The Basics
Final Score: Detroit Mercy 62, UIC 45
Records: Detroit Mercy 4-20 (2-11 HL), UIC 3-22 (1-13 HL)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

DETROIT (2/14/2019) -- Freshman Sophia DiMilia scored 20-plus points for the second-straight game, notching a career and game-high 21 points and classmate Paige Bellman notched her first career double-double as the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team powered past UIC, 62-45, from Calihan Hall on Thursday.

DiMilia, who had 20 points in her previous game, knocked down four 3-pointers for the second consecutive game and led all scorers with 21 points. Bellman nearly had a double-double in the first half and finished the contest with a career-high 14 points and career-best 12 rebounds. Freshman Jess Bicknell added 12 points for the red, white and blue.

The Titans helped force UIC into 28 turnovers in the contest, earning 15 steals in the game, the second-most on the season. Detroit Mercy out-scored the Flames 40-23 between the second and third quarters to help overtake and seal the victory over UIC.

The red, white and blue led by one point after the opening quarter, 13-12, but out-scored the Flames 18-9 in the second quarter to hold a double-figure halftime lead. The Titans went on a 12-2 run midway through the second quarter with Bellman opening the run on a lay-up. A minute later, Burr finished on a lay-up off a feed from Bicknell before Bicknell connected on a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back trips down the court.

The run helped the Titans out to a 30-20 lead at the halftime break. Bellman had 10 points and eight rebounds in the first half with DiMilia adding nine in the opening 20 minutes.

UIC scored four of the first six points in the third quarter before Detroit Mercy went on another run -- this time a 9-0 spurt to take a 41-24 advantage with 4:53 remaining in the third stanza. DiMilia opened the run with a 3-pointer to reach double figures and Bicknell then swished a jumper before Jackson knocked down a triple. Burr then sank a free throw to close out the run.

Detroit Mercy upped its advantage to 18 points late in the third quarter after DiMilia sank a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back offensive possessions to push the Titan lead to 50-32 with 1:21 left in the third quarter. The Titans went ahead by 25 in the fourth quarter as the squad scored the first seven points in the final frame to take a 59-34 lead.

Jackson sank her second 3-pointer of the game early in the fourth and DiMilia then hit her fourth trey with 6:21 left as Detroit Mercy earned its largest advantage in the contest, 59-34, also putting the game out of reach for a Flames comeback. Between the second and third quarters, Detroit Mercy out-scored the Flames, 40-23.

The Titans shot 22-of-60 from the floor in the contest (36.7 percent) and made 8-of-31 from 3-point range. Detroit Mercy had just 13 turnovers in the game. Three Titans had three steals -- Bellman, Burr and DiMilia. The Titans also had 17 assists with four players having three or more assists -- Bellman, Bicknell, DiMilia and Jackson, who had four dimes.

DiMilia sank 7-of-16 shots overall, including 4-of-12 from beyond the arc, adding five rebounds and three assists. Bellman was 6-for-11 from the floor and added three assists and one block. Six of her 12 rebounds were on the offensive end. Junior wing Zoey Oatis added eight rebounds, five of them on offense, also swiping two balls. Freshman Alex Burr tallied seven points, five rebounds and a career-high three steals, hitting 3-of-5 shots.

UIC had the edge in rebounds, 37-33. Detroit Mercy held the Flames without a 3-point field goal in the game.

Titan News & Notes
• The Titans have won four-straight against the Flames, sweeping the season series for the second-straight year.
• DiMilia notched her second-straight 20-point scoring game, the fourth by a Titan this season.
• Bellman had her first career double-double and the fifth by a Detroit Mercy played in 2018-19.
• Bellman has scored 14 points in three games this season and in the second-straight game.
• It was her third time pulling down 10 or more rebounds in a game; She bested her previous career-high of 11 rebounds.
• Bicknell scored in double figures for the eighth time this season, the most among Titan freshmen.
• Jackson moved into 14th place on the career 3-pointers made list with 108 and 45th in career scoring (681 points).
• The Titans notched 15 steals, the second-most in a game this season; It was the 10th game of 10 or more steals this season.
• Detroit Mercy has 35 assists in the past two games, tallying the two-best single-game totals of the season (18 vs. Oakland, 17 vs. UIC).
• Head coach Bernard Scott holds a 6-2 record all-time against the Flames.
• Detroit Mercy is 31-24 all-time against UIC in 55 career meetings.

Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the court Saturday, hosting IUPUI for a 1 p.m. contest from Calihan Hall. Saturday's game will be the Titans' Pink Game as well as National Girls and Women in Sports Day.