The Basics
Final Score: Detroit Mercy 55, Northern Kentucky 53
Records: Detroit Mercy 11-10 (7-3 HL), Northern Kentucky 7-15 (3-7 HL)
Location: Highland Heights, Ky. (BB&T Arena)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (1/29/2017) -- Senior guard
Rosanna Reynolds converted on the game-winning lay-up with 1.0 second left and the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball earned a 55-53 road victory at Northern Kentucky on Sunday from BB&T Arena.
The Titans and Norse were tied 53-53 with less than one minute left after an NKU free throw. Each team then missed shots, but Detroit Mercy kept the ball on an offensive board out of bounds with 10.5 seconds left on the clock.
After an NKU foul stopped the clock with 5.3 seconds remaining, Reynolds received the ball off an inbounds play at the top of the 3-point line and drove to the right. She pivoted and then moved past her defender and finished the lay-up with just 1.0 left on the clock.
Northern Kentucky had one final chance, but Rebecca Lyttle's shot from the baseline was well short of the rim as the Titan defense stood tall again against NKU. With the win, Detroit Mercy improved to 7-3 in the Horizon League and 11-10 overall. It was the Titans' second HL road victory this season.
Junior forward
Brianne Cohen had one of the top-shooting performances in the Horizon League this season on Sunday, going 8-for-8 from the floor in the first half and finishing the game 12-of-13 for a season-high 26 points. Reynolds totaled 15 points and five rebounds for Detroit Mercy, while senior
Haleigh Ristovski had a great all-around game with a career-high-tying eight assists, team-best 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Cohen made her first eight shots of the game, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. She had 17 of Detroit Mercy's 26 points at the break. Cohen entered the fourth quarter with one foul, but quickly was up to four on a few questionable calls. She was unstoppable down low, converting on all 12 of her attempts on the block. Her only field goal miss in the game was a 3-point attempt early in the second half.
Detroit Mercy assisted on 10 of 11 field goals in the first half with Ristovski totaling six first-half dimes and sophomore guard
Gracie Roberts dishing out four assists in the opening 20 minutes. The Titans held a 26-25 halftime lead. The two teams went back-and-forth for much of the third quarter, with Detroit Mercy taking a 39-30 lead after an 8-0 run in the middle of the stanza. NKU would close the quarter on a run of its own, however, as the two schools were tied after three, 44-44.
NKU took its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, but Detroit Mercy regained the advantage after a 7-0 run, highlighted by two Cohen makes and a 3-pointer by Reynolds.
Haleigh Ristovski's put-back with 3:28 left gave Detroit Mercy a 53-48 lead, but NKU continued to chip away in the final minutes.
The Norse were in the bonus early in the quarter with several whistles going against the Titans. Cohen, fouled out with 2:25 left, and the Norse went to the line 12 times in the fourth. Lyttle sank 1-of-2 free throws with just 43 seconds left to tie the game, 53-53, setting up for Reynolds' heroics in the final seconds of the contest.
The Titans held the Norse without a field goal in the fourth quarter, with NKU going 0-for-9. All of NKU's points came from the line in the final stanza.
For the game, the Titans shot 38.2 percent (21-of-55) and pulled down 35 rebounds. Detroit Mercy assisted on 16 of its 21 field goals during the contest overall. The Titans were awarded just nine free throws, but sank eight of them (88.9 percent).
Roberts totaled five points and four assists and freshman
Ashley Miller pulled down four boards for Detroit Mercy.
Titan News & Notes
• In two games this season, Detroit Mercy held NKU to 51.0 points per game.
• It was
Haleigh Ristovski's second career eight-assist game and 22nd career game of 10 or more rebounds.
•
Haleigh Ristovski moved into eighth place all-time in career blocks (84).
• Cohen has shot better than 90 percent in three games this season.
• Cohen's 12 field goal makes were a career-best and the 26 points were a season-high.
• Reynolds scored in double figures for the 80th time in her career and 17th time this season.
•
Ashley Miller tied her season-best with four rebounds.
• It was the 11th game out of 21 this season with 15 or more assists for the Titans.
• Detroit Mercy improved to 3-1 all-time against NKU under coach Scott.
On Tap
The Titans return home for their next three games, beginning by hosting Milwaukee on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. ET from Calihan Hall. The game is set to be streamed live on ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN Applications and may also be seen locally on television on WADL.
