Gameday Central
Game Notes vs. Delaware State
 
DETROIT (12/17/2014) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team will begin a quick two-game home swing when the Hornets of Delaware State visit historic Calihan Hall on Thursday. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m., on Dick Vitale Court.
 
The game will have live stats and will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Denny Kapp calling all the action.
 
Fans can follow every Detroit 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 Game Day Central page also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.
 
The Titans will look to even their record on the season as they come into the game at 4-5. Detroit is coming off an 83-72 victory on the road at Toledo in the finale of the Glass City Classic as the red, white and blue set a school record with 15 field goals from three-point territory en route to the double-digit victory.
 
Senior Ellisha Crosby had five of those triples and was selected the Glass City Classic Tournament MVP after notching 24 points and eight rebounds against the Rockets and her first double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 boards versus Southeast Missouri. The performance also earned her Horizon League Player of the Week.
 
Delaware State has dropped five in a row and is 1-8 on the year. DSU arrived in the state of Michigan a few days ago and fell to Central Michigan, 91-63, on Tuesday, but the Hornets did lead at the break, 36-33.
 
It will also be "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Day" at the game and fans can get $1 off their tickets by wearing their favorite Ugly Christmas Sweater to Calihan Hall.


 
Tickets for the women's games are $6 for adults and $4 for children and seniors (ages 60 or better/13 & below). Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the online Titan Ticket Office or contact the Ticket office at (313) 993-1700. The Titans' Ticket Office is located in Calihan Hall and is open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
DETROIT VS. DELAWARE STATE
This is the first career meeting between Detroit and Delaware State.
 
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Delaware State is 1-8 on the year as the Hornets just dropped their fifth in a row, 91-63, at Central Michigan on Tuesday. Delaware State's lone win was a 71-60 triumph over Millersville in its only home game of the season to this point.
 
Tierra Hawkins leads the team in scoring (18.4) and rebounding (6.8) and is shooting over 50 percent from the field. Raven Bankston is tallying 17.4 ppg., and 2.4 apg., while her sister, Raine, is averaging 8.9 ppg., and a team-high 2.9 apg.
 
Delaware State is averaging 69.7 ppg., and giving up 85.6 on the season. 
 
COACH RAD ONE AWAY FROM SCHOOL RECORD
With the win over Toledo in Detroit's last game, head coach Autumn Rademacher '97 moved into a tie for first place in head coaching victories at UDM with 93, tying her coach in college Fred Procter (93, 1990-96).
 
It is not like Coach Rademacher took over a top of the line program as Detroit was coming off back-to-back last-place finishes and just 11 total wins from 2006-08.
In her first six years, Detroit has recorded three winning seasons, a pair of 20-win campaigns, five years with a conference tournament victory, a trip to the WNIT in 2012 - the first postseason action for UDM since 1997 - and the school's first postseason title since 1981 when the Titans won the WBI in 2013. 
 
VS. THE MEAC
This is just the fifth career game that Detroit has played against a current member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as the Titans are 3-1 all-time versus the MEAC.
 
UDM is 2-0 against Florida A&M and 1-0 against Bethune-Cookman, but dropped its last game with a MEAC foe, 60-58, to Howard at the Preseason WNIT in Akron, Ohio, in 2011.
 
WELCOME HOME
Delaware State does have a local tie to the University in Director of Basketball Operations Yvette Harris.
 
Harris was one of the original members of the Titan women's basketball program in 1977-78 and ended up playing three seasons for the Titans (1977-78, 1979-81) with a stop at Michigan as a sophomore.
 
She helped the squad to two-straight State-Large College Tournament titles (1980, 1981) and an AIAW National Tournament appearance in 1980.
 
She ended her career playing in 79 games for Detroit with 40 starts and averaged 7.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, including 12.7 ppg., and 13.7 rpg., as a freshman. Her 136 blocks still rank third all-time, while her 70 swats as a freshman is fourth in school history.
 
BOMBS AWAYS IN RECORD FASHION
The Titans connected on 15, 3-pointers at Toledo their last time out, breaking the school mark of 13 (on 25 attempts) at Butler on Jan. 30, 1999.
 
UDM finished the game 15-for-32 from behind the arc, including 12-of-21 in the first half alone.
 
It was the third time in the past four games that Detroit has made 10 or more threes in a contest (11 at IPFW, 10 vs. Madonna), while the 32 three-point attempts were a season high and just one away from the school record of 33 UDM had against Ball State last season.
 
The Titans made just 33 shots from behind the arc in their first five games, but Detroit has turned that around with 39 in its last four.
 
CROSBY HONORED
Two wins and a tournament MVP wasn't enough praise for the performances Ellisha Crosby put up last week as the senior was named the Horizon League Player of the Week by the conference office this past Monday.
 
It was the second-straight week that a Titan won the award with redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds taking the accolade last week. It is also the first time in Crosby's career that she was honored by the HL.
 
Crosby averaged 15.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in Detroit's three games, which included double-digit victories over Madonna (76-47) and at Toledo (83-72). She scored in double figures in all three games, shot over 45.0 percent and tallied her first double-double of the season.
 
At the Glass City Classic in Toledo, she posted a team-high 13 points and a season-best 10 rebounds with four assists against Southeast Missouri and then followed that up with a season-high 24 points (5-7 3FG) and eight rebounds versus the Rockets to earn tournament MVP.
 
BIG TIME DEFENSE
The Titans have played some tough defense to start the 2014-15 season, holding teams to just 63.9 points per game, down from last season's 80.5 ppg.
 
UDM has held three opponents to 60 or less on the season and twice to under 50, and is currently fourth in the Horizon League in field-goal percentage defense (.370).
 
Detroit had one of its best defensive games in school history in defeating Marygrove, 88-46, in the home opener on Nov. 16.
 
The 46 points allowed were the fewest since Detroit downed Youngstown State at home, 62-48, during the 2012-13 campaign.
 
The 25.0% (16-of-64) shooting by Marygrove was the lowest UDM has held a team since Milwaukee's 22.8% on Mar. 2, 2013.
 
Detroit held IPFW to just 29.7% shooting, including 28.5% (12-of-42) in the second half and overtime and 16.7% (2-of-12) in the extra session alone, while limiting Madonna to 29.4% (15-of-51). The 15 made field goals by Madonna were the fewest by an opponent since Youngstown State had just 15 in that 62-48 win.
 
Against Toledo their last time out, the Titans held an offensive-minded Rockets team to 32.5% (26-of-80) overall and 27.5% (11-of-40) from three.
 
A TRIPLE THREAT
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds has become one of the deadliest long-range shooters in the Horizon League.
 
She is currently first in the HL in three-point field goals per game (3.44) and three-point field goal percentage (48.4%), while standing eighth and 20th, respectively, in the nation in those two categories.
 
Reynolds is also coming off a 26-point performance at Toledo where she tied her season and career high with seven 3-pointers, one away from the school record of eight that Daphne Smith (8-of-11) had versus Butler on Jan. 10, 1987. She also had seven treys in a 33-point outburst at IPFW on Dec. 2.
 
She now has 31, 3-pointers on the year, a new career high passing the 25 she had as a freshman in 34 games in 2012-13.
 
In fact, 31 of her 47 total field goals on the year are from three as she is 16-of-54 (29.6%) inside the arc on the season.
 
ROSIE THE SCORER
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds posted her seventh double-digit scoring effort of the season with 26 points at Toledo.
 
The 26 points was also the second time in the past four games that she had 20 or more following her career-high 33 at IPFW on Dec. 2. She became just the 18th Titan in school history to score 30 or more in a game, with the 33 points the most since teammate Ellisha Crosby had 33 against EMU last season.
 
On the year, she is currently sixth in the Horizon League with 15.7 ppg., while registering 2.8 apg., tied for 13th.
 
GETTING TO 70
The Titans are 53-19 when they score 70 or more points as well as 20-5 when they score 80 or more under head coach Autumn Rademacher. UDM has also eclipsed 90 seven times under Coach Rad, with a season-high 96 against Eastern Michigan last year.
 
ALL-AROUND GAME
Sophomore Haleigh Ristovski continues to show her full basketball skills this season on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor.
 
She might not be the typical frontcourt player, but she has grabbed at least eight rebounds in seven of UDM's nine games, including four-straight now with 10 or more as she led Detroit with 10 boards at Toledo.
 
She is also coming off her third double-double of the season - as well as the past four games - with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Rockets.
 
She recorded back-to-back double-doubles - the first ones in her collegiate career - ending with 13 points and 11 rebounds at IPFW and a career-best 20 points and 12 boards against Madonna.
 
Her game against Madonna also saw her post nearly a triple-double as she handed out a career-high six assists.
 
She has recorded at least five assists five times this year and is leading the team and is sixth in the Horizon League at 4.1 per game.
 
On the season, she is fourth on the team and 26th in the HL in scoring at 9.6 ppg., as well as leading the team and ranking fourth in the conference in rebounding at 8.7 per contest.  
 
GOOD DECISIONS
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds and sophomore Haleigh Ristovski are both among the most trustworthy ball handlers in the Horizon League.
 
Ristovski is currently second in the HL - and 66th in the nation - with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio (37 A, 18 TO). As a freshman, Ristovski recorded a 2.7 mark (47 A, 17 TO) last season.
 
Meanwhile, Reynolds has 25 assists and just 14 turnovers on the year (1.8), and came into this week just one assist short of qualifying for a share of third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
LITTLE D BRINGS BIG O
Freshman Darianne Seward might have been making her first collegiate start in her first career game at Michigan, but you would never know by the way the rookie played.
 
The 5-4 guard from Ohio ended the day with a game-high 19 points - 17 in the first half alone - along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal.
 
The 19 points in a collegiate debut was the most by a Titan true freshman since the 2011-12 season and the most by a Titan true freshman guard since Titan Hall-Of-Famer and the school's all-time leading scorer Cassandra Pack netted 23 at home against Bowling Green to open the 1983-84 campaign.
 
Seward has continued to be a force on offense recording her sixth game in double figures with 14 at Toledo her last time out.
 
She is currently second on the team in scoring and 12th in the Horizon League at 11.6 ppg.
 
Seward is also eighth in the HL in free throw percentage (74.4%) connecting on 32-of-43, the sixth most free throws and attempts among conference peers.
 
ELLICIOUS
Senior Ellisha Crosby has found her offensive rhythm with her third-straight game - and fifth on the year - in double figures as she tallied a season-high 24 at Toledo.
 
The 24-point performance was the 17th double-digit scoring effort in her 21 career Division I games as well as her fourth career 20+ point effort.
 
She was tabbed the Glass City Classic Tournament MVP after tallying 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shooting 46.7 percent from the field in the two games against Southeast Missouri and Toledo.
 
Crosby started the weekend event with her first double-double of the year and the sixth of her career with 13 points and a season-high 10 rebounds versus the Redhawks.
 
In her Titan career, Crosby is tallying 14.9 ppg., including 11.4 ppg., this year.
 
NO "MINNIE ME" HERE
Sophomore Minisha Frederick-Childress might stand just 5-4, but she can crash the boards witnessed by her three game this season with seven rebounds; including back-to-back against Southeast Missouri and at Toledo last weekend at the Glass City Classic. She also had seven caroms at IPFW.
 
In the close setback to Southeast Missouri, she also recorded a season-best five assists, the most since her career high of seven at Oakland last year.
 
The seven boards are just two away from her career high of nine set against Milwaukee as a freshman.
 
Last season, she played in 25 games with 13 starts and averaged 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while scoring in double digits six times, all in the last 11 games of the season.
 
She had a season high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while also collecting a season-best five steals, at UIC and had 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists at Oakland.
 
MY 5
After using 19 different starting line-ups last year - in 30 games - due to injuries, the Titans have used the same starting five in all nine to start the year.
 
2 FOR 20
The Titans had two players net 20 or more points in a game in the victory at Toledo as redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds had 26 points and senior Ellisha Crosby finished with a season-best 24.
 
It was the first time this season Detroit had two players score 20 or more in a game and the first time since Senee Shearer (23) and Megan Galloway (21) did it against Green Bay last season.
 
WINNING STAT?
Detroit is 4-0 on the year when sophomore Haleigh Ristovski scores in double figures.
 
HELPING OUR CAUSE
With a strong group of guards, you would expect that Detroit would be able to take care of the ball and create a lot of assists and the Titans have done just that.
 
Detroit is fifth in the Horizon League in assists at 14.6 per game as well as fourth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1). The red, white and blue is one of just five teams in the league to have more assists than turnovers on the year, and has committed a season-low nine turnovers in two of the past five games.
 
The Titans also finished with 22 assists against Marygrove in their home opener on Nov. 16.
 
URBANICK FINDING HER STROKE
Freshman Nicole Urbanick netted a season-high 12 points against Madonna. It was the third time this season she has been in double figures with 10 against Marygrove and 11 versus St. Bonaventure.
 
Against Madonna, she nailed three 3-pointers for the third time this season and is 11-for-30 (36.7%) on the year behind the arc.
 
On the season, she is averaging 6.6 points per game - fifth on the team - while leading the squad in shooting at 40.7% (22-of-54).
 
IF ONE IS GOOD, TWO IS BETTER
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds and sophomore Haleigh Ristovski each tallied a double-double in the overtime win at IPFW.
 
Reynolds ended the contest with a career-high 33 points and career-best 11 rebounds for her second career double-double (she had 17 points and 10 rebounds vs. Madonna in 2012).
 
Meanwhile, Ristovski scored a then season-high 13 points and grabbed a then career-high 11 caroms for her first career double-double.
 
Both players also added four assists.
 
DEPTH WORKING THE BOARDS
Freshman Brianna Cohen had a season-high seven points and eight rebounds against Madonna, while freshman Chea Taylor had six points and eight boards at IPFW