The Basics
Final Score: Ohio State 55, Detroit Mercy 41
Records: Detroit Mercy 1-1, Ohio State 1-1
Location: Columbus, Ohio (Value City Arena)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (11/9/2018) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team started off strong in Friday night's road game at Ohio State, leading after one quarter and the Titans showed their determination and grit throughout in a 55-41 setback to the Buckeyes at Value City Arena.
Titan freshman forward
Paige Bellman had 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in her first collegiate road game, while sophomore
Lexey Tobel had a team-high 12 points with senior guard
Brittney Jackson adding 11 points for Detroit Mercy (1-1). Bellman, one of two Titans from Ohio who missed her entire senior year of high school due to an ACL injury, was active on the boards all night. She had six caroms, two steals and two blocks in the first half and five more rebounds in the second half.
In holding Ohio State to just 55 points, it was the lowest point total allowed by the Titans since Detroit Mercy gave up 52 in a Horizon League Championship semifinal victory over Wright State on March 6, 2017. Detroit Mercy has held both opponents to 60 points or less so far in 2018-19.
Detroit Mercy came out on fire shooting the ball to start the game, hitting four of its first six shots, including the first two 3-point attempts --
Lexey Tobel from the wing and
Brittney Jackson from deep at the top of the key. Tobel's 3-pointer gave Detroit Mercy a 3-2 lead and Jackson's triple put the Titans ahead 8-4.
The Titans led 10-6 at the media timeout in the first quarter and Jackson's drive down the lane and finish with a left-handed lay-up with 1:17 left propelled Detroit Mercy to a 12-11 lead after 10 minutes of play. Ohio State scored three-straight buckets to open the second quarter, but Tobel then made two free throws to end the mini-drought.
Tobel and Jackson each converted on buckets with under two minutes left in the second quarter before OSU sank a triple with just seconds left before the halftime buzzer. Detroit Mercy trailed at the halftime break, 28-21. Tobel had nine points in the first half, while Bellman had six rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the opening 20 minutes of play.
OSU began the second half on a 6-0 run but Detroit Mercy then countered with a 6-0 run on its own, with a
Zoey Oatis lay-up followed by two-straight long jumpers from Jackson. After three, the Titans trailed by 12, 43-31. The Titans held OSU to 12 points in the final stanza, including just six in the final 7:21 of the contest.
Detroit Mercy closed the game on an 8-2 run with Oatis starting the run with a lay-up. Tobel then drove left and converted on a tough shot and then the free throw after she was fouled. Bellman followed with a jumper in the paint with under two minutes remaining.
In addition to Tobel and Jackson in double figures, Oatis added nine points for the Titans -- seven after the halftime break. Detroit Mercy shot 33.3 percent from the floor (16-for-48) and 7-for-10 from the free throw line. The Titans had four blocks, three of them by Bellman, and three steals in the contest -- forcing 17 Ohio State turnovers.
Detroit Mercy also held Ohio State in check from the outside as the Buckeyes knocked down just 1-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc.
Titan News & Notes
• Bellman has 20 rebounds in her first two collegiate games and was the first Titan since Shareta Brown in 2011 with at least nine boards in her freshman debut in Tuesday's opener.
• Two Titans now have 11 rebounds in a game this season with
Zoey Oatis securing 11 caroms in Tuesday's win over UM-Dearborn.
• Both Jackson and Tobel have scored in double figures in both games.
• Jackson surpassed the 500-point plateau in her Titan career early in the contest.
• The Titans had 12 blocks on the season after swatting away four more shots against Ohio State.
•
Jiera Shears made her collegiate debut in the game, totaling two rebounds and one assist in nine minutes off the bench.
• Former Titan student-athlete (1996-00) and Detroit Mercy assistant coach (2008-10) Carrie Banks competed against her alma mater as an OSU assistant coach.
• Banks scored 893 points in her Detroit Mercy career and is the last player with a triple-double, coming against Cleveland State in 2000.
• It was the seventh meeting all-time between the two programs and first since 1995 (OSU leads series, 4-3).
• Detroit Mercy faces two Big Ten opponents during the 2018-19 season (also visits Michigan on Nov. 19).
Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the road later this weekend prior to a Monday contest with Loyola (Ill.) in Chicago. The road game is set for 8 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. local time in Chicago on Monday from Gentile Arena. The game may be seen live via ESPN-Plus for a small subscription fee.
