Men's basketball advances to Horizon League Championship Semifinals after routing Milwaukee
Five Titans scored in double figures as the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team put the foot on the gas pedal and never let it go, steamrolling past Milwaukee, 84-63, on Wednesday night in Calihan Hall.
The third-seeded Titans (16-14) — winners of eight of their last 10 games — will now meet second-seeded Robert Morris in the Barbasol #HLMBB Championship Semifinals on Monday at 9:30 p.m. at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis.
Sophomore TJ Nadeau led the way with 17 points and six rebounds. Redshirt freshman Tyler Spratt added 15 points, while senior Legend Geeter tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Senior Orlando Lovejoy scored 13 points with six rebounds, three assists, and junior London Maiden had 12 points in just 13 minutes.
The Titans shot 53.6% from the field and were 17-of-21 (81.0%) at the free throw line, while holding Milwaukee (12-20) to 37.1% shooting.
With the win, UDM advances to the semifinals for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
Detroit Mercy took a commanding lead with a 14-0 run early on for a 16-5 advantage. Nadeau and Maiden had four points apiece in that span, and sophomore Ryan Kalambay put the finishing touches, getting to the rim for a bucket and the foul, hitting the free throw.
Later on, Geeter started a 7-0 spurt with a three and back-to-back baskets by Maiden and Lovejoy had the Titans up, 28-15, with 6:41 left in the first. UDM then sank two straight triples off the hands of freshman Lance Stone and Nadeau to up the advantage to 36-19 before heading into the break in front, 38-24.
In the second half, Lovejoy went to the hoop for a layup and the foul as his free throw made it 47-26. The Titans would extend the lead to as many as 26, 63-37, with 11:09 left, as Lovejoy had another layup.
UDM would stay with a comfortable 20-point lead the rest of the way to register its biggest winning margin in the playoffs since rolling past Cleveland State, 92-58, in 2006.
Kalambay ended with five points and a team-high eight rebounds and three blocks, while Stone finished with seven points, two rebounds, and two assists.
The other semifinal will have top-seeded Wright State facing the winner of NKU-Green Bay.
Media coverage
CBS Sports: Nadeau scores 17, Detroit Mercy beats Milwaukee in Horizon League Tournament 84-63
Detroit News: Detroit Mercy's NCAA hopes are very much alive; Oakland's season is over
Detroit News: In wide-open Horizon League, Detroit Mercy men's hoops says: Why not us?
WDIV: Detroit Mercy basketball completes stunning turnaround with 15 wins, eyes NCAA Tournament
WXYZ: Father and son duo helping lead Detroit Mercy into the future
Fox 2 Detroit: Detroit Mercy Coach Mark Montgomery talks college basketball
WXYZ: UDM's remarkable turnaround
Horizon League Weekly podcast: Orlando Lovejoy talks UDM men's basketball's run to March
WWJ: Detroit Mercy basketball's leading scorer is nontraditional