Box Score (in pdf)

Senior Sandi Brown (Toledo, OH/Start) hit a clutch turnaround jumper with a minute left to give #8 Detroit (12-18) a two-point advantage and the Titans were able to hold on as they defeated #9 Loyola (8-21) in the first round of the 2009 Speedway Horizon League Championship by a score of 72-67 at Calihan Hall Monday evening.

Detroit junior Brigid Mulroy (West Bloomfield, MI/Marian) helped secure the Titans victory as she made both of her attempts at the free throw line with 16 seconds remaining and Brown went to the line 12 seconds later and had a 1-of-2 showing to add to Detroit's point total.

With 2:32 on the clock, Loyola junior Keisha Collins drained one from long range to tie the game at 67, which was the first tie since the 15:26 mark of the first half, and the closest the Ramblers got to Detroit since Loyola led 13-12, six minutes into the contest.

“I am very happy and proud of our team," said Detroit head coach Autumn Rademacher. “It feels great that we are putting it all together at the perfect time. As we are get ready for Green Bay, I know that our student-athletes will be flying high and ready to give it their all and you never know, anything can happen.”

Four Titans scored in double figures with senior Zemora Davis (Detroit, MI/Community) leading the way with 16, while Brown collected her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high and game-best 14 boards. Freshman Lauren Allen (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester) came off the bench to score 11 points after shooting 5-of-9 from the field and also dished out a game-high and personal-best eight assists. Freshman Jaleesa Trussell (Racine, WI/Case) added 10 points, five of which came at the charity stripe and added three steals in 27 minutes of play.

Loyola junior Maggie McCloskey shot 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and ended with a game-high 25 points, which earned her U.S. Army Player of the Game honors. Junior Elyse VanBogaert netted 12, while Keisha Collins ended with 11 for the Ramblers.

“Defensively, we decided to apply a lot of pressure and play tough nose defense, which created a lot of turnovers that we capitalized on and it allowed us to get out and run when we had a chance,” added Rademacher.

The last time Detroit won a game in the conference championship was on March 3, 2005 by a score of 59-49 as a #7 seed at #2 Milwaukee. This marks the first time Detroit has defeated the same team three times in a season since the 2003-04 campaign when the Titans won all three meetings against Loyola.

The 2005-06 campaign marks the last time Detroit won three in a row when the Titans won five consecutive games from Jan. 5-21.

Detroit will face #1 Green Bay (26-3) on March 11 at the Kress Center in the quarterfinals of the Speedway Horizon League Championship. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. EST.