The Basics
Final Score: Youngstown State 85, Detroit Mercy 59
Records: Detroit Mercy 2-10 (0-1 HL), Youngstown State 9-3 (1-0 HL)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)
DETROIT (12/28/2018) -- Three Titans scored in double figures led by freshman
Jess Bicknell's career-best 18 points but the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team fell in its Horizon League opener Friday night from Calihan Hall by an 85-59 margin to visiting Youngstown State.
Freshman
Sophia DiMilia added 11 points, while sophomore
Lexey Tobel added 10 points for the Titans (2-10, 0-1 HL). Tobel added a team-high seven rebounds and three steals for the red, white and blue.
Detroit Mercy took a 5-4 lead early after Tobel knocked down a 3-pointer, but YSU would score the next 10 points to take a 14-5 lead at the 5:13 mark of the first quarter. Bicknell scored the next two Titan field goals in the first quarter for the Titans, but the home squad trailed after one quarter of play, 22-9. The Penguins connected on eight 3-pointers in the first half and shot 54 percent from the floor to take a 47-23 halftime lead. Bicknell had eight points at the halftime break to lead the Titans.
Bicknell was in double figures for the fifth time this season early in the third quarter and made all four shot attempts in the third quarter in scoring eight points in that frame alone. Freshman
Alex Burr scored four-straight points for the Titans late in the stanza, sinking a pair of free throws and then converting on a lay-up off a feed from
Jiera Shears on the next trip down the court.
Burr finished the game with a career-best six points, sinking both field goal attempts, adding three rebounds and one block.
DiMilia reached double digits in scoring for the second-straight game, converting on a tough lay-up before nailing a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:48 left in the game to reach 11 points. Bicknell had a career-best 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting and added four rebounds and two steals.
The Titans had their sixth game of 10 or more steals this season, notching 12 during the contest. Four Detroit Mercy players had multiple steals, led by Oatis and Tobel, who each had three thefts. Bicknell and DiMilia each added two steals in the contest for the red, white and blue.
Detroit Mercy shot 43.1 percent in the contest and sank 7-of-12 from the free throw line. Youngstown State made 13 triples in the contest and shot 52.6 percent from the floor. The Penguins were led in scoring by Mary Dunn, who had 24 points, and Alison Smolinski, who tallied 23, hitting seven 3-pointers.
Titan News & Notes
•
Jiera Shears was making her first collegiate start for the Titans.
• Bicknell scored in double figures for the fifth time this season, the most among Titan freshmen and tied for second-most on the team overall.
• The Titans shot better than 40 percent for the fifth time in 2018-19.
• Bicknell and Burr each established new career-highs in the contest.
• Tobel has scored in double figures in four of the last five games and in a team-high eight overall this season.
• Burr's block was her seventh of the season which ties her for the team lead with
Paige Bellman and
Ashley Miller.
• Detroit Mercy had nine or more steals in six of the past seven games, including five contests of 10 or more.
• The Titans surpassed 100 steals (102) on the season in their 12th game (Detroit Mercy had 130 the entire season in 2017-18).
• Detroit Mercy has opened Horizon League play with YSU In three of four seasons under head coach
Bernard Scott.
• It was the 44th career meeting in women's basketball between the league foes (Detroit Mercy leads series, 23-21).
Up Next
Detroit Mercy hosts Cleveland State on Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest from Calihan Hall. The game is Dollar Sunday with fans gaining admission into the game for just $1 and hot dogs and fountain drinks also just $1 from the concession stand. The game may be seen live via ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN Applications.
