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Detroit Mercy men's basketball has started something.
Now it wants to finish what it's started.
Point-guard tandem Orlando Lovejoy and Lance Stone combined for 37 points and the Titans upset Robert Morris, 70-64, in the Horizon League tournament semifinals late Monday night at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. One more win, and Detroit Mercy will make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Detroit Mercy (17-14) will play regular-season Horizon League champion Wright State (22-11) in the championship game at 7 Tuesday. The game will be on ESPN.
The Titans used an offensive surge early in the second half, making five straight field-goal attempts, to take the lead, and they never relinquished. It was thanks in large part to the smallest guy on the basketball court, the 5-foot-8 Stone, who tied his career high with 16 points, a highlight being a late-shot-clock 3 to give the Titans a seven-point lead around the midpoint of the second half.
Lovejoy, the senior from Detroit, scored 21, going 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, most down the stretch.
Robert Morris led, 36-33, at halftime, but Detroit Mercy surged early in the second half and got the lead up to nine, before Robert Morris clawed its way back. The Titans led from the 14-minute mark on, but Robert Morris (22-11) had a couple chances to tie the game in the final two minutes but committed two costly turnovers.
Redshirt freshman guard Tyler Spratt (North Farmington) added 10 points for the Titans, who shot 52.2% in the second half, and redshirt senior guard Legend Geeter (River Rouge) had 10 rebounds. Lovejoy had six assists.
Sophomore forward De'Sean Goode, the Horizon League player of the year, scored 14 to lead four Robert Morris players in double figures.
Down two, 66-64, Goode grabbed an offensive rebound on a late Robert Morris free-throw miss. But while falling out of bounds, he threw it away and Detroit Mercy sophomore forward Ryan Kalambay grabbed it with 5.6 seconds left. Kalambay made both to put the game away, and start the celebration for the Titans fans in attendance. Earlier, down one, 62-61, with just over a minute left, Robert Morris committed a costly turnover.
Detroit Mercy made its second-half push despite missing sophomore guard TJ Nadeau (Detroit Catholic Central) for much of the final 20 minutes, as he picked up his fourth foul early in the second half.
The Titans won for the ninth time in the last 11 games, while stopping Robert Morris' winning streak at eight. Robert Morris was the defending Horizon League tournament champion and had swept Detroit Mercy in the regular season.
With the win, the Titans have secured just their second winning season in the last 10 years. Two seasons ago, Detroit Mercy had just one win ― before head coach Mark Montgomery took over.
The women's championship game be at noon Tuesday, featuring regular-season champion Green Bay (24-8) against No. 2 seed Youngstown State (24-8). In the semifinals, Green Bay beat Purdue-Fort Wayne, 73-48, as Clarkston alum and Oakland transfer Maddy Skorupski, a senior guard had 10 rebounds, eight assists, seven points and six assists for the Phoenix. Youngstown State beat Cleveland State, 60-55.
NO. 1 WRIGHT STATE VS. NO. 3 DETROIT MERCY
➤ Tip-off: 7 Tuesday, Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
➤ TV: ESPN
➤ Records: Wright State 22-11; Detroit Mercy 17-15
➤ At stake: The league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
NO. 1 GREEN BAY VS. NO. 2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE
➤ Tip-off: Noon Tuesday, Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
➤ TV: ESPN2
➤ Records: Green Bay 24-8; Youngstown State 24-8
➤ At stake: The league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
[email protected]
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit's dream still alive: Mercy upsets Robert Morris, makes Horizon final
Continue reading...
Now it wants to finish what it's started.
Point-guard tandem Orlando Lovejoy and Lance Stone combined for 37 points and the Titans upset Robert Morris, 70-64, in the Horizon League tournament semifinals late Monday night at Corteva Coliseum in Indianapolis. One more win, and Detroit Mercy will make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
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Detroit Mercy (17-14) will play regular-season Horizon League champion Wright State (22-11) in the championship game at 7 Tuesday. The game will be on ESPN.
The Titans used an offensive surge early in the second half, making five straight field-goal attempts, to take the lead, and they never relinquished. It was thanks in large part to the smallest guy on the basketball court, the 5-foot-8 Stone, who tied his career high with 16 points, a highlight being a late-shot-clock 3 to give the Titans a seven-point lead around the midpoint of the second half.
Lovejoy, the senior from Detroit, scored 21, going 11-for-12 from the free-throw line, most down the stretch.
Robert Morris led, 36-33, at halftime, but Detroit Mercy surged early in the second half and got the lead up to nine, before Robert Morris clawed its way back. The Titans led from the 14-minute mark on, but Robert Morris (22-11) had a couple chances to tie the game in the final two minutes but committed two costly turnovers.
Redshirt freshman guard Tyler Spratt (North Farmington) added 10 points for the Titans, who shot 52.2% in the second half, and redshirt senior guard Legend Geeter (River Rouge) had 10 rebounds. Lovejoy had six assists.
Sophomore forward De'Sean Goode, the Horizon League player of the year, scored 14 to lead four Robert Morris players in double figures.
Down two, 66-64, Goode grabbed an offensive rebound on a late Robert Morris free-throw miss. But while falling out of bounds, he threw it away and Detroit Mercy sophomore forward Ryan Kalambay grabbed it with 5.6 seconds left. Kalambay made both to put the game away, and start the celebration for the Titans fans in attendance. Earlier, down one, 62-61, with just over a minute left, Robert Morris committed a costly turnover.
Detroit Mercy made its second-half push despite missing sophomore guard TJ Nadeau (Detroit Catholic Central) for much of the final 20 minutes, as he picked up his fourth foul early in the second half.
The Titans won for the ninth time in the last 11 games, while stopping Robert Morris' winning streak at eight. Robert Morris was the defending Horizon League tournament champion and had swept Detroit Mercy in the regular season.
With the win, the Titans have secured just their second winning season in the last 10 years. Two seasons ago, Detroit Mercy had just one win ― before head coach Mark Montgomery took over.
The women's championship game be at noon Tuesday, featuring regular-season champion Green Bay (24-8) against No. 2 seed Youngstown State (24-8). In the semifinals, Green Bay beat Purdue-Fort Wayne, 73-48, as Clarkston alum and Oakland transfer Maddy Skorupski, a senior guard had 10 rebounds, eight assists, seven points and six assists for the Phoenix. Youngstown State beat Cleveland State, 60-55.
Horizon League men's championship
NO. 1 WRIGHT STATE VS. NO. 3 DETROIT MERCY
➤ Tip-off: 7 Tuesday, Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
➤ TV: ESPN
➤ Records: Wright State 22-11; Detroit Mercy 17-15
➤ At stake: The league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Horizon League women's championship
NO. 1 GREEN BAY VS. NO. 2 YOUNGSTOWN STATE
➤ Tip-off: Noon Tuesday, Corteva Coliseum, Indianapolis
➤ TV: ESPN2
➤ Records: Green Bay 24-8; Youngstown State 24-8
➤ At stake: The league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
[email protected]
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit's dream still alive: Mercy upsets Robert Morris, makes Horizon final
Continue reading...
