DETROIT (11/22/2019) -- Following a four-game road stretch, the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball returns home for a Saturday contest from Calihan Hall, with the Titans hosting Mid-American Conference opponent Akron in a noon game. The game may be seen live on ESPN-Plus with the Voice of the Titans, Denny Kapp, calling all of the action.

The Titans are playing their first home game since the 2019-20 season opener on Nov. 5, when the Titans hosted Loyola-Chicago. Admission into the game is $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and children, however Titan fans may bring a canned food item for Gleaner's Community Food Bank for a discount off their ticket.

On The Court:

• Titan sophomore forward Maxine Moore leads the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game, ranking second in rebounding at 5.2 caroms per contest. Moore has scored in double figures in four-straight outings for the red, white and blue.
• Sophomore forward Nicole Johanson has tallied two-straight outings in double figures, posting her first career double-double at George Mason (12 pts., 11 reb.), before scoring a career-high 17 points at Western Michigan. She is averaging 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds across her past three games, shooting 68.1-percent (15-of-22).
• A trio of Titans rank in the Top-20 in the Horizon League in rebounding -- Nicole Johanson (13th, 5.4 rpg), Maxine Moore (16th, 5.2 rpg) and Zoey Oatis (19th, 5.0 rpg).
• Senior Zoey Oatis ranks in the Top-10 in the league in both blocked shots (1.0 per game, 7th) and steals (1.8 per game, 8th).
• The Titans and Zips have met five times previously in women's basketball and not since the 1996-97 season, when Detroit Mercy earned an 111-72 victory over the Zips from a neutral site court. Detroit Mercy is 2-0 in home contests against Akron.
• It's the second of four games against Mid-American Conference opponents -- with Detroit Mercy hosting Eastern Michigan and Toledo in December from Calihan Hall.
• The Titans are one of the younger teams in all of Division I with 10 players either freshmen or sophomores; Detroit Mercy has eight new players in 2019-20, including three transfers.
• Detroit Mercy is in its fifth season under head coach Bernard Scott and were picked to finish ninth in the 2019-20 Horizon League Preseason Poll.
• The Titans head to Las Vegas for the South Point Shootout on Nov. 29-30, marking six of eight games away from Calihan Hall during the first month of the regular season.

Scouting Akron:

• Akron is 3-1 on the season with victories coming over St. Bonaventure (63-54), Purdue Fort Wayne (64-53) and Youngstown State (91-62).
• The Zips only loss came at home to Michigan, 80-71, last Saturday.
• Akron is coming off a 16-15 season under second-year head coach Melissa Jackson, which includes a 7-11 mark in Mid-American Conference play.
• Jordyn Dawson leads three players averaging in double figures at 14.3 points per game. Haliegh Reinoehl ranks second at 13.8 points per game, while Shaunay Edmonds is also averaging in doubles at 13.3 ppg.
• Reinoehl paces the squad in rebounding at 8.5 caroms per contest, while Edmonds has a team-high 13 steals and Dawson leads the team in field-goal percentage at a 53.7-percent clip.

Last Time Out
Despite a career-high 17 points from sophomore forward Nicole Johanson and three Titans scoring in double figures on Wednesday night, Detroit Mercy suffered an 82-67 setback on the road at Western Michigan. Johanson scored in double figures for the second-straight contest, sinking 7-of-9 shots, and adding a team-high seven rebounds for the red, white and blue. She scored 15 of her 17 points after the halftime break. Titan sophomore forward Maxine Moore -- who transferred from WMU to Detroit Mercy -- had 12 points, while freshman guard Sylare Starks added 11 points.

The red, white and blue shot above 40-percent for the second consecutive contest and were 7-for-18 from behind the long line. The Titans had eight steals -- four from senior Zoey Oatis and three from junior guard Aly Reiff, who also added eight points, including a pair of triples.

Tough Non-Conference
Detroit Mercy has another strong non-conference schedule in 2019-20 with the Titans playing five tournament squads and four teams that had better than 20 victories a season ago. A look at the seven non-league opponents that finished with a better-than .500 record in 2018-19:

Opponent -- 2018-19 Record:

• Michigan State (Big Ten, Away) -- 21-12
• Butler (Big East, Away) -- 23-10
• George Mason (A-10, Away) -- 16-14
• Akron (MAC, Home) -- 16-15
• Sacred Heart (NEC, Neutral) -- 19-13
• Tennessee Tech (OVC, Neutral) -- 22-11
• Toledo (MAC, Home) -- 21-12

Titans Ink Two to National Letters of Intent
Detroit Mercy announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) to play with the Titans. Both prospective student-athletes signed on National Signing Day on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 at their respective high schools. The two signees are guards Jaci Jones (Fort Wayne, Ind. / South Side) and Maddie Puletti (Highland Heights, Ohio / Gilmour Academy) and are set to join Detroit Mercy prior to the 2020-21 academic school year.

Take a look at more information on each player.

Up Next
Detroit Mercy heads to Las Vegas, Nev. for the Thanksgiving holiday, playing in back-to-back days on Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30 with the Titans playing Sacred Heart and Tennessee Tech, respectively. Both games are slated for 2 p.m. ET starts and 11 a.m. locally in Las Vegas from the South Point Casino & Hotel. All games will be streamed live.