

Game Notes:

• This was the 39th meeting between the two schools, located about 26 miles apart, as Oakland leads the series, 23-16, and is 11-4 at home
• Detroit Mercy's other road wins in the #MetroSeries were in 2017 (93-88), 2021 (82-72), and 2023 (96-74)
• The 15 wins are the most since ending the 2015-16 campaign at 16-15, as well as the 12th HL victory, the most since going 12-4 in 2012-13
• The seventh road win is the most since going 7-10 in 2012-13
• The Titans have shot at least 50.0% six times in the last nine games, including 50.0% against Oakland at home
• The Titans came into the game leading the HL and is 33rd in the nation at the free-throw line at 76.9%
• UDM has reached double-digit made free throws in 23 games this year and has 11 games with at least 20
• The Titans have committed 10 or fewer turnovers in 11 games this year, including four of the last six
• Nadeau has netted double figures in 19 of his 28 games, and has nine career 20-point games and eight this season
• Nadeau's previous high was 26 at Cleveland State
• Nadeau now has 64 triples by a Titan in three year
• Lovejoy now has 1,312 career points, 307 assists, and 164 steals
• Lovejoy now has 16 career 20-point games and seven this season
• Lovejoy has scored in double figures in nine straight games and is averaging 20.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, shooting 70-of-126 (55.6%), in that span
• Geeter now has at least five rebounds in 19 games this season, including nine of the last 11, and has at least three assists in nine games and 34 in the last 10
• Geeter has had six assists three times in his career
• Spratt has really come on since the start of the season, scoring in double figures 12 times in the last 16 games
• Kalambay has scored at least eight points in six of the last 10 games, and grabbed at least five rebounds in 17 of his last 19 games 
• Kalambay now has 37 blocks on the season, the most since Chris Brandon had 44 in 2019-20 

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