The Basics
Final Score: Eastern Michigan 78, Detroit Mercy 76
Records: Detroit Mercy 0-10, Eastern Michigan 3-7
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)
DETROIT (12/17/2017) -- Sophomore
Anja Marinkovic tallied a season-high 22 points and freshman
Lexey Tobel posted a career-high 19 as the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team saw visiting Eastern Michigan go on a late run to take the game, 78-76, from Calihan Hall on Sunday.
Senior
Nicole Urbanick added 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Tobel grabbed seven boards, had three blocks and two steals, while junior
Lola Ristovski registered nine points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists.
Detroit Mercy led by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, but Eastern Michigan ended the contest scoring the final 15 points.
The Titans started the game on an 11-2 run as Marinkovic drilled a 3-pointer to get the offense going. After a basket by EMU, Urbanick drove the lane for a layup and was fouled, hitting the free throw, and the next time down the court, she drained a triple as the red, white and blue led by nine, less than four minutes into the game.
Eastern Michigan came back to tie it up and took an 18-16 lead late in the first, but senior
Brianne Cohen hit two free throws with nine seconds left, and the game was tied at 18-all after the first period.
A jumper by Urbanick and a three-point play by Tobel had the Titans on a 7-0 run and back ahead by five, 23-18, with 8:36 left to play in the opening half. The Eagles came back to take the lead by four, 29-25, midway through the second, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Ristovski once again put the Titans in front, 31-29. The two teams traded the lead the rest of the way, but an offensive rebound and put back by sophomore
Ashley Miller with 16 seconds on the clock gave Detroit Mercy a 40-38 lead at the break.
That energy carried over to the third period with the Titans going on an 8-0 spurt to extend their lead to double digits, 48-38. Marinkovic started that with a triple and then added a three-point play on a bucket and the foul. After a steal by Roberts, the ball went inside to Cohen and she laid it in for a 10-point lead just two minutes into the period.
The Titans continued to lead throughout the third staving off every EMU comeback attempt. The Eagles cut the Titan lead to three, 54-51, at the 2:14 mark, but a layup from Marinkovic and two free throws by Tobel stopped that threat. Tobel then ended the third quarter with seven-straight points – on a 3-pointer and four free throws – and Detroit Mercy led by nine, 65-56, heading into the fourth.
The red, white and blue pushed its lead to as many as 11, 73-62, with 5:19 to go as Tobel knocked in a three and sophomore
Zoey Oatis hit a jumper. A couple of minutes later, Marinkovic hit her fourth trifecta of the day and the Titans upped their lead to 13, 76-63, with 3:15 left.
Cohen finished with eight points and five caroms and junior
Gracie Roberts pulled down a team and career-best nine rebounds.
Tobel went 11-for-11 from the free throw line and Detroit Mercy shot 20-of-29 as a team (69 percent). Tobel's 11 consecutive makes in a game were the most in a single game since Rosanna Reynolds went 12-for-12 from the foul line on Jan. 28, 2016 at Milwaukee.
The Titans shot 43.1 percent from the field and 12-of-27 (44.4%) from the outside – one off their season high. Detroit Mercy turned the ball over 32 times.
Game Notes
• Urbanick moved into 23rd place in career scoring (976 points), passing Demeisha Fambro on the all-time list.
• Marinkovic tallied the third 20-point game of her Titan career with a season-high 22 points.
• Tobel notched the fourth double-figure scoring effort of the season with her career-best 19 points.
• Tobel's 11 free throw makes were the second-most by a player this season, with Cohen making 12 vs. North Texas at the San Juan Shootout.
• Tobel was 11-for-11 from the free throw line which was the most makes without missing in a game since Rosanna Reynolds (12-for-12 vs. Milwaukee on Jan. 28, 2016) in the 2015-16 season.
• It was the second game of 10 or more 3-pointers this year. The Titans sank 13 triples vs. Bowling Green.
• Roberts had a career-best nine rebounds, bettering her single-game total of seven, which she set last season.
• It was the 27th meeting between the two schools, with the Titans holding a 15-12 edge over EMU.
Up Next
The Titans will stay at home for one more game before conference play begins next week as Detroit Mercy welcomes Toledo into Calihan Hall on Thursday, Dec. 21, with opening tip set for 5 p.m.
