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Detroit Mercy legend Terry Duerod dies after Leukemia battle

Dick Vitale Terry Duerod 2017
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(WXYZ) -- Detroit Mercy men's basketball great Terry Duerod has died at 64 after a battle with Leukemia, the university announced Friday.

Duerod played for the Titans from 1975-79, scoring 1,690 career points, still sixth in school history. He was part of the 1976-77 team that brought the school its first NCAA Tournament win.

"So sad to learn about the passing of Terry Duerod," former coach Dick Vitale said in a release. "He is one of the really special players at the University. I am absolutely crushed. I found out with a phone call from his wife this morning that he had passed from cancer. He was unique. He was Mr. Excitement. When the ball was in his hands, the crowd was in a frenzy. His range was the minute he came out of the locker room. I am telling you, if there was a 3-point line during that era, he would have put points up at a staggering rate and his stat totals would be way higher than they are."

Duerod was inducted into the Titan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993 and had his number retired in 2017.