DETROIT (9/26/2019) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball squad officially opened the preparation for the 2019-20 season with practice on Thursday afternoon. The Titans are entering their fifth season under head coach Bernard Scott and 43rd season as a program overall.

The Titans are exactly 40 days from their first game -- a Nov. 5 home clash with former conference foe Loyola (Ill.) from Calihan Hall. Detroit Mercy has several new faces on the roster in 2019-20, including five freshmen and three transfers, and are looking forward for a fresh start this season after a strong summer of workouts.

"I'm really excited about the team and the young ladies we have on the team," coach Scott said. "It was a great summer. Having eight new faces, it just added a fresh start to the program. All of those young ladies brought energy along with the returners. It was probably the best summer we've had since I've been here, it was a very productive summer and right now it shows because we are further ahead than we've been in the past."

The Titans return senior wing Zoey Oatis (Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech), who was among the Horizon League leaders in steals and blocks a year ago, along with several other contributors from last season's squad, including sophomores Jess Bicknell (Saginaw, Mich. / Heritage), Alex Burr (Topeka, Ind. / Westview) and Jiera Shears (Charlotte, N.C. / Hickory Ridge). Among the newcomers are redshirt sophomore forward Nicole Johanson (Herscher, Ill.), sophomore forward Maxine Moore (Southfield, Mich. / Detroit Country Day) and junior wing Aly Reiff (South Whitley, Ind. / Whitko), transfers from Valparaiso, Xavier and Western Michigan, respectively.



Stay tuned for more information on the Titan women's basketball program with season previews and more as the season nears. Get a first-look at the Titan women's and men's teams in two weeks with the annual "Hoop Night in the D" event from Calihan Hall with food, prizes, games and more!