GAMEDAY CENTRAL         Game Notes         WBI Bracket
 Coach Rademacher on WJR        Coach Rademacher on ESPN Detroit 1090

DETROIT (3/29/2013) -- March Madness will be in full effect on Saturday afternoon as the top-seeded Detroit Titans will meet the eight seed McNeese State Cowgirls in the Championship game of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI). Game time is set for 3:00 p.m., on Dick Vitale Court in Calihan Hall.

Tickets for the event start at $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and children. There is also a special ticket promotion for this Championship Eastern Weekend with a “Buy One, Get One” free discount, and parking to the event is also free. For more ticket information, click here.

The contest will be streamed live on the Horizon League Network with Dan York calling the action. There will also be live stats. 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.

The top seed in the East, Detroit (20-13) got to this point by defeating #8 Belmont (71-68), #5 College of Charleston (79-67) and #2 Penn (71-68), all at home. Detroit has now posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since doing it in four-straight years from 1978-82, while the Titans 15 home wins is tied for the third most in the nation.

Detroit is averaging 73.7 ppg., in the WBI, shooting 44.5% from the field, 40.0% from three and 80.7% at the free throw line, but it is the Titan front court that is doing the most damage. Sophomore Shareta Brown is averaging 28.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in the tournament with three-straight 20-point games, including 30 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Belmont and 32 points in the victory over Penn.  She is shooting 56.4% (22-of-39), including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc, and 90.0% (36-of-40) at the charity stripe. Brown has now scored 686 points on the year – a new Horizon League record and the eighth most points in the country.

Meanwhile, senior Yar Shayok is tallying 15.3 ppg., and 12.3 rpg., shooting 57.6% (19-of-33) from the field and 80.0% (8-of-10) at the line. She tied her season high in points (23) and career high in rebounds (17) in the victory over the College of Charleston and just posted 12 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinals against Penn.

McNeese State will look for its fourth-straight road win in the tournament as it was the eight seed in the west bracket, downing top-seeded Mercer (82-70), #4 Elon (66-58) and #6 South Dakota (71-63). The Cowgirls are 21-14 on the season, the third-straight year they have recorded 20 wins, and have a lot of experience playing in the postseason as they won the Southland Conference and made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.

McNeese is led by senior sisters in Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett. Ashlyn tops the team in scoring at 19.0 points per game, and is hitting 41.2% from the outside (103-of-250), while Caitlyn is tallying 15.5 ppg., and a team-high 4.7 assists. Cecilia Okoye is the team's leading rebounder at 7.1 per game, while adding 9.1 ppg.,

The Cowgirls are averaging 68.5 points and giving up 62.3. They are shooting 39.2% from the field, 32.7% from three and 73.3% at the free throw line.

With the home game, 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 DETROIT-MCNEESE STATE SERIES
Detroit and McNeese State have met once before and it was a victorious affair for the Titans as UDM came away with a 96-54 win at home on Dec. 14, 1995. Current Titan head coach Autumn Rademacher was a junior on that winning squad.

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.

WE'RE #1
Detroit received the No. 1 seed in the East region of the WBI and with the top spot, UDM has hosted all three games as well as the title contest.

This is just the second time in the four-year history of the WBI that a No. 1 seed has made the championship and that was in the first year of the event when #1 Appalachian State of the East beat No. 1 Memphis of the West, 79-71.

This is also the first year that a No. 8 seed has advanced to the championship and the second year a low seed has come out of the west as #7 Northern Iowa fell to #2 Minnesota, 88-74, last year.

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 19-7 all-time in the postseason.

UDM's first round win in the WBI was the first in the postseason since it beat Ohio State, 54-49, in the Region 5 Tournament in 1981

BONUS BASKETBALL IN DETROIT
With the men winning the Horizon League and advancing to the NCAA Tournament last year, it marks the second-straight season and 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 this year.

BACK-TO-BACK WINNING SEASONS
Detroit is 20-13 on the year and has clinched its second-straight winning season, the first time it has had back-to-back winning seasons since 2001 (17-12) and 2002 (16-14).

Not only have they posted back-to-back winning seasons, the Titans now have two-straight years of 20 wins, the first time that has happened since they had four-straight years between 1978-82.

Under Coach Rademacher, Detroit has had two winning seasons in the last three years after having just one in its previous seven.

A RUDE HOST
UDM is 15-1 at home this season - averaging 76.6 ppg - with a +16.6 scoring margin. In fact, Detroit's 15 home victories are tied for the third most in the nation behind North Carolina's 17-1 and Kentucky's 16-1 mark.

Detroit had a 15-game home winning streak during the year, but that was 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.

The 15 wins are also a new school record breaking the perfect 13-0 mark of the 1986-87 squad.

MORE ON CALIHAN MAGIC
Over a longer stretch of time, the Titans have posted a 26-4 ledger in their last 30 home games dating back to the 2010-11 campaign, as well as 41-12 in their last 53 home games.

UDM is also 49-23 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 277-144 (.657) home court record.

OFFENSIVELY GIFTED
Detroit is averaging 73.7 ppg., in the WBI, shooting 44.5% from the field, 40.0% from three and 80.7% at the free throw line.

The Titans have scored 70 or more points in all three games and have now crossed the 70-point plateau 17 times this year.

UDM currently leads the Horizon League in 70.1 ppg., and is second in the conference in field-goal percentage (44.5%) and third in three-point field-goal percentage (31.7%).

TRY STOPPING US
The Titan front court of senior Yar Shayok and sophomore Shareta Brown has been superb in the first two games of the WBI, combining to score 130 of Detroit's 221 points (58.8%).

Brown is averaging 28.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in the tournament with three-straight 20-point games, including 30 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Belmont and 32 points in the victory over Penn.  She is shooting 56.4% (22-of-39), including a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc and 90.0% (36-of-40) at the line.

Shayok is tallying 15.3 ppg., and 12.3 rpg., shooting 57.6% (19-of-33) from the field and 80.0% (8-of-10) at the line. She tied her season high in points (23) and career high in rebounds (17) in the victory over the College of Charleston and just posted 12 points and 14 rebounds against Penn.

MINE TO BREAK
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 did just that.

She set the Titan school record with 611 points last season and upped that mark to 686 so far this season, a new HL record and currently eighth in the NCAA.

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.

She is currently 10th in school history with 1,297 points, just 23 behind Daphne Smith (1984-87) for ninth place

BROWN ALERT
Attention, sophomore Shareta Brown has another record to add to her sensational career breaking the UDM record for career free throws and free throws attempted.

In her career, she is 398-for-553 (72.0%), surpassing Cassandra Pack's (1984-87) numbers of 380-of-513.

She is currently 213-of-300 at the line this year, setting a new Horizon League record for attempts (276 by Traci Edwards, Milwaukee, 2007-08) and is just five free throws away from passing Edwards for the most free throws in a season (217 in 2007-08).

Her 300 free throws on the year also leads the nation and she is just three away from passing Howard's Saadia Doyle (215-of-288) for the most in the country.

MAKING THEM PAY
After going 14-of-21 at the free throw line against Youngstown State on Mar. 7, the Titans have connected on 88-of-109 (80.7%) in their last six games.

SHE KEEPS ON GOING AND GOING...
After dominating the College of Charleston with a season-tying 23 points, senior Yar Shayok is now 13th in school history with 1,223 points, 32 away from Shari Hill's (1997-01) 1,255 career markers.

HOISTING UP A RECORD
Detroit has now attempted a school record 634 three-pointers on the year, breaking the record of 593 thrown up during the 2005-06 season.

UDM is also close to setting a record for makes as it has 201, 12 away from the 213 it hit during the 2005-06 campaign.

FAMBRO'S GOT GAME
Senior Demeisha Fambro was in double figures for the 20th time this season after scoring 12 points against in the win over Penn.

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR YAR
Senior Yar Shayok has collected 1,143 rebounds in her career, a number that ranks fourth in Horizon League history.

YAR ETCHES HER NAME IN SCHOOL RECORD BOOK
Yar Shayok is currently second in school history with 1,143 rebounds trailing only Titan Hall-of-Famer Cheryl Williams (1,368).

Shayok is now just the second Titan to post 1,000 points and rebounds in their career behind only Williams.

She is currently second on the team and sixth in the Horizon League in rebounding (8.8), which includes 15 double-digit efforts.

She recently tied her career high with 17 rebounds against the College of Charleston in the WBI Quarterfinals, and also had 17 against Milwaukee on Mar. 2

Her 14 caroms against Penn her last time out marked the 52nd time in her career that she has pulled down at least 10 boards in a game.

In her career, she is averaging 8.7 rebounds and has 52 games with double-digit rebounds, including 17 as a redshirt freshman and 16 as a sophomore. She pulled down 10.2 rpg., as a sophomore, a number that ranks fourth among the single-season records at UDM.

BOMBS AWAY
Senior Demeisha Fambro had an exceptional game in the HL quarterfinals, finishing with a season-high 23 points on 8-of-14 from the field and 7-of-9 from behind the arc, her second 20-point game of the year and the fifth of her career.

She also handed out a career-best eight assists and had four rebounds, a block, and a steal.

Her seven 3-pointers was one short of the school record of eight (8-of-11) by Daphne Smith against Butler in 1987.

SHEARER NOW TOP 8 IN 3'S
Junior Senee Shearer has now recorded 130 career triples, a number that ranks eighth in school history, four away from seventh place and Jeanie Hill's (1994-98) 134.

#WHAT CAN BROWN DO 4 YOU
Sophomore Shareta Brown's offensive game has her among the nation's leaders as she is currently 13th in the country - and second in the Horizon League - in scoring (20.8) and fifth in field-goal percentage (58.2%).

Brown broke the Titan school record with 43 points in a game against Lourdes on Dec. 10, and has had games of 35 versus Western Michigan, 34 at Eastern Michigan and IPFW and 30 in the WBI first-round win over Belmont.

She has 15 games on the season with 20 or more points - including six with 30 or more and the 43-point explosion.

Her eight career 30-point games are also the most in school history and her 686 points on the season is the eighth most by a player in the NCAA.

INSTANT OFFENSE
Since coming off the bench against Cleveland State on Jan. 12, senior Yar Shayok has been an offensive weapon with double-digit performances in 12-of-19 games, eight double-doubles, and twice tying a season-high with 23 points and 17 rebounds against the College of Charleston and Milwaukee.

She started her surge at Cleveland State with 15 points and 10 rebounds and came back at Wright State with 12 points, 11 boards and four assists. She also tallied 18 points and 13 caroms against Wright State and had 13 points with 11 boards at Loyola.

Her 22-point effort against the CSU Vikings on Jan. 31 saw her shoot 10-of-14 from the field with nine rebounds, four assists and four steals, while her career night against the Panthers included an 11-of-15 shooting performance.

ROSIE THE PLAYMAKER
Freshman Rosanna Reynolds has taken over the point guard duties for Detroit and leads the team with 127 assists, with her 4.0 apg., fifth in the Horizon League.

She is also fifth in the HL with a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Reynolds has 19 games with four or more assists with a season high of nine against Cleveland State on Jan. 31.

She also collected her first career double-double with a career-best 17 points and 10 rebounds versus the Crusaders on Dec. 22.

In terms of scoring, Reynolds has eight double-digit efforts on the year - including a season-best 20 points at Wright State - and is fifth on the squad in scoring at 7.9 ppg.

DOMINATING THE BOARDS
The Titans absolutely owned the glass against Milwaukee on Mar. 2, winning the battle of the boards by an unprecedented +25 margin, 51-26, and then came back to win the battle of the boards by 18 over Youngstown State, 40-22, its next game.

The +25 against the Panthers was the biggest margin in rebounds by UDM since a +25, 56-31, effort against Bowling Green last season.

Detroit has outrebounded its opponents 25 times this season - including 10 times by double digits - and currently owns a +5.7 rebounding margin, good for first in the Horizon League and 40th in the nation.

Some other games in which UDM dominated the boards included a game against #6/7 Penn State (46-31), versus Canisius (44-28), WMU (49-36), Lourdes (42-25), and Madonna (48-26).

SOME WINNING NUMBERS
Detroit is 18-3 this year when leading at the half and 19-0 when it is leading with five minutes left.

The Titans are also 14-1 when recording more assists in a game and 19-2 when a player leads or ties for the game high in scoring.