DETROIT (11/11/2018) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball squad returns to the road, visiting old MCC and Horizon League rival Loyola for a Monday night contest in Chicago. The game is set for an 8 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. local time start from Gentile Arena.
The contest will be streamed live via ESPN-Plus for a monthly subscription fee.
The Titans and Loyola haven't met since 2013, the last year that the Ramblers were part of the Horizon League before they moved to the Missouri Valley Conference. Detroit Mercy and the Ramblers are meeting for the 69th time ever with the Titans holding a 47-21 advantage in the all-time series.
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Last Time Out
Detroit Mercy allowed just 55 points in its road opener, falling 55-41 to Ohio State on Friday. The 55 points given up by the Titans were the fewest in a game since the Horizon League Championship semifinal win over Wright State (71-52) on March 6, 2017.
The Titans led after the first quarter, 12-11, shooting 50 percent in the opening stanza (5-for-10) and sinking two 3-pointers. Detroit Mercy shot 7-for-10 from the free throw line and had four more blocks in the contes, upping its season total to 12.
Lexey Tobel led the Titans in scoring for the second-straight game with 12 points. Senior guard
Brittney Jackson added 11 points for Detroit Mercy. Freshman forward
Paige Bellman, one of two players from Ohio, had 11 rebounds, five points, three blocks and two steals in her road debut.
Saved By The Bellman
Freshman forward
Paige Bellman has been a force on the boards in the first two games, totaling nine in her Detroit Mercy debut and then grabbing 11 caroms at Ohio State in her first collegiate road game.
Her nine rebounds in the season opener were the most in a debut by a Titan freshman since Shareta Brown grabbed 10 rebounds in 2011. Bellman is averaging 10.0 rebounds per game so far in 2018-19 and ranks fourth overall in the Horizon League. She also had three blocks at Ohio State.
Oatis Notches First Career Double-Double
Junior
Zoey Oatis notched her first career double-double in a season-opening victory over UM-Dearborn, totaling 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Oatis' stat line of five blocks with a double-double was the first of its kind since Feb. 1, 2007, when former Titan India Bruster had 12 points, 15 boards and five blocks against Milwaukee.
Both the 11 rebounds and five blocks were career-bests for Oatis, who is averaging 12.5 points after two games. Oatis led the Titans in field goal percentage a year ago at 48.7 percent (56-for-115).
Action Jackson
Senior point guard
Brittney Jackson has scored in double figures in both contests in 2018-19. She sank seven free throws and scored 13 points in the opener and followed it with 11 more points at Ohio State.
She leads active Titans with 19 career games scoring 10 or more points. She is the active Titan leader in 3-pointers made (88, 19th all-time in school history), assists (145) and points (508), surpassing the 500-point plateau against Ohio State.
Lexey Leads in Scoring
Sophomore forward
Lexey Tobel scored a career-high 23 points in the season opener, which was also her first career 20-point game. Like her freshman season, she has been efficient from the free throw line, sinking 12-of-14 shots (85.7 percent) so far on the season.
Tobel has led Detroit Mercy in scoring in both contests this season, adding 12 points at Ohio State. She is averaging 17.5 points per game after two contests and also has team-bests in assists (7) and 3-pointers (3).
Scouting Loyola
The Ramblers are just 0-1 on the season after dropping their season opener against Youngstown State on Friday in Youngstown, Ohio. YSU used a 24-point second quarter to go up 41-27 at the break. Loyola out-scored YSU in the third quarter, 20-9, but the Penguins closed Loyola out with a 24-point final stanza.
Freshman guard Janae Gonzales led four Loyola players in double figures with 14 points, sinking all six shots from the free throw line. Sophomore Abby O'Connor had a team-high eight boards in addition to her 10 points.
Loyola shot 7-of-24 from deep against YSU and were out-rebounded in the game, 48-23. The Ramblers are a young squad with eight of 11 players either freshmen or sophomores in 2018-19.
Series History
The Titans are meeting Loyola for the 69th time ever and have met the Ramblers more than any other opponent in team history. Detroit Mercy is 47-21 all-time against Loyola, including 19-13 in games played in Chicago.
The two schools and old MCC/Horizon League rivals haven't met since 2013, the last time Loyola was in the league. The series began back in 1983. The Titans are 11-2 in the last 13 meetings and 4-1 in the past five.
Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to Calihan Hall for its fourth game of the season, hosting Mid-American Conference foe Miami on Friday, Nov. 16. The contest is set to start at 7 p.m. ET and may be seen live via ESPN-Plus in Detroit.
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