The Basics
Final Score: Detroit Mercy 66, Delaware 64
Records: Detroit Mercy 3-3, Delaware 4-2
Location: Northridge, Calif. (The Matadome)
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. (11/26/2016) -- Using a hot-shooting and energetic start to the game and making the key plays late when it counted, the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team earned a 66-64 victory in the finale of the CSUN Thanksgiving Classic at the Matadome on Saturday.
With the victory, Detroit Mercy improved to 3-3 on the young season and has won two of its last three contests. Detroit Mercy was led in scoring by
Haleigh Ristovski, who was on fire from deep and connected on six 3-pointers as she tallied a game-high 20 points total. Senior guard
Rosanna Reynolds had another great all-around game with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and she was named to the CSUN Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team.
Detroit Mercy shot a season-best 47.1 percent (24-for-51) in the contest, including 57 percent in the first half as the Titans jumped out to a 42-23 halftime advantage.
The Titans have had a knack for beginning games strong and scored the first nine points on Saturday, forcing Delaware to burn a timeout. Reynolds scored the first four points, junior
Brianne Cohen converted on a 3-point play and junior
Nicole Urbanick went strong to the hoop to give the Titans a 9-0 lead. The Titans led after one quarter, 19-11, after junior
Chea Taylor finished on the fast break.
Reynolds opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer and freshman
Ashley Miller followed with a bucket in the paint as Detroit went up 24-11. Haleigh Ristovski then knocked down two-straight 3-pointers to put the Titans in front, 30-13.
Haleigh Ristovski went 3-for-3 from deep in the opening half to help give the Titans a 19-point halftime lead.
Haleigh Ristovski made three 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the third quarter and sister
Lola Ristovski also hit a trey as Detroit Mercy led 56-31 with 6:32 left in the third stanza. Detroit Mercy held its biggest lead just minutes later when
Kelsey Mitchell snagged an offensive board and had the putback to stake the Titans to a 60-34 lead with 4:48 remaining in the quarter.
Delaware would go on a run of its own, but Detroit Mercy scored the final basket of the third quarter as Urbanick again went strong to the hoop with a lay-up with three ticks remaining in the quarter.
The Titans led by 14 after
Lola Ristovski knocked home a pair of free throws early in the fourth. The Blue Hens chipped away at the lead and tied the game, 64-64, with 2:47 left in the game.
Neither team would score in the next two-plus minutes as both teams clamped down on defense. Detroit Mercy had the ball with under 30 seconds left and got the ball down low to Cohen, who went up and was fouled. She calmly sank both free throws to put the Titans ahead, 66-64, with 23 seconds remaining.
Delaware had the last look on offense and missed a lay-up with under five second left, but got the ball back after it went out of bounds off the Titans. The Blue Hens in-bounded the ball with 2.6 seconds left, but the Titan defense stood tall, not allowing a shot at the rim and sealing the victory.
The Titans finished the game with nine triples and went 9-of-12 from the free throw line. Urbanick added nine points, Cohen had seven points and
Gracie Roberts totaled a season-best three assists off the bench for the Titans. Haleigh Ristovski finished 6-for-8 from downtown, after hitting her first six 3-point attempts.
Detroit Mercy ended its opening stretch where it had five of six on the road with a 3-3 record. The Titans held Delaware to 31.0 percent shooting in the contest.
Titan News & Notes
•
Rosanna Reynolds passed two Titans on the career scoring list during the contest and moved into ninth place all-time (1,326 points).
•
Haleigh Ristovski moved into seventh place in career rebounding, passing former Titan standout Lydia Johnson.
• Ristovski's six 3-pointers was one short of a career-best, set in last year's season Horizon League Tournament.
• It was the fourth-straight game Detroit Mercy has had four or more blocks.
• The Titans have played five of their first six games away from Detroit and Calihan Hall.
• It was the first meeting in women's basketball between Delaware and Detroit Mercy.
• The Titans were playing in their second CSUN Thanksgiving Classic in the past five seasons.
On Tap
Detroit Mercy returns home for its next contest, hosting George Mason on Wednesday for its annual Field Trip Day game. First tip is set for 11 a.m. from Calihan Hall and the game may be watched live on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN Applications.
