Box Score (in pdf)

Post-game reactions from Autumn Rademacher and Brigid Mulroy

The Titans proved why they are now in sole possession of first place in the Horizon League as Detroit held #23/22 Green Bay to just 17 points in the second half to capture a 71-55 victory over the Phoenix Thursday evening at Calihan Hall. 

Detroit senior Brigid Mulroy (West Bloomfield, MI/Marian) scored a game-high 20 points, which included four 3-pointers, while sophomore Yar Shayok (Ottawa, ON/Hillcrest) collected her seventh double-double of the season with a game-best 12 rebounds, along with 17 points. Sophomore Jalesa Jones (Detroit, MI/Pershing) also added double figures for the Titans with 12, while sophomore Lauren Allen (Rochester, MI/Rochester) dished out a game-high six assists.

“It was a tremendous effort and we never gave up,” said Detroit head coach Autumn Rademacher. “We just kept weathering storms and we certainly were able to bounce back after a tough first half full of turnovers.” 

The last time Detroit defeated the Phoenix was a 56-50 overtime win in Detroit on Jan. 24, 2004.

After being down by as much as 11 in the first half, the momentum swung in the Titans favor as they started to take over at the 12:54 mark of the second stanza. It all started when Jones fed a long pass to Mulroy and, in turn, she drained one from beyond the arc to tie the game at 47, which started an 11-0 scoring run for UDM.

Freshman Demeisha Fambro (Detroit, MI/Crockett Tech), who was the only person to come into the game off Detroit's bench, pushed the Titans up by one after making her second attempt at the line and, after a Green Bay turnover, Mulroy hit another 3-pointer with just three seconds left on the shot clock. Jones took advantage of another Titan possession as she made a lay-up to put the score at 53-47 with about 11 minutes remaining.

Detroit held the Phoenix scoreless for about eight minutes, which was halted after junior Kayla Tetschlag, who scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds, pulled Green Bay within six (55-49), which was the closest the Phoenix would get to the Titans the remainder of the contest.

Sophomore Sierra Spaude (Stugeon Bay, WI/Sturgeon Bay) helped give Detroit its first double digit lead as she nailed one from long range with just under four minutes left (61-51). Solid defense, coupled with four points each from Shayok and Allen in the closing minutes, helped to match Detroit's largest victory over Green Bay in school history.

“I thought a lot of people stepped up today and we were able to get out of their traps and their presses,” added Rademacher. “Green Bay is just such an aggressive team and I'm just really proud of the way our players handled it.”

Detroit shot 51 percent on the night, compared to a 36 percent effort from the Phoenix, and UDM also won the battle of the boards, 31-29. The Titans netted nine 3-pointers, compared to Green Bay's eight, but only one of those came in the second half.

This is the first time this season that Detroit has defeated a nationally-ranked team, but the second time during Rademacher's tenure as the Titans captured a 70-66 win over #23 Georgia on Nov. 22, 2008. This marks the seventh straight home win for Detroit and the Titans are now 6-0 in conference games played at Calihan Hall thus far this year.

The Titans will return to action when they host Milwaukee on Saturday at 2 p.m.