The Basics:
Final Score: Loyola (Ill.) 89, Detroit Mercy 60
Records: Detroit Mercy 0-1, Loyola (Ill.) 1-0
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

DETROIT (11/5/2019) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team opened its 2019-20 season Tuesday night, dropping an 89-60 contest to former Horizon League foe and Jesuit rival Loyola (Ill.) from Calihan Hall. Senior wing Zoey Oatis led the Titans in their season-opener with 17 points, while all 12 Titans scored in the game.

Oatis shot 7-of-11 from the field and added six rebounds, two blocks and two assists. Sophomore Maxine Moore, making her Titan debut, had a team-high nine rebounds, while freshman Markyia McCormick hit two 3-pointers and had eight points for the Titans. Junior transfer Aly Reiff, also making her Titan debut, had seven points and three steals.

All five Titan freshmen made their collegiate debuts and all of them marked up the scoring column with McCormick leading the way with eight points off the bench. Freshman forward Bridgid Fox sank 2-of-3 shots and both free throw attempts for six points, adding two steals. Freshman guard Annika Corcoran sank a triple and had a team-high-tying three assists. Freshman guard Sylare Starks had three points and a steal, also hitting a trey, while freshman guard Abbie McDowell also had three points, converting on an old-fashioned 3-point play.

Also making their Titan debut was forward Nicole Johanson, a sophomore transfer, who had two points and four rebounds. Eight new Titans in all played in the contest.

The Titans trailed 22-13 after the first quarter and saw the hot-shooting of Loyola guard Janae Gonzales have then down 48-27 at the halftime break. Gonzales tied a school-record with nine 3-pointers made in the contest. Detroit Mercy scored 18 points in the third quarter with Reiff scoring five points during the frame and Fox adding four. The Titans played evenly with Loyola in the final quarter, with both teams scoring 15 points. McCormick knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner in the final stanza.

Detroit Mercy shot 20-for-61 from the floor and 6-of-21 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Titans also connected on 14-of-20 free throws (70 percent). Detroit Mercy pulled down 30 rebounds and had eight steals and four blocks. Detroit Mercy also had just 11 turnovers, while dishing out 11 assists -- three each by freshmen Corcoran and McCormick.

It was the 70th meeting -- the most common Titans' opponent in program history -- between the two longtime Horizon League foes with Detroit Mercy owning a 47-23 advantage in the series. It was the second consecutive matchup with Detroit Mercy also playing the Ramblers last season in Chicago.

Up Next
The Titans will be back in action on Friday, Nov. 8 at No. 17/21-ranked Michigan State starting at 7 p.m. from the Breslin Center. The contest is set to be broadcast live on Big Ten Network Plus.