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HLN Highlights Postgame Press Conference

DETROIT – Senior Jalesa Jones (Detroit, MI/Pershing) tallied a season-high 18, and sophomore Senee Shearer (Detroit, MI/Pershing) tallied her second-straight 20-point game, as the Titans were able to hold off Eastern Michigan, 70-69, in overtime on Tuesday night at historic Calihan Hall.

Jones was a career-best 11-of-12 from the free throw line, while adding three rebounds and two assists. Shearer was 7-of-15 from the field with four 3-pointers and 5-of-7 from the charity stripe, ending the game with 23 points, tying her career high that she set on Sunday against IPFW. In her last three games, the second-year guard is averaging 20.3 points per game.

Detroit (3-8) never trailed in the extra frame in a game that featured 12 ties and eight lead changes. The game was tied at 63 heading into the extra period and again at 67-all with 3:27 left. Both teams did not score again until 2:16 left when senior Lauren Allen hit a jumper after junior Yar Shayok (Ottawa, ON/Hillcrest) came up with a steal.

The Titan defense, strong all night with 12 steals and forcing 23 turnovers, kept Eastern Michigan (6-4) off the board for the next two minutes and to just two points the rest of the way, coming away with three turnovers and holding EMU to just one field goal.

The Titans added to their lead down the stretch, but it took a great job on the boards to help secure the win. After Shayok missed a free throw, Shearer was able to get inside and corral the rebound, sending Jones to the line with 18 ticks on the clock. The seasoned guard hit 1-of-2 from the line to extend the lead to three, 70-67. EMU then tried to get the ball in the hands of Tavelyn James - the second leading scorer in the country at 25.1 ppg., who finished with just nine points on 3-of-14 from the field – but she missed a 3-pointer. The Eagles got two points closer with three seconds remaining but the Titans inbounded the ball, cleared the press and celebrated its second-straight home victory.

Detroit got to that point by never letting the Eagles take flight in the second half. The red, white and blue never trailed by more than four points and used a key 13-4 run to take a five-point lead, 57-52 at the 6:14 mark.

Detroit would hold a five-point advantage as late as 4:05, 61-56, when the Eagles ended regulation on a 7-2 charge. It could have been worse if not for freshman Shareta Brown (Grand Blanc, MI/Grand Blanc) who came up with a huge block on James, who was going to the rim with time winding down.

The Titan defense came out strong right from the very start, frustrating James and the Eagles. Eastern Michigan missed its first nine shots, while James misfired on her first six attempts, and Detroit took advantage with a pair of 3-pointers from Shearer along with a trey from Jones.

After EMU netted back-to-back baskets to cut it to 9-4, the Titans came right back, running its lead to as many as 10, 18-8, with 9:31 left in the half. Shearer nailed another 3-pointer in that stretch, while senior Lauren Allen (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester) also added a triple.

EMU then came back to take the lead, 27-26 with a 19-8 run over the next eight minutes. Free throws by Brown and Shayok eventually put the Titans back in front briefly, but the Eagles added a late bucket in the half to take a 29-28 lead at the intermission.

It was back and forth to start the second half as both teams traded the lead. EMU led by as many as four, 37-33, with 16:14 left, but back-to-back baskets by Jones and Shayok tied it for the fifth time in the game.

It was tied two more times after that before Eastern once again jumped out to a four-point advantage, 48-44.

Brown ended the game with 14 points and six rebounds. Shayok posted seven points, six boards, three steals and two assists, while Allen had five points, three assists and two steals.

UDM went to the line a season-high 31 times, connecting on a season-best 21.

The Titans will put their two-game winning streak on the line against another MAC opponent as Detroit will end a three-game, five-day span with a trip to Western Michigan on Thursday. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m., at University Arena.

Game Notes:
The Titans now lead the overall series 13-8... The victory was No. 100 for the Titans against an in-state school… This was the Titans first overtime game this season and the first since an 88-77 loss at home to Loyola last year… Junior Chanahl Putnam played two minutes in returning to action after missing the last two games due to an ankle injury... EMU assistant coach LaTonya Tate served in the same role with Detroit from 1995-97 and 2004-07, while EMU assistant coach Yvette Harris was an original Titan earning three letters at U-D from 1977-80… Jones' previous career high for free throws was eight… Brown was back in double figures after netting only eight last game… Shearer's 5-of-7 from the line was also a career-best… After posting 31 fast-break points on Sunday against IPFW, UDM had just five… Detroit's 21-of-32 effort from the line was a season high and the most since made and attempted since going 22-of-31 in a 90-72 win at Milwaukee last season… Detroit tallied double-digit steals for the second-straight game…The Titans were outrebounded 45-31.