Box Score Box Score in pdf.

Box Score in html 

Postgame Press Conference On The Titan YouTube Channel

DETROIT -- After being down by as many as 12 twice in the second half, Detroit put together a spirited comeback that just came up short as the Titans fell to Butler, 72-66, on Saturday afternoon at Calihan Hall.

The loss was the first of the year for Detroit (8-7, 2-2 HL) in Calihan Hall as the Titans won their first five at home. The Bulldogs improved to 9-6, 3-0 in conference play.

Sophomore Demeisha Fambro (Detroit, MI/Crockett Tech) led the way with a team-high 16 points, while sophomore Dominique Dixon (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) had 15 and junior Jalesa Jones (Detroit, MI/Pershing) netted 12. Dixon also added five rebounds, while sophomore Yar Shayok (Ottawa, ON/Hillcrest) finished with six points, six boards and two assists.

The Titans were down by 12, 50-38, with 9:56 remaining when Fambro scored on back-to-back possessions to cut it to eight. After a Butler 3-pointer, the Titans ran off six-straight points to cut the deficit to just five, 53-48, with 7:40 left in the game.

The Bulldogs recovered with an 8-1 run to push the back to 12, 61-49, this time with 5:36 left in the contest, but Detroit countered again with a 7-0 burst of its own as Fambro had back-to-back steals which saw her hit a layup and Dixon hit a 3-pointer to close to within five again at 61-56.

The Titans never gave up and closed to within a point after Shayok made a pair of free throws. After two makes, and a Butler turnover, freshman Senee Shearer (Detroit, MI/Pershing) stole the ball and Jones made a layup to again close within one, but Butler would counter yet again with a jumper to inch ahead.

Jones was then fouled from beyond the arc and made two of three before a Butler inbound. A Detroit foul and one of two Butler free throws led to one final chance for UDM, but a Shearer three-point attempt just missed and Bulldogs made its final from the charity stripe to close out the game.

Detroit and Butler traded baskets to start the game as Jones and Murphy each had four points early, but the Titans fell behind 10-9 in the first 6:23 of the contest. Butler's Brittany Bowen helped her team control the boards early grabbing five out of her team's 11 first rebounds before the ten minute mark of the first to three team boards for the Titans.

Jones put the Titans ahead 18-17 at 9:42 with a 3-pointer and tallied nine first half points. Junior Britney Murphy (Saginaw, MI/Arthur Hill) nailed a three to put Detroit up 26-23 with 5:08 left. Dixon added another three as each team countered the other in the opening frame with the Bulldogs up 32-31 after the first half. Butler held a 22-10 advantage on the boards at that point.

Butler started the second half with a 7-2 run behind a pair of 3-pointers to jump out 39-33. The Bulldogs made 4-of-5 field goals from 3-point range to start the second half jumping in go out in front, 50-38.

The next action for Detroit is next Saturday, Jan. 15, as UDM travels to Wright State with tip set for 2:00 p.m.

Game Notes:
Murphy started her sixth career game and first since 2/21/09 as a freshman at St. John's in a game against Marquette… Detroit is now 14-2 at home in its last 16 games…The 23 forced turnovers for Detroit was a season high while Detroit's 10 turnovers was a season low...UDM was outrebounded, 43-19, its worst since Michigan State took the glass, 51-29, earlier in the season...Butler held a 14-2 edge in second chance points...The Titans came away with 10 steals, their fourth-straight game with 10 or more steals.