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ROCHESTER, Mich. (2/18/2015) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team cut a 20-point Oakland lead down to just one, but the second-half rally came up short as the Titans were downed, 64-58, by the Golden Grizzles on Wednesday in a Metro Series showdown.
 
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. With the win, the Metro Series is now all tied up at 8-8.
 
Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Freshman Brianne Cohen had six points and a team and season-high 10 rebounds and freshman Darianne Seward tallied eight points and four assists.
 
Detroit (9-15, 4-7 HL) trailed by 20, 47-27, with 11:22 left when the Titans surged to nearly take the lead on the strength of a 27-8 run, pulling to 55-54, but they just couldn't get any closer.
 
Oakland (11-14, 5-7 HL) had a 33-19 lead at the half and extended the advantage to 47-27, but a 10-0 charge quickly cut that in half. Reynolds started the rally with five-straight points and then freshman Nicole Urbanick nailed a 3-pointer. After a keeping the Golden Grizzlies at bay on the next possession, Reynolds was able to get inside to make it a 47-37 game with 8:55 remaining.
 
Two free throws by Oakland pushed it back to 12, but Urbanick was able to connect from behind the arc again to get UDM within nine, 49-30.  Oakland led by 11 again at 53-42, when the red, white and blue reeled of a 12-2 run to get within one.
 
Sophomore Haleigh Ristovski and Seward had back-to-back baskets to get the offense going. Cohen then went to the line and made both of her free throws and after an Oakland missed layup, Reynolds hit a jumper to make it 53-50 at the 5:50 mark.
 
The Golden Grizzlies responded with two free throws, but a jumper from Reynolds and then two free throws had the Titans down by just one, 55-54, with 2:44 on the clock. An Oakland jumper ran the deficit to three, 57-54, but a free throw by Reynolds once again had Detroit down by just one basket, 57-55, with 1:34 left.
 
That was as close as the Titans would get as some great defense in the final minute forced some Oakland misses, but UDM couldn't come up with a rebound.
 
Cohen also came away with three steals. Ristovski finished with six points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists and Urbanick and senior Ellisha Crosby both scored six apiece.
 
It was back and forth early on as the game was tied 7-7 nearly five minutes in, but the Golden Grizzlies used a 19-6 run over the next six minutes to take a 28-13 advantage with 8:23 left in the first half.
 
Seward ended that with a jumper, but five more points by Oakland had the Titans down 33-15 with just over four minutes remaining.
 
The defense clamped down after that holding Oakland scoreless the rest of the way and two-straight baskets by Reynolds down the stretch made it a 33-19 game at the half.
 
Detroit will now get ready for Senior Day as the Titans host Cleveland State on Saturday, Feb. 21. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m., and prior to the contest, UDM will honor its two seniors in Crosby and Brie Wilcox on Dick Vitale Court. For ticket information, click here.
 
Game Notes:
Detroit still leads the all-time series, 12-9, but has dropped five of its last six on the road in the series... Based on RPI, Oakland won this year's inaugural Metro Cup for women's basketball, presented by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and PASS Charters… Reynolds now has six 20-point games in her career and five this season… It was Cohen's first three steals of the year… Ristovski has now posted five or more assists seven times this season… Crosby's streak of 13-straight games in double digits came to an end…