The Basics
Final Score: Youngstown State 76, Detroit Mercy 59
Records: Detroit Mercy 0-12 (0-1 HL), YSU 5-7 (1-0 HL)
Location: Youngstown, Ohio (Beeghly Center)
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (12/28/17) -- Sophomore
Zoey Oatis had the biggest night of her young Titan career, scoring 22 points on Thursday, but the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team dropped a 76-59 contest at Youngstown State. It was the Horizon League opener for both schools.
Oatis scored 18 of her career-high 22 points in the second half, going 8-for-8 from the floor overall and adding five free throws in the game. She grabbed seven rebounds, six of them on the offensive end and added two steals. Senior forward
Brianne Cohen added 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Titans.
Detroit Mercy shot 37 percent in the game, including 3-of-24 from beyond the arc, while Youngstown State was hot from the field from the opening tip. The Penguins went 25-of-51 from the floor (49 percent), including sinking 12-of-22 shots from deep.
Marinkovic scored on the first possession of the game and had the first four Titan points, but YSU was hitting from deep early in the contest, knocking down six 3-pointers in the first quarter and hitting 7-of-11 in the first half overall. The Penguins sank 4-of-5 triples before the first media timeout to take an early double-digit advantage, 14-4.
Sophomore
Ashley Miller charged down the lane and sank a lay-up while being fouled on the shot and she hit the ensuing free throw as the Titans trailed 22-12 with one minute left in the first quarter. The next time down the court, Oatis grabbed an offensive board and put it back as Detroit Mercy trailed after one stanza, 25-15.
Cohen began the second quarter with a lay-up and Marinkovic drilled a 3-pointer from the wing just a minute later. The Titans had several other shots in the first half rattle out and at the halftime break, Detroit Mercy trailed YSU by a 43-26 margin. Marinkovic led the Titans with nine first-half points.
Oatis took over in the second half for the Titans. She scored the final eight points of the third quarter in a span of 3:30. She began the stretch with a high-arching 3-pointer from the wing and then the next time down the court, she grabbed an offensive board, sank the lay-up and converted the free throw for a 3-point play after she was fouled on the shot. Her 3-point play got the Titans to within 12, 55-43, with 2:51 left in the third stanza.
Oatis finished the third quarter with a strong drive down the lane and sinking a shot over a YSU defender, but the Titans trailed after three,
She continued her strong play in the fourth, sinking two free throws just 12 seconds into the fourth quarter and then knocking down a jumper just one minute later. Cohen followed with a jumper of her own and junior
Brittney Jackson converted on a lay-up to pull the Titans to within 14, 67-53, with 6:56 left.
But Detroit Mercy would get no closer as YSU hit a triple on the next possession. Oatis scored 10 of the 14 Titan points in the fourth quarter to surpass the 20-point plateau for the first time in her career.
The Titans had 12 offensive boards in the game -- six from Oatis. Detroit Mercy added six blocks with Cohen swatting away a season-high three shots. Oatis and Cohen each tallied two steals, while senior
Nicole Urbanick recorded six rebounds for the red, white and blue. Urbanick and Cohen each had three assists to lead the squad.
Detroit Mercy had a season-low 13 turnovers, while tallying a season-high-tying six steals for the second-straight contest.
Titan News & Notes
• Oatis tied a Titan season-high in points (22) that she now shares with Cohen, who had 22 at Miami in the season opener.
• Oatis set career-highs in points (22), rebounds (7), field goals made (8) and field goals attempted (8).
• The last Titan player to go 8-for-8 from the floor or better was Cohen, who also went 8-for-8 last season on Feb. 20 against Wright State.
• Cohen tallied her 10th double-figure scoring effort of the season with 14 points.
• Cohen went into 14th place in career scoring, surpassing Senee Shearer on the all-time list (1,250 points).
• Cohen also moved into 12th place in blocks, passing India Bruster with 72 career rejections.
• Urbanick moved closer to 1,000 points and is 11 points shy following Thursday's game.
• Cohen was playing in her 100th career contest.
•
Lola Ristovski made her first start of the season and 36th in her career for the Titans.
• The Titans tallied their fourth game of six or more blocks in 2017-18.
• The 13 turnovers for Detroit Mercy were also a season low.
• The two teams were meeting for the 42nd time in women's basketball (Titans hold 23-19 series lead).
Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the hardwood on Saturday, Dec. 30, visiting Cleveland State for its second Horizon League contest of the 2017-18 season. Opening tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
