The Basics
Final Score: Green Bay 65, Detroit Mercy 40
Records: Detroit Mercy 3-14 (1-5 HL), Green Bay 10-6 (5-1 HL)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

DETROIT (1/18/19) -- Freshman guard Jess Bicknell scored a career-high 19 points and the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team hung tough with visiting Green Bay, but the Phoenix pulled away down the stretch in a 65-40 setback for the Titans on Friday night from Calihan Hall.

Bicknell scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Titans. Senior guard Brittney Jackson added 11 points and four assists for the Titans, while junior Ashley Miller had seven rebounds and freshman forward Paige Bellman pulled down six rebounds to go along with two steals.

Bicknell scored 14 of her 19 points in the first half as Detroit Mercy trailed Green Bay by five at the halftime break, 30-25. She scored the final six Titan points in the first stanza and then six of the first eight Titan points in the second quarter -- with her last jumper in the stretch cutting the Green Bay lead to 23-19, with 3:51 left before halftime.

After Green Bay went ahead 26-19, freshman Jiera Shears found classmate Alex Burr for a lay-up and then the next time down the court, Shears connected on a jump shot of her own on the fast break as Detroit Mercy trailed 26-23 with 1:39 left before halftime.

Jackson sank a jumper with 31 seconds left before the halftime buzzer -- scoring seven points in all in the first half. Bicknell had a game-best 14 points in the first half, sinking 6-of-8 shots from the floor and both from the free throw line.

Bicknell sank two free throws to open the second half, but Green Bay scored the next five points to take a 35-27 lead. The Phoenix would sink a few shots from the outside with Green Bay freshman Hailey Oskey hitting three 3-pointers in each half. Green Bay took a 49-30 lead after three frames.

Bellman opened the fourth quarter with a long jumper just inside the 3-point line off Jackson's fourth assists of the contest. But the Phoenix would not go away down the stretch, extending their lead and pulling away in the remaining minutes of the game.

Detroit Mercy shot above 40 percent in the game -- hitting 15-of-35 field goals (42.7 percent). Jackson had four of the eight Titan assists and added five steals and three blocks. Freshman Sophia DiMilia added two blocks for the red, white and blue, while Bellman had two steals for the Titans. Detroit Mercy was also 9-of-12 from the free throw line.

Oskey led Green Bay (10-6, 5-1 Horizon League) with a game-best 20 points, while Laken James added 14 points, six assists and five steals.

Titan News & Notes
• Bicknell has scored in double figures in seven of her first 16 career games.
• Bicknell surpassed her career-high of 18 points, which she set against Youngstown State on Dec. 28.
• Jackson had four assists for the second-straight game and has a Titan season-high 33 on the season.
• Jackson scored in double figures for the sixth time this season and 23rd in her career.
• Bellman has multiple steals in eight games this season.
• DiMilia's two blocks were the second time in three games that she's had two swats.
• Detroit Mercy shot 40 percent or better for the sixth time this season.
• It was the 58th meeting between the two programs in women's basketball (Titans trail, 8-50).

Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the court on Sunday, hosting the other team from Wisconsin in Milwaukee for a 1 p.m. game from Calihan Hall. The Titans return to the road next weekend, visiting Northern Kentucky and Wright State on Friday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 27, respectively.