GAMEDAY CENTRAL          Game Notes         WBI Bracket

DETROIT (3/20/2013) -- The No. 1 seeded Detroit Titans will open postseason play on Thursday as UDM hosts Belmont in the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., on Dick Vitale Court in Calihan Hall.

There will be live stats for this contest, but it WILL NOT be carried on the Horizon League Network. Titan fans can follow every UDM game this season through the women's basketball GAMEDAY CENTRAL page located on the Titans Athletic Website that will keep fans one click away from all the action. This page will feature links for live stats (audio and video when applicable) as well as links for all the latest info while also making it easy to find the Titans on social media and to purchase photos and game tickets.

With Detroit still playing at home, fans are encouraged to join the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in collecting items for the homeless as UDM is partnering with The Warming Center of St. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church. The community initiative is focused on bringing attention to homelessness and addiction in the city of Detroit.  Collection bags will be located with event programs at all spring sporting events.  Items in need for the Warming Center are gloves, scarves, winter hats, new athletic socks, new  underwear, shampoo, body wash, toothbrushes, cream cheese, coffee, tea, sugar and cream.

The Titans finished the regular season at 17-13 and their NCAA RPI of 118 was good enough for the WBI committee to have them seeded first in the East Region, giving Detroit a home court advantage through the first three rounds. UDM is 12-1 at home on the season and with one more win in Calihan Hall, Detroit will tie a school record for most home victories in a season.

UDM is led by First Team All-Horizon League selection in sophomore Shareta Brown as her 20.1 ppg., and 9.2 rpg., both rank third in the conference, while topping the HL in field-goal percentage (58.4%).  She has scored 602 points on the season, second in school history trailing the 611 record she set as a freshman last year.

Junior Senee Shearer is tallying 12.4 ppg., and has a team-best 46, 3-pointers despite not playing until mid-January, while senior Demeisha Fambro is averaging a career-best 11.5 ppg. The HL Sixth Player of the Year senior Yar Shayok is posting 9.1 ppg., and 8.5 rpg., and freshman and All-League Newcomer Team honoree Rosanna Reynolds is recording 8.1 ppg., and a team-high 4.0 apg.

Belmont was 18-13 on the season and 11-5 in conference play, finishing third in the OVC's East Division. Seeded third in their conference tournament, the Bruins won their quarterfinals game against SIU Edwardsville (62-45) before falling in the semifinals to Tennessee Tech, 61-57.

The Bruins do not have a player averaging double figures in scoring, but have five players between 8.4 and 9.9 points per game, led by Katie Brooks' 9.9 ppg., and team-high 3.1 apg. Jordan Coleman is tallying 9.6 points and a team-best 10.2 rebounds, while Jordyn Luffman is adding 8.9 ppg. Belmont does have a local player on its roster in Frankie Joubran, a freshman who attended Goodrich High School, but she has only appeared in nine games due to injury.

The winner of the game will face the victor of the #4 Northern Kentucky-#5 College of Charleston match-up, which takes place tonight. If Detroit wins, the game will be on Sunday at 2 p.m..

THE DETROIT-BELMONT SERIES
This will be the first-ever meeting between Belmont and the University of Detroit Mercy. Belmont is in its first year as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference after being a part of the Atlantic Sun. It is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind Vanderbilt.

ABOUT THE WBI
Run by Sport Tours International, the Women's Basketball Invitational is in its fourth season and provides a choice for postseason worthy Division I Women's teams who wish to continue their season, but who do not qualify for the NCAA tournament. The 16 team event will take place over two weeks with all games being played on campus sites.

Notable teams that have participated in the past have been Louisville, Memphis, Minnesota, Washington and two Horizon League teams in Wright State (2011, 2012) and Cleveland State (2011).

Winners in the past have included Appalachian State in 2010, UAB in 2011 and Minnesota last season.

In business since 1980, Sport Tours International is a leader in arranging tours for sports teams from United States and countries around the world. Sport Tours International produces college basketball tournaments in San Juan, Daytona Beach, the Bahamas and Las Vegas. In addition, it arranges training trips for swimming teams to the Caribbean and Costa Rica and host two women's lacrosse spring break training events in San Antonio and Scottsdale.

WE'RE #1
Detroit received the No. 1 seed in the East region of the WBI and with the top spot, UDM will host all of its games.

If Detroit was to advance, it would meet the winner of the #4 Northern Kentucky-#5 College of Charleston game on Sunday at 2 p.m.

A further look at the schedule if the Titans keep winning would have UDM hosting the semifinals on Wednesday, Mar. 27 at 7 p.m. The championship game will be on Saturday, Mar. 30, or Sunday, Mar. 31, but no set location or time has been set.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
The WBI field consists of 16 teams, but the Titans will be hard pressed to see any familiar faces in the event.

Out of the other 15 teams, Detroit has played just three sporting a 2-0 record over Eastern Kentucky, a 1-0 mark over McNeese State and an 0-1 tally against Howard.

TITAN POSTSEASON HISTORY
Since the NCAA started sponsoring women's basketball in 1981, Detroit has made three postseason tournaments. Detroit made the 1997 NCAA Tournament and was in the WNIT last season.

Prior to that, Detroit competed in the State Small College, State Large College, Region 5 and the AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) Tournament's between 1977-1981.

Detroit captured three state titles from 1979-81 and took part in the AIAW National Tournament in 1981.

At the time, the AIAW National Tournament was the big tournament of the day.

ALL-TIME POSTSEASON RECORD
Counting the early days of the state tournaments, the Titans are 16-7 all-time in the postseason.

BONUS BASKETBALL IN DETROIT
With the men winning the Horizon League and advancing to the NCAA Tournament last year, it marks just the second time in school history that both the men and women will be playing postseason basketball since the NCAA officially added women's athletics in 1981.

The men were selected to play in the NIT and opened the event at Arizona State on Wednesday.

Also, fans of the hardwood have plenty to choose from this weekend as the men's basketball 2nd and 3rd rounds are being held at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday and Saturday.

THIS YEAR'S FOES
The Titans went 1-8 against teams this year that are currently set to play in the postseason, with the lone win over conference-rival Youngstown State.

Detroit fell to four teams on the year that made the NCAA Tournament in Michigan, Penn State, South Florida and HL-member Green Bay.

On the season, the Titans' non-conference opponents combined for a 178-176 record and their overall strength of schedule ranked 147 according to realtimerpi.com.

AGAINST THE OVC
This will be just the sixth career meeting between Detroit and a current member of the Ohio Valley Conference.

UDM is 2-0 against Eastern Kentucky, 1-0 against Tennessee State and 1-1 versus Morehead State.

The last time Detroit played an OVC member was against Morehead State in 2009, falling 84-71 to an Eagles' squad that was coached by current Wright State head coach Mike Bradbury.

VS. THE VOLUNTEER STATE
Belmont is just the fourth team from the state of Tennessee that the Titans will have faced in its history.

UDM is 2-2 all-time against the state of Tennessee, splitting a pair of games against East Tennessee State. UDM has also defeated Tennessee State in its only meeting and lost to Vanderbilt in the only game played between those two programs.

A RUDE HOST
UDM is 12-1 at home this season - averaging 77.3 ppg - with a +19.1 scoring margin. Detroit saw its 15-game home winning streak snapped against nationally-ranked Green Bay on Feb. 28. At the time, it was tied for the seventh longest in the nation and was the second longest home winning streak in Titan history, two away from the record.

Detroit has also won at least 11 games at Calihan Hall for the second-straight season.

The 12 wins are also tied for the second most in school history and one behind the school record and perfect 13-0 mark during the 1986-87 season.

MORE ON CALIHAN MAGIC
Over a longer stretch of time, the Titans have posted a 23-4 ledger in their last 27 home games dating back to the 2010-11 campaign, as well as 38-12 in their last 50 home games.

UDM is also 46-23 in Calihan Hall since head coach Autumn Rademacher returned to her alma mater in 2008.

In their 35-year history, the Titans have enjoyed a 274-144 (.634) home court record.

BROWN TOP 10 IN THE NATION
In the latest NCAA stats, released on Monday, sophomore Shareta Brown continues to be among the nation's leaders in scoring and field-goal percentage.

Brown is currently third in field-goal percentage hitting 58.4%. She is also 19th in the nation in scoring at 20.1 ppg., and 72nd with 9.2 rebounds per game.

She trails only Baylor's Brittney Griner (60.4%) and Connecticut's Stefanie Dolson (58.8%) in that category and all three player's numbers will either move up or down since all three are in the postseason.

The only Titan to ever lead the nation in a statistical category was Brigid Mulroy back in 2010 as she was first in three-point field-goal percentage (50.5%).

Brown was fifth in the NCAA in field-goal percentage (55.9%) last season.

LOOKING TO BREAK HER OWN RECORD
It is one thing to break a record, but when you are a sophomore breaking a school record that you set as a freshman, now that is something to write about and Shareta Brown is about to do that.

She set the Titan school record with 611 points last season and is now second on the all-time single-season list with 602 this year, just nine points away from her record.

Brown already is the quickest Titan to ever score 1,000 points as she accomplished the task in her 51st career game at home against UIC on Jan. 26, surpassing Cassandra Pack (1983-87) – the Titans' all-time leading scorer – who reached 1,000 points in her 57th career game and as a junior.

CAN SHE GET THERE?
Senior Demeisha Fambro already has a career year going on with 334 points on the team and an 11.5 average, second on the team and 16th in the Horizon League.

Fambro also has career highs in every statistical category posting 133 rebounds (4.6), 60 assists (2.0), 32 steals (1.1), 124 field goals, 44 three-point field goals and 42 free throws.

Her 108 career 3-pointers is now 10th in school history, just four away from Catie Goddard (2002-06) and her ninth-place total of 112.

She is also now at 933 career points, just 67 away from becoming the 19th player in school history to reach 1,000.

SHEARER NOW TOP 8 IN 3'S
Junior Senee Shearer has now recorded 127 career triples after sinking three at Green Bay her last time out.

The 127 career 3-pointers is eighth in school history, seven away from seventh place and Jeanie Hill's (1994-98) 134.

FAMBRO'S GOT GAME
Senior Demeisha Fambro was in double figures for the 17th time this season after scoring 13 points at Green Bay in the HL Semifinals.

In her last 15 games, she is tallying 13.1 ppg., and is averaging 11.5 points - third on the team and 16th in the HL - on the season.

CHASING HISTORY, AND EACH OTHER
Senior Yar Shayok and sophomore Shareta Brown are both 1,000 point scorers that rank in the top 14 in school history.

With nine points at Wright State, Brown is now ahead of Shayok and in 12th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,213 points, while Shayok is 14th with 1,177.

Brown needs 42 points to tie Shari Hill (1007-01) for 11th in school history, while Shayok is just four points shy of Mandy Chandler (1987-91) for 13th in Titan annals.