The Basics
Final Score: Eastern Michigan 60, Detroit Mercy 53
Records: Detroit Mercy 2-6, Eastern Michigan 4-2
Location: Ypsilanti, Mich. (Convocation Center)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (12/5/2018) -- University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball freshmen
Paige Bellman and
Jess Bicknell both established new career-highs Wednesday night and the Titans battled back and forth with host Eastern Michigan, but ultimately fell in the final minutes in a 60-53 loss at the Convocation Center.
Bellman scored in double figures for the first time in her Titan career, hitting four 3-pointers and totaling 14 points, while classmate Bicknell led Detroit Mercy with 15 points in her first collegiate start. Bellman added six rebounds and four steals for the Titans. Sophomore
Lexey Tobel added 11 points, while junior
Zoey Oatis had seven points and eight caroms for the Titans.
After a 26-26 halftime tie between the two teams, Detroit Mercy out-scored Eastern Michigan 17-11 in the third stanza to take a 43-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Titans used an 11-0 run in the third quarter to take the lead, hitting three 3-pointers in the span of 90 seconds. Tobel knocked down the first and then Bellman sank consecutive 3-pointers -- both off
Sophia DiMilia steals -- from the top of the key. Bicknell closed out the 11-0 run with a lay-up as Detroit Mercy went ahead 37-32 with 4:30 left in the third.
The Titans sank four-straight free throws within 12 seconds as Tobel and Oatis both converted on a pair from the stripe late in the third. Titan junior
Ashley Miller then grabbed an offensive board with just seconds on the clock and finished on the put-back as Detroit Mercy went up 43-37 after 30 minutes of play.
The game was back-and-forth for much of the fourth stanza. Detroit Mercy trailed 51-47 with 4:35 left, but quickly went on a 4-0 run with Bicknell and Bellman each using nifty moves to move past defenders to score on lay-ups. Bellman's lay-up tied the game 51-51 with 2:55 left and a timeout was called by Eastern Michigan.
The Eagles converted on a lay-up out of the timeout and then after a Titan miss, EMU sank a 3-pointer at the other end to go ahead 56-51 with 1:17 remaining. Detroit Mercy missed its next two shots and EMU hit all four of its free throws in the final 33 seconds of the game to close out the contest.
The red, white and blue opened the game strong, taking an 11-4 lead midway through the first quarter. Bellman sank her first triple of the night and junior
Ashley Miller scored back-to-back buckets from the block and it was followed by a jumper from Bicknell as the Titans had a big lead early. EMU would go on a run of its own, but Tobel swished a 3-pointer from the wing late in the first stanza as Detroit Mercy lead 18-14 after one.
Bellman shot 5-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from deep. Both Tobel and Oatis were 5-of-6 from the free throw line and as a team Detroit Mercy went 13-of-20 (65 percent). Detroit Mercy shot 30.9 percent in the game and sank six 3-pointers. The Titans also had nine steals -- four each from Bellman and classmate
Sophia DiMilia.
Miller added six points and five rebounds in the contest. The Titans forced Eastern Michigan into 19 turnovers, turning those into 19 points off turnovers.
Titan News & Notes
• Bicknell was making her first collegiate start and scored in double figures for the third time in her career.
• Bellman scored in double figures for the first time in her career with five field goals and four 3-pointers.
• Bellman entered the game with two career 3-pointers and tripled that total by game's end.
• Bellman was second in the HL in steals per game (2.1) to start the contest and added four more swipes.
• It was Bellman's sixth game of multiple steals in her first eight games and second contest of four steals.
• DiMilia has six steals in her past two games.
• Oatis led the team in rebounding for the second time this season with her team-best eight caroms.
• The Titans have forced the opposing team into 42 turnovers combined in the past two games.
• Detroit Mercy has turned the ball over just 13 times in each of the past two contests.
• The red, white and blue also have 25 steals total over the past two games.
• The game was the start of four contests against Mid-American Conference foes.
• It was the 28th meeting all-time between the two programs (Titans lead, 15-13).
Up Next
Detroit Mercy plays at home Sunday, hosting another in-state foe Western Michigan for a 1 p.m. game from Calihan Hall. It's CYO Day from Calihan Hall as well as Dollar Sundays as fans gain entrance into the game for just $1 with hot dogs and fountain drinks also just $1 each.
