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Postgame Press Conference on HLN Detroit

DETROIT (3/10/14) -- Senior Senee Shearer hit four 3-pointers, but the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team could complete its' second-half rally as the Titans season came to an end with a 76-69 setback to Valparaiso in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship on Monday night in historic Calihan Hall.

The eighth-seeded Titans finished the 2013-14 campaign at 6-24, 3-13 in the Horizon League in a season that was filled with injuries and inexperience playing with five true freshmen. The ninth-seeded Valparaiso Crusaders improved to 6-24 and will move on to face No. 1 Green Bay on Wednesday.

Shearer ended the contest with a team-high 20 points and tied her career high with seven rebounds. It was her 17th 20-point game of the season and the 25th in her career as she finished with 1,248 points, 13th in school history, as well as the Titan all-time leader with 231 triples.

Freshman Reyna Montgomery posted a career-high 13 points with three rebounds and two assists and freshman Haleigh Ristovski added 10 points, five boards, three assists and a season-high four steals.

The game was tied 7-7 early, but Valparaiso tallied five-straight points to take a 12-7 lead at the 13:40 mark. Detroit would get within one on three occasions, the latest at 20-19 with 8:31 left, when the Crusaders scored eight straight en route to a 14-2 run over the next eight minutes to open a 34-21 advantage, and led by 12 at the break, 36-24.

The Titans trailed by 12, 44-32, with 16:53 remaining in the game when they got back in it with nine straight markers. Shearer started the spurt with a three and then Montgomery tallied a layup and a free throw. A free throw by Shearer made it 44-39 and Montgomery was able to nail a jumper to make it a one-possession game, 44-41.

Detroit was down by three again, 48-45, midway through the second period when Valpo went on an 11-3 run for a 59-48 lead at the 7:40 mark. UDM cut it to seven, 61-54 just two minutes later, but the Crusaders were able to extend their lead by as many as 15, 70-55, with just two minutes remaining.

Senior Megan Hatter ended the game with eight points and nine rebounds. Freshman Megan Galloway came away with eight points and five boards and sophomore Tayelor McCalister netted seven points.

Detroit forced 16 turnovers and had 10 steals on the day, but Valparaiso shot 43.1% from the field, including 55.6% in the first half.

Game Notes:
Detroit still leads the all-time series, 12-8… Valpo ended a six-game losing streak in Calihan Hall… The Titans are now 24-23 all-time in the Horizon League Championship… Shearer passed former teammate Yar Shayok for 13th place in school history… Hatter finished her career with 552 points and 411 rebounds, more than her sister Heather Hatter (395 pts., 247 rebs.) had in her four years at Detroit from 2006-10… Ristovski had back-to-back double digit scoring games to end the regular season… Earlier in the day, Shearer was named Second Team All-Horizon League and Galloway was selected to the HL All-Freshman Team.