Detroit Mercy rallies from early 16-4 deficit, halts NKU series dominance with 66-58 victory


NKyTribune staff

DETROIT — Justin Miller scored 18 points on Friday night as Detroit Mercy ended a seven-game losing streak in the series against Northern Kentucky with a 66-58 victory over the Norse in Calihan Hall.

Antoine Davis added 17 points for Detroit Mercy, which improved to 3-12 overall and evened its Horizon League mark at 1-1. The Titans rallied from an early 16-4 deficit and knocked off NKU for the first time since a 74-58 road triumph on Feb. 17, 2016.

Prior to Friday night, NKU was 4-0 all-time inside Calihan Hall.

Adham Eleeda
Adham Eleeda led NKU (9-6 overall, 1-2 Horizon League) with a career-high 14 points. The Norse made just 33.3 percent of their shots from the field and lost the rebounding battle by a 41-30 margin.

Chris Brandon chipped in 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Detroit Mercy, which finished with a 38-20 scoring advantage in the paint. The Titans hit 49 percent of their shots from the field and were 4-for-15 from 3-point range.

Trevon Faulkner added 13 points for NKU, which is playing without leading scorer Dantez Walton and his 18.4 points per game. Walton is out indefinitely with a chest/shoulder injury.

A year ago, NKU defeated Detroit Mercy three times. The Norse still hold an 8-2 lead in the all-time series with the Titans.

NKU concludes the trip to Michigan on Sunday with a 3 p.m. game at Oakland.

DETROIT MERCY 66, NORTHERN KENTUCKY 58
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (58)

Sharpe 2-10 0-0 5, Adheke 1-6 3-4 5, Faulkner 4-7 4-4 13, Tate 4-13 3-3 11, Langdon 1-7 2-2 4, Eleeda 5-10 0-0 14, Nelson 1-2 0-2 2, Mocaby 1-2 0-0 3, Cobbs 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 19-57 13-17 58.
DETROIT MERCY (66)
Davis 5-13 4-4 17, Miller 7-14 4-7 18, Moore 5-8 1-2 12, Isiani 0-2 0-0 0, Brandon 5-5 0-2 10, Gorman 0-1 0-0 0, LeGrand 0-0 2-2 2, Rose 3-7 1-3 7, Hofman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-51 12-20 66.
HALFTIME: NKU 27-26. 3-POINTERS: (NKU 7-26, UDM 4-15). REBOUNDS: NKU 30 (Adheke 8), UDM 41 (Brandon 9).
RECORDS: Detroit Mercy 3-12, 1-1 HL; NKU 9-6, 1-2 HL.

(Information compiled from NKU and Detroit Mercy)


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