INDIANAPOLIS (3/9/2026) -- A 14-2 run by the Titans gave them the lead, and some key defense and free throws down the stretch sealed the deal as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team is heading to the Barbasol #HLMBB Championship after eliminating the defending league champions Robert Morris, 70-64, on Monday evening at the Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The third-seeded Titans - winners of nine of their last 11 - will now take on top-seeded and regular-season champion Wright State on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., with a berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The championship appearance is the first for Detroit Mercy since capturing the prize and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.
Senior
Orlando Lovejoy led the way with 21 points and six assists, to go with three steals and three rebounds.
Freshman
Lance Stone tied his season high with 16 points, going 6-of-12 from the field with a pair of triples and two steals, and redshirt freshman
Tyler Spratt added 10 points.
Senior
Legend Geeter nearly had his third double-double, ending with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds, while sophomore
Ryan Kalambay had two points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
It was a tight game, featuring 10 ties and six lead changes in the first 25 minutes, but Detroit Mercy (17-14) saw itself trailing 43-40 with 14:24 left.
That is when the red, white and blue went on a 14-2 run over the five minutes to open its biggest lead of the game. Stone started it with a layup, and then Lovejoy hit a jumper to put the team in front. Spratt would knock down a three, and after a RMU basket, he hit another shot for a 49-45 advantage.
Stone then drilled a 3-pointer to make it 52-45, and Lovejoy sank another jumper for the 54-45 score at the 9:46 mark.
The Colonials would battle back, but Geeter was able to get inside for a couple of baskets. RMU (22-11) would eventually cut it to one, 62-61, with 1:31 remaining, but the Titans put all hopes of a repeat away by going 8-for-8 at the free-throw line in the last 47 seconds.
Junior
London Maiden grabbed six rebounds and had three points. Sophomore
TJ Nadeau was in foul trouble and scored just seven, and sophomore
Nate Johnson had a basket off the bench.
After shooting just 35.3% in the first half, UDM made 8-of-11 to start the second half and was 52.2% in the stanza. The defense also turned it around, holding RMU under 35% for much of the second half and forcing 15 turnovers, turning those into 17 points.
The championship game is set to be televised at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Game Notes:
- The Titans are 8-6 all-time against Robert Morris and 7-6 since the Colonials joined the Horizon League in 2020
- UDM is also 2-0 in the postseason, defeating RMU 83-73 in the HL quarterfinals in 2021
- The #3 seed has been pretty good to the Titans as they are now 11-3 all-time as the third seed, with four trips to the title game and a championship
- The third seed is now 71-38 all-time in the Horizon League postseason, with 23 trips to the title game and eight championships
- The 17 wins are the most since UDM was 20-13 in 2012-13
- The 9-2 mark in its last 11 games is the best 11-game span since a 9-2 tally in 2020-21
- The Titans' last winning season was the 12-10 campaign in the pandemic 2020-21 year, while their last winning season with a full amount of games played was in 2015-16 when they were 16-15
- Detroit Mercy has won the glass in 14 of the 22 games against league foes - counting the postseason - and secured at least 15 offensive boards in seven games on the year
- UDM came into the game leading the HL and 27th in the nation at the free-throw line at 77.2%, reaching double-digit made free throws in 25 games this year
- The Titans have committed 10 or fewer turnovers in 13 games this year, including six of the last eight
- Lovejoy now has eight 20-point games on the season
- Lovejoy leads Horizon League and is 33rd in the NCAA at 89.1% (131-of-147), currently the seventh-best single-season mark in school history
- Lovejoy now has 1,346 points, 316 assists, and 168 steals in his career, posting a pair of 30-point performances and 17, 20-point efforts in his career
- Lovejoy now has 22 games in his career with at least five assists and at least two steals in 15 of his 30 games played, and 20 career games with at least three
- Geeter now has at least five rebounds in 21 games this season, including 12 of the last 13, and three games with 10
- Spratt has scored in double figures 14 times in the last 18 games and 15 times total against league rivals, counting the postseason
- Maiden's six boards were the most since he had six at NKU back in January, and he now has nine games with at least five caroms
- Kalambay has scored at least eight points in six of the last 12 games, and grabbed at least five rebounds in 19 of his last 21 games - including four in double digits
- Kalambay also has 42 blocks, the most since Chris Brandon had 44 in 2019-20
- Stone also had 16 points in the home win over NKU
- Stone has now scored in double figures in 10 games on the year
