Gameday Central
Game Notes vs. Oakland
 
DETROIT (2/16/2015) -- A mid-week road contest of high importance is on the docket for the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team as the Titans head to Oakland to battle the Golden Grizzles at the O'Rena on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
 
The opening tip is set for 7:00 p.m., in a game that is not just for Metro Series standings, but also for Horizon League rankings and tiebreaker implications with the conference championship just a few weeks away.
 
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 game tickets. The Gameday Central page also carries all the information on each opponent from who is leading the all-time series to who won the last game.
 
Detroit and Oakland branded the annual rivalry called the Metro Series, driven by Trinity Transportation, which will be awarded to the school with the most head-to-head victories over the course of the academic year. Separated by just 26 miles, Detroit and Oakland are the only Division I schools located in the Metro Detroit area and are both members of the Horizon League.
 
The rivalry received an extra boost from the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and PASS Charters as the winner of the Metro Series will get $10,000 in scholarship funding and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Cup will be awarded to the winning teams between men's and women's basketball.
 
The Titans currently lead the head-to-head competition, 8-6, which includes a come-from-behind 73-62 victory at Calihan Hall for the UDM women back on Jan. 22.
 
Both teams are also currently jockeying for positioning in the Horizon League as Detroit is 9-14 overall and 4-6 in the HL for fifth place, while Oakland is 10-14 overall and 4-7 in the league, good for a share of sixth. At the moment, just two games separate third place from eighth place in the conference standings. Remember, the eighth place team would have to play an extra game in the conference tournament, while the top four teams get to host a quarterfinals match-up.
 
DETROIT VS. OAKLAND
Detroit dropped both meetings last season, but used a big comeback to win the first game this year and extend its lead in the all-time series to 12-8.
 
The Titans are also 3-5 on the road and have lost four of their last five at Oakland, with their lone win in 2009.
 
ABOUT THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland picked up a big win on the road at Green Bay a few weeks ago, but the Golden Grizzlies have lost three in a row since then and enter the game at 10-13, 4-7 in the HL.
 
Olivia Nash leads the team in scoring (14.0) and rebounding (8.6), while Elena Popkey is tallying 12.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and a team-high 4.4 assists.
 
Oakland is fourth in the league in offense at 70.1 ppg., and sixth in defense letting up 69.9.
 
LAST TIME VS. OAKLAND
It was hunting season inside and the Titans went looking for some bears as Detroit surged past the Oakland Golden Grizzles, 73-62.
 
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds had a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds to go with five assists and no turnovers and senior Ellisha Crosby netted 14 points with six boards.
 
Detroit erased a 10-point second-half Oakland lead with a 12-0 run and never looked back, opening as much as a 10-point lead.
 
UDM trailed by 10, 46-36, with 14:39 left when the Titans came to life with a 12-0 run over the next three minutes. Everyone had a role in the charge, which started with Crosby hitting an inside shot. Ristovski was then fouled and hit both her free throws and after she came up with a steal, she went inside for two more points.
 
Freshman Brianne Cohen then came up with a block and that started a fast-break opportunity, which ended with Reynolds locating freshman Nicole Urbanick for a jumper to get Detroit within, two, 46-44. Reynolds then had a steal and fed it to Seward, who tied it at 46-all with a layup. UDM hit the boards hard on its next offensive possession getting three offensive rebounds before Seward gave the red, white and blue a 48-46 lead with 11:52 left.
 
Oakland got the lead back briefly at 49-48, but Reynolds was too much for Oakland to stop, hitting back-to-back baskets for a 52-49 advantage with 9:34 remaining.
 
UDM would hold the lead the rest of the way, fending off both times the Golden Grizzlies got within one, the latest at 58-57 with 5:08 on the clock. The Titans then sealed the Metro Series triumph scoring eight-straight points in the next four minutes to open a 66-57 lead.
 
HORIZON LEAGUE HISTORY
The Titans are 219-219 all-time in the Horizon League with the 219 victories the third most in league history trailing only Green Bay's 293 and former member Butler's 227.
 
UDM has won two regular season titles claiming the 1987 crown with a 10-2 record and the 1997 championship as senior Autumn Rademacher '97 led Detroit to a 14-2 mark. The Titans also won the conference tournament, advancing to their only NCAA Tournament.
 
Detroit is in its 35th season as a member of the HL and now stands as the eldest member in the conference by 14 years over Cleveland State, Green Bay, Milwaukee, UIC, and Wright State, who all joined in 1994 with the Titans entering in 1980.
 
SEASON HIGH FOR LISH
It was quite a game for Ellisha Crosby as she went off for a game and season-high 25 points against Youngstown State her last time out.
 
She tied her season high going 10-of-18 from the field with five triples along with grabbing nine rebounds and handing out three assists.
 
It was her third 20-point game of the season and the sixth of her career, and the most points she has scored since pouring in a career-high 33 against Eastern Michigan last year.
 
MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME
Senior Ellisha Crosby missed four straight games with an injury, but she has returned to the court and has not missed a beat.
 
Since her return nine games ago, Crosby is averaging a team-high 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds to go with 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 49.6 percent (62-of-125) from the field.
 
She came back in a big way with a team-high 24 points at Wright State on Jan. 10.
 
4 IN DOUBLES
Detroit had four players score in double figures for the eighth time in its win at UIC.
 
Ellisha Crosby and Darianne Seward netted 19 points apiece, while Rosanna Reynolds had 16 and Nicole Urbanick finished with 12.
 
Detroit is 5-3 on the year when it has four or more players in double figures.
 
A TRIPLE THREAT
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds has become one of the deadliest long-range shooters in the Horizon League.
 
She is third in the HL - and is 93rd in the country - in three-point field goals per game (2.26) as well as third in three-point field goal percentage (39.7%), 50th in the NCAA.
 
Reynolds has twice nailed seven 3-pointers in a game - one away from the school record of eight that Daphne Smith (8-of-11) had versus Butler on Jan. 10, 1987. She had seven treys (7-of-10) in a 33-point outburst at IPFW on Dec. 2 and also had seven (7-of-12) in a 26-point effort at Toledo.
 
Reynolds has at least one 3-pointer in 21 of the Titans' 23 games on the year - only at Cincinnati and at Cleveland State did she not have one - and has 52 triples, a new career high passing the 25 she had as a freshman in 34 games in 2012-13.
 
SEWARD NETS FRESHMAN RECORD
Darianne Seward is making her case for the Horizon League Freshman of the Year after tying for the team lead with 19 points in a huge road win at UIC and adding 14 against Youngstown State her last time out.
 
Prior to that, Seward scored a season-best 28 points - her first career 20-point performance - on 10-of-15 shooting and 5-of-7 from three-point territory against Valparaiso.
 
She came into that game with just three triples on the season, but surpassed that with four in the first-half alone.
 
The 28 points was the highest-scoring game by a true freshman guard in school history and the highest by a true freshman since 2012.
 
In the season opener, she tallied 19 points at Michigan, the most by a true freshman in a season opener since the 2011-12 season and the most by a true freshman guard since Titan Hall-Of-Famer and school's all-time leading scorer Cassandra Pack had 23 at home against Bowling Green to open the 1983-84 campaign.
 
MOVING FORWARD
The Titans have already posted more overall wins (6) and conference victories (3) than last season, recorded four road victories to last season's zero, and won a Horizon League game on the road against Youngstown State, which ended a 15-game conference road slide.
 
DARIANNE FOR 3
Freshman Darianne Seward was 3-of-26 from behind the arc in the first 20 games, but has found her stroke from downtown knocking in 8-of-12 in the last three games, including 5-of-7 against Valparaiso.
 
TRIPLE TRY
Detroit had its 11th game of the year with eight or more 3-pointers knocking in eight at UIC on Feb. 11.
 
KEEPING THE BALL
The Titans are averaging just 12.9 turnovers per game, second in the Horizon League - and 21st in the nation - behind Wright State's 12.2.
Detroit has turned it over 10 or fewer times in six games this year.
 
PLAYING SMART
The Titans have done two things great this season that have been keys in their wins and keeping them in games.
 
Besides ranking second in the league with just 12.9 turnovers per game, UDM is also second in the HL and 26th in the nation averaging just 15.0 personal fouls per game.
 
Since UDM does a great job at not picking up any extra whistles, they have limited teams to 362 free throw attempts second in the HL to Youngstown State's 293.
 
GETTING TO 70
The Titans are 57-20 when they score 70 or more points as well as 21-5 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.
 
LOW SCORING WIN
The Titans normally are unbeatable when scoring 70 or more, but their come-from-behind win at Youngstown State on Jan. 29 featured great defense in a 59-58 victory.
 
In fact, the win was the first when scoring less than 60 points since a 48-42 triumph at Valparaiso on Mar. 3, 2012.
 
STEAL THE BACON
Detroit tallied a season-high 11 steals for the second time this season against Valparaiso on Feb. 5, tying the mark it posted against Oakland on Jan. 22.
 
Detroit has also recorded 10 steals at Cleveland State and against UIC, Madonna and Marygrove.
 
STRONG DEFENSE
The Titans have played some tough defense this season, holding teams to just 67.2 points per game, down from last year's 80.5 ppg.
 
UDM has held five opponents to 60 or less on the season and twice to under 50.

Below are some stats from the defense.
 
vs. Marygrove
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.
 
at IPFW
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.
 
at Toledo
Against Toledo, the Titans held an offensive Rockets team to 32.5% (26-of-80) overall and 27.5% (11-of-40) from three, while Delaware State shot just 37.7% (21-of-56) and 1-of-15 from distance. 
 
vs. Oakland
In their home win over Oakland, the Titans held the Golden Grizzlies - a team in the top four in the HL in offense - to 37.5 percent shooting, including just 6-for-25 (24.0%) with four turnovers in the final 14:31. The defense allowed Detroit to end the game on a 37-16 run, eliminating a 10-point deficit and cruising to an 11-point victory.
 
at Youngstown State
It looked like a game the Penguins would run away with leading 35-19 at the half, but Detroit forced Youngstown State - a team in the top three in offense in the HL - into missing its first 10 shots with four turnovers in the first 8:20 of the second stanza as the Titans used runs of 14-0 and 22-4 to take the lead. The final numbers showed that UDM's defense limited YSU to 6-of-25 (24.0%) in the second half and 1-of-12 (8.3%) from three-point range after the Penguins had eight from downtown in the opening frame.
 
GOOD DECISIONS
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds and sophomore Haleigh Ristovski are both among the most trustworthy ball handlers in the HL.
 
Ristovski tops the league - and is 18th in the nation - with a 2.45 assist-to-turnover ratio (76 A, 31 TO). As a freshman, Ristovski recorded a 2.7 mark (47 A, 17 TO) last season.
 
Meanwhile, Reynolds is second in the HL - and is 20th in the nation - with a 2.40 assist-to-turnover ratio (76 A, 32 TO).
 
ALL-AROUND GAME
Sophomore Haleigh Ristovski continues to show her full basketball skills this season on both ends of the floor.
 
She might not be the typical frontcourt player, but she has grabbed at least eight rebounds in 13 of UDM's 23 games, including five with 10 or more.  She also has four double-doubles on the season - tied for the team lead - and tied her career high with 20 points and 12-rebounds at Eastern Michigan.
 
Ristovski had 13 points and 10 rebounds at Toledo, 13 points and 11 rebounds at IPFW and 20 points and 12 caroms versus 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 six times this year and is tied for the team lead as well as tied for 10th in the Horizon League at 3.3 per game.
 
Ristovski has also scored in double figures seven times this season and is fourth on the team - and 27th in the HL - in scoring at 9.3 ppg., as well as leading the team and tied for seventh in the conference in rebounding at 7.4 per contest.
 
MORE THAN JUST SCORE
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds has done more than just score on the season.
 
She has recorded five assists or more in seven games - including a season-high eight against Valparaiso and that followed seven at Youngstown State.
 
She currently is tied for the team lead and is ninth in the HL in assists at 3.3 per game.
 
Reynolds has pulled down five or more rebounds in 11 games and is third on the squad crashing the boards at 5.1 per night.
 
She also has four double-doubles - tied for the team lead - with 19 points and 11 rebounds at Youngstown State, 33 points and 11 rebounds at IPFW, 19 points and 10 boards at Eastern Michigan and 27 points and 11 boards against Oakland.
 
LITTLE D BRINGS BIG O
Freshman Darianne Seward continues to be a force on offense recording her 17th game in double figures with 14 points against YSU.
 
Prior to that, she had her first collegiate 20-point game with a game-high 28 points against Valparaiso as she was 10-of-15 from the field with five 3-pointers.
 
The three-time HL Freshman of the Week is currently third on the team in scoring and 14th in the Horizon League at 12.2 ppg., the second highest freshman average in the HL behind Valparaiso's Dani Franklin's 13.2.
 
ELLICIOUS
Senior Ellisha Crosby is coming off her 13th-straight game in double figures as she tallied a season-best 25 points against YSU.
 
Before the injury against Delaware State, she was beginning to find her offensive rhythm with four-straight games in double figures. She then sat out four games before returning in HL play at Wright State. where she tied her season high with 24 points.
 
Against Toledo in early December, she posted 24 points and 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 SEMO and the host Rockets.
 
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 against the Redhawks.
 
She now has 27 double-digit scoring games in her 31 career Division I contests, and in her Titan career, Crosby is tallying 15.6 ppg., including 14.4 ppg., this year, ninth in the HL.
 
OH MY ROSIE
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds posted her 19th double-digit scoring effort on the year with 10 points against YSU.
 
Prior to that, she totaled 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds at Youngstown State and recorded a game-high 27 points in the win over Oakland. It was her fifth career game with 20 or more - and fourth this season - capitalized by her career-high 33 points at IPFW on Dec. 2, where she was a career-best 11-of-18 from the field with seven 3-pointers. 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.
 
Reynolds had a game-high 26 points at Toledo on Dec. 14 going 8-of-15 from the field with seven more treys and also netted a game-high with 22 versus Delaware State on Dec. 18.
 
On the year, she is currently leading the team and is sixth in the HL with 15.6 ppg.
 
URBANICK ON THE MARK
Freshman Nicole Urbanick missed four games with an injury, but just like senior teammate Ellisha Crosby, she has come back very strong.
 
Since her return six games ago, she is averaging 9.6 points, while shooting 19-of-43 (44.2%) from the field and 9-of-25 (36.0%) from three.
 
She tied her season high for the third time this season with 12 points at UIC and just tallied eight points and a season-high seven boards against Youngstown State.
She also had 12 points and nailed a season-best four 3-pointers against Green Bay and 12 versus Madonna.
 
Urbanick now has six double-digit scoring efforts on the season.
 
She has also been a three-point specialist for the Titans with nine of her last 16 buckets 3-pointers as have 23 of her 45 baskets on the year.
 
NEVER GIVE UP
The Titans have come away with two conference wins the hard way - making up a double-digit deficit in the second half.
 
UDM erased a 10-point Oakland lead to post a 73-62 victory over the Golden Grizzlies on Jan. 22. The Titans trailed, 46-36, with 14:39 left before going on a 12-0 run to take the lead.
 
Against Youngstown State on Jan. 28, Detroit was down by 16, 35-19, coming out of the half, but a 14-0 spurt to start the second half and a 22-4 total run propelled the red, white and blue to victory.
 
The 16-point comeback was the largest on the season and the most since coming from a 17-point first-half score of 32-15 last year in an 81-79 home triumph over Valparaiso.
 
BOMBS AWAYS IN RECORD FASHION
The Titans connected on 15, 3-pointers at Toledo on Dec. 14, breaking the school mark of 13 at Butler on Jan. 30, 1999.
 
UDM finished the game 15-for-32 from three, including 12-of-21 in the first half alone.
 
The game was one of six on the season that has seen Detroit make 10 or more threes in a contest (15 at Toledo, 11 at IPFW, 10 vs. Madonna, 12 vs. Green Bay, 10 vs. Valparaiso), while the 33 three-point attempts tied a school record with the 33 UDM had against Ball State last season.