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MILWAUKEE (3/4/2015) -- Redshirt sophomore Rosanna Reynolds tallied a game-high 20 points and the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team staged a late rally to down Milwaukee, 60-56, on Wednesday night.
 
The win moved Detroit to 12-16 overall and more importantly, 7-8 in the Horizon League, assuring the Titans at least a top five spot in the HL Championship. UDM can move to fourth place and get a home game in the Horizon League Championship quarterfinals next Wednesday with a win at Green Bay on Saturday and a Youngstown State loss to Valparaiso.
 
Milwaukee (9-18, 5-10 HL) led by six, 52-46, with 6:38 left when the red, white and blue ended the game on a 14-4 run. The defense down the stretch was great for Detroit as Milwaukee was just 1-for-8 in the final six minutes with two turnovers and the Panthers had just two free throws for their final points in the last 3:34.
 
Freshman Chea Taylor started the charge with a great move to get inside for a layup and then sophomore Haleigh Ristovski laid one in the next time down the floor to make it a 52-50 game.
 
The Panthers still had the lead, 55-52, with 3:34 to go and that is when the Titans took the lead for good. First Reynolds got loose inside for a layup and then after senior Ellisha Crosby came up with a steal, Reynolds found Taylor, who hit a jumper in the paint for a 56-55 advantage at the 2:29 mark.
 
Crosby was the playmaker again getting it inside to Ristovski for a bucket to make it 58-55 with under a minute left and freshman Darianne Seward sealed the win stealing an inbounds pass with nine seconds remaining and hitting two free throws after she was fouled.
 
Detroit ended the game shooting 47.1 percent, while the defense held Milwaukee to 32.8 percent shooting and just 5-of-27 (18.5%) from three.
 
Reynolds was 9-of-15 from the field with three assists for her sixth 20-point game of the year. Ristovski had 14 points and seven rebounds and Crosby also grabbed seven boards and added five points, two assists and two steals. Seward finished with 10 points and a team-best four assists with two takeaways and Taylor had six points and four caroms. 
 
 
It was a seesaw battle between the Titans and Panthers in the first half as Milwaukee's first three baskets were 3-pointers, while the Titans connected on four of their first seven shots.  
 
The Panthers opened a five-point lead, 13-8, at the 13:45 mark, but Detroit never let it get any more as Seward had a layup and later on, a trey and a bucket by Reynolds put the red, white and blue in front, 16-15. Milwaukee took the lead back on a three, but Crosby was able to knock one down from long range for a 19-18 advantage midway through the period.
 
The Panthers led by one, 23-22, with 5:44 left when Reynolds was able to hit a jumper. Milwaukee again pushed ahead, 26-24, off a three ball, but UDM answered with an 8-0 run to end the half. Ristovski countered the Milwaukee trey with one of her own. Seward then had an acrobatic layup and with the time winding down, Ristovski was able to hit one again from behind the arc to send the Titans into the break with their largest lead, 32-26.
 
The Titans were 13-of-23 (56.5%) in the first half and 5-of-10 from downtown, all while holding Milwaukee to just 10-of-35 (28.6%) from the field and 5-of-22 (22.7%) from three. The Titan defense also forced Milwaukee into seven turnovers.
 
Milwaukee began the second half on a 10-2 run to regain the lead, 36-34. Detroit took it back, 41-40, off a three from freshman Nicole Urbanick with 12:17 on the clock, but the Panthers scored eight-straight points for their largest lead of the game, 48-41, and also led by seven at 50-43 with 7:43 on the clock.
 
The Titans will now end the regular season on Saturday as they finish off their Wisconsin trip by visiting Green Bay. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. (EST) at the Kress Events Center.
 
Game Notes:
Detroit now leads the overall series, 25-24, and has won five of the last six at the Klotsche Center… It was the seventh career 20-point game for Reynolds… Crosby returned to action after missing the last two games due to illness… The 56 points was the fewest allowed since Detroit defeated Delaware State, 74-52, back in December… Taylor tied her season high for the third time this year… Milwaukee hit 15, 3-pointers at Calihan Hall back in January… Detroit was picked to finish ninth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll and has proved that wrong so far with a top-five finish in the conference… It was career win No. 101 for head coach Autumn Rademacher '97, the all-time wins leader at her alma mater.