Game Notes vs. Cleveland State

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DETROIT -- The Titans will look to end their three-game homestand with their second-straight win as Detroit plays host to the Cleveland State Vikings on Saturday at Calihan Hall. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m.

With just five games left in the season, Detroit currently stands tied for seventh in the Horizon League with a 5-8 record. The Titans, 11-13 overall, still have a great opportunity to work themselves up the standings and stay out of the opening round of the Horizon League championships.

UDM used a great defensive effort on Thursday to sweep the season series against Youngstown State. Three Titans scored in doubles figures, led by sophomore Dominique Dixon's 12, while sophomore Yar Shayok pulled down a season-best 16 rebounds. Detroit held YSU to just 15-of-60 from the floor and outrebounded the Penguins, 55-31, en route to a 52-43 victory.

DETROIT VS. CLEVELAND STATE
Detroit leads the all-time series, 31-12, thanks in large part to taking 18 of the first 20 career meetings against the Vikings. Cleveland State has won four of the last five meetings, including a 61-51 victory in Cleveland back on Jan. 20.

Detroit has dominated the series at home where the Titans have won 17-of-19 in the Motor City.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State won its third straight in comeback fashion on Thursday at Wright State, 74-66.

The Vikings come into the game at 15-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play.

Four CSU players are in double figures in scoring, led by Shawnita Garland's 14.4 ppg., which includes a 33-point performance against UDM earlier in the year. Shalonda Winton is averaging 13.3 ppg., and 9.1 rpg., while Janelle Adams (10.9) and Destinee Blue (10.0) are the other two Vikings in double figures.

LAST TIME VS. CLEVELAND STATE
Sophomore Yar Shayok registered a double-double and UDM nearly erased an 18-point first half deficit, but the Titans could not complete the comeback as Detroit was topped by Cleveland State, 61-51.

Shayok totaled 15 boards and 11 points. Sophomore Dominique Dixon had a team-high 16 points along with seven rebounds and three steals, while sophomore Cherridy Thornton added 10 markers.

Cleveland State jumped out to an 18-6 advantage eight minutes into the game and eventually led by as many as 18, 29-11, with 4:45 left in the first half, before Detroit cut the deficit to 12 at the half, 30-18.

The Titans continued to chip away getting CSU's lead to under double digits at the 15:13 mark in the second half. Detroit would eventually get within four twice, the latest at 5:48 when the score was 43-39, but Cleveland State then ran its lead back to double-digits.

CSU's Shawnita Garland led all scorers with 33 points hitting 11-of-16 from the field, including all eight of her 3-pointers.

GOOD NUMBERS VS. CSU
A pair of Titans have posted some good numbers against Cleveland State in their careers.

Sophomore Yar Shayok has been in double figures in all three of her games against CSU, with two double-doubles. She is averaging 13.0 ppg., 10.6 rpg., and 2.3 spg., while junior Jalesa Jones is tallying 10.0 ppg., and 4.4 rpg, in five career meetings.

CLEANING UP THE GLASS
Sophomore Yar Shayok has now grabbed double-digit rebounds 15 times this season, and has just three games on the year where she has pulled down less than seven boards.

She is coming off a game where she totaled a season high 16 rebounds, which is also her career high in Horizon League play.

In her last 11 games, Shayok has seven double-doubles and is tallying 10.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. She is also shooting over 50 percent from the field hitting 42 of her 79 attempts.

She currently leads the HL in rebounding at 10.7 per game, a year after she was second in the conference at 9.7 rpg.

SHAYOK APPROACHING HISTORIC TITAN MARKS
If sophomore Yar Shayok can keep up her rebounding dominance, she is in line to become just the fifth Titan in school history to average double-digit boards, and the first since Cheryl Day accomplished the feat with a 10.9 tally in 1990.

The other three Titans who have reached that number are: Cheryl Williams - 14.4 (1982), 11.4 (1980) and 10.3 (1979), Yvette Harris - 13.7 in 1978, Lydia Johnson - 11.7 in 1980

AMONG THE NATION'S LEADERS
Sophomore Yar Shayok has moved into the top 20 in the nation in rebounding according to the latest NCAA statistics, released on Friday.

Shayok's 10.7 rebounds per game tops the Horizon League and is 16th in the nation.

Shayok has 15 games this year where she has collected double digit rebounds, including eight in her last nine outings.

In Horizon League play, the 6-1 forward is averaging 11.9 rebounds with 10 games corralling at least 10 boards, including a season high and her personal Horizon League-best 16 rebounds against Youngstown State her last time out.

DEFENSE STYMIES PENGUINS' OFFENSIVE ATTACK
The Titans got back to their winning ways at home with a great defensive effort against Youngstown State in a 52-43 victory.

YSU shot 25 percent from the field hitting just 15 of its 60 field goal attempts, including 6-of-23 from behind the arc.

The 15 YSU field goals were the second lowest by an opponent this year after Detroit held Marygrove to 11 back on Dec. 27.

The 43 points allowed were the second fewest Detroit has given up behind the 27 it allowed to Marygrove, and the lowest by a Division I opponent since Detroit held the Penguins to 44 points in an 80-44 victory last season.

It was also the ninth time this year that UDM has held an opponent under 60 points and the second time it has allowed under 50 points, with the other game coming in a 67-48 triumph at Michigan.