The Norse are heading to the Motor City with something to prove. After a tough two-game skid, Friday night in Calihan Hall is officially a must-win game. We previously saw NKU dominate the Titans by 25 back on January 15th, but don’t expect a cakewalk this time. Detroit Mercy is 4-5 at home and desperate to climb back into the middle of the Horizon pack.

Here is everything you need to know for Friday’s 7:00 PM tip on ESPN+:

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Projected Starting Lineups

NKU:

• G: Ethan Elliott – 5/2/5, 1 steal and 1 turnover per game.
• G: Dan Gherezgher – 16/3/2, 1 steal, 2 turnovers per game.
• G: Tae Dozier – 8/5/2, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 turnover per game.
• F: Kael Robinson – 14/4/2, 1 steal and 2 turnovers per game.
• F: LJ Wells – 14/8/2, 1 steal, 1 block and 2 turnovers per game.
• Key rotation guys: Donovan Oday (The nation’s leading scorer off the bench!! Averaging 18/4/2, 2 steals and 2 turnovers per game). Donovan Rakotonanahary (4/3/1, 1 steal per game), Shawn Nelson (4/1/1, 1 steal and 1 turnover per game), Ryan Tolliver (1/2/0 per game), and Bryce Darbyshire (1/1/0, 1 steal per game) are the guys NKU will deploy, with Darbyshire, Tolliver and Nelson playing variable, spot minutes depending on game flow.

Detroit Mercy:

• G: Orlando Lovejoy  – 13/4/4, 2 steals, 2 turnovers. 91% FT shooter.
• G: Tyler Spratt – 9/3/1, 1 steal, 1 turnover per game. 36% from deep on the year.
• G: TJ Nadeau – 14/4/1, 1 steal, 1 turnover per game. 84% FT shooter and 46% from deep.
• F: Ryan Kalambay – 3/4/1, 1 block and 1 turnover per game. Not a shooter, 67% from the line. 54% from the field. Just 16 minutes per game.
• F: Legend Geeter – 8/6/2, 1 turnover per game. 27% from deep, 65% from the FT line, 51% from the field.
• Key rotation guys: London Maiden (6/3/0 1 turnover per game, 68% from the FT line, not a shooter and 54% from the field), Lance Stone (6/1/2, 1 turnover per game. 86% FT shooter, 28% from deep, 30% from the field), Jared Lary, Keshawn Fisher, Xavier Istmin-Monroe, and Nate Johnson all get variable minutes.

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The Titan Resistance: Who to Watch for Detroit

TJ Nadeau (Sophomore, Guard) The bright spot for the Titans this year. Nadeau leads Detroit with 13.7 PPG and is a certified sniper, shooting 45.7% from three.

• The Matchup: NKU’s perimeter defense (specifically Ethan Elliott) needs to stay attached. If Nadeau hits his stride from deep early, it could be a long night.

Orlando Lovejoy (Senior, Guard) complete floor general. Lovejoy puts up 12.8 PPG and leads the team in assists (4.0 APG). He’s the one guy on the Detroit roster who can consistently break down a defense and create for others.

• The Matchup: Watch the battle between Lovejoy and Oday. This is a high-level guard matchup that will dictate the tempo of the entire game.

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The X-Factor: The Battle of the Boards

LJ Wells vs. Legend Geeter: This game will be won in the trenches. LJ Wells is a double-double threat every night, averaging 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds. On the other side, Legend Geeter is the Titans’ primary glass-cleaner. If Wells can dominate the offensive glass like he did on Jan 15, NKU will generate too many second-chance points for Detroit to keep up.

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The Outlook

NKU is currently a 5.5-point favorite. While the Norse have the talent advantage, Detroit has shown they can play people tough at home.

Prediction: The Norse weather an early Detroit storm, Oday takes over in the second half, and NKU gets back in the win column.

Norse 82, Titans 74