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HLN Highlights Postgame With Coach Rademacher

DETROIT -- Three players were in double figures and the Titans led right from the opening tip as the Detroit women's basketball team won its fifth-straight game, 68-52, over Valparaiso on New Year's Eve at Calihan Hall.

The win improved UDM to 6-8 overall and 2-0 in the Horizon League, while Valparaiso – playing with only seven players due to injury – fell to 4-9, 0-2 in conference play.

Sophomore Senee Shearer (Detroit, MI/Pershing) had 13 points to lead Detroit. Sophomore Megan Hatter (Howell, MI/Howell) netted 12 – all in the first half – and senior Lauren Allen (Rochester Hills, MI/Rochester) tallied 11 points and tied her season high with five assists.

Detroit had 23 assists in the game, the second time this season that the Titans have tallied 20 or more in that category, while forcing 18 turnovers. The 18 Valpo miscues helped Detroit score 21 points off turnovers.

The Titans got off to a fast start hitting their first three shots and two free throws to take a 9-2 lead, just three minutes into the game. Freshman Shareta Brown (Grand Blanc, MI/Grand Blanc) was able to set the tempo with some easy buckets inside, while Allen nailed a three from the outside.

Detroit was ahead, 13-7, when the red, white and blue scored seven straight to open a double-digit advantage, 20-7, with 12:17 left in the first. Hatter started that with a trey – her fifth-straight game with a triple – and then junior Yar Shayok (Ottawa, ON/Hillcrest) had a layup and senior Jalesa Jones (Detroit, MI/Pershing) hit a pair from the charity stripe.

Defensively, Detroit forced Valpariso into seven turnovers in the first 10 minutes and 12 in the first half alone.

Once the lead went into double digits, it never went back under as the Titans led by as many as 18 in the first half, 40-22, before taking a 40-26 advantage into the locker room.

The Titans shot 62.5% in the first stanza hitting 15-of-24 from the field as well as connecting on 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

Valparaiso scored the second half's first basket to get the Crusaders within 12, but UDM then went hot from downtown as both Allen and Shearer hit a pair of 3-pointers as Detroit ran its lead to 19, 56-37, with 13:55 on the clock.

After a Crusaders' basket, another 7-0 spurt ensued as Shayok and junior Chanahl Putnam (Almont, MI/Almont) added layups. Another trey from Shearer put UDM out in front by its largest margin, 63-39, midway through the period.

From there, Valparaiso was able to get within 15 points, but never any closer as the Titans swept the opening week of league play.

Along with her 13 markers, Shearer had five rebounds and tied her career high with four assists. Hatter and Allen each had four boards, while junior Demeisha Fambro (Detroit, MI/Crockett Tech) added nine points, four rebounds and three assists.

Jones finished the game with five points, a game-high six assists and a season-high four steals and Shayok posted six points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Detroit will put its winning streak on the line on the road as the Titans travel to the Windy City to face UIC on Thursday and Jesuit-rival Loyola on Saturday.

Game Notes:
UDM now leads the overall series, 9-5, and has won six of the last seven meetings…Detroit is 2-0 in the Horizon League for the first time since the 2009-10 season…Detroit ended the month of December at 6-2…With Allen's five assists, she moved into ninth place in school history with 298 career helpers… Jones now has five games on the year with five or more assists…Hatter has now hit a 3-pointer in five-straight games…Detroit tied its season high with nine 3-pointers…The last time UDM won five straight was during the 2009-10 campaign when the Titans had a six-game winning streak.