The Basics
Final Score: Northern Kentucky 82, Detroit Mercy 61
Records: Detroit Mercy 3-25 (3-14 HL), Northern Kentucky 17-11 (11-6 HL)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

DETROIT (2/27/2020) -- Three Titans scored in double figures and the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team got off to a good start Thursday evening, but Northern Kentucky used its hot-shooting in the second half to pull away from the red, white and blue as the Titans fell 82-61 from Calihan Hall.

The Titans, which are locked in as the No. 9 seed, also now know their opponent for the opening round of the 2020 Horizon League Championship with the Norse clinching the fourth seed on Thursday. The Norse can finish no higher or lower than the No. 4 spot and will host the Titans at 7 p.m. ET next Tuesday, March 3 from BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.

Sophomore forward Maxine Moore continued her impressive play as of late and led Detroit Mercy with 14 points and seven rebounds. Senior Zoey Oatis added 12 points, five rebounds and a season-high four blocks for the Titans, while freshman forward Bridgid Fox had 13 points, making all five shots from the free throw line.

The Titans used an 13-0 run between the first and second quarter to take an eight-point lead over the Norse early in the second stanza. Detroit Mercy held NKU scoreless for more than 5-minutes between the end of the first and middle of the second frame, outscoring NKU by 13 points during the span.

After Oatis dominated much of the first quarter for the Titans, scoring seven points in the opening stanza, Moore knocked down a 3-pointer to open the 13-0 run with 34 seconds left in the frame. Moore's triple cut the deficit to two, 18-16, which was the score after the opening 10 minutes.

Fox converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play early in the second and Moore drilled her second 3-pointer of the first half just a minute later. Freshman guard Markyia McCormick then sank a pull-up jumper just seconds later as Detroit Mercy was on a 11-0 run to lead 24-18 before NKU called a timeout at the 7:13 mark of the frame. Junior Aly Reiff then sank a jumper of her own in the paint to extend the lead and conclude the 13-0 run for the Titans.

NKU chipped away at the Titan lead the rest of the second quarter with Moore scoring the final four points of the stanza to reach 10 points by halftime. The Titans trailed by just one, 33-32, at the halftime break, on the strength of its 13-0 run and 40-percent shooting in the first half.

The Norse opened the second half on a run that forced the Titans into a pair of timeouts. After the second timeout, Oatis converted on a tough, driving 3-point play to cut the deficit to single digits and McCormick followed with a pair of free throws just 30 seconds later to cut the NKU lead to seven, 47-40, with 3:51 left in the third. NKU's Ally Niece caught fire in the third quarter, sinking all four 3-point attempts and she made two-straight after McCormick's free throws and it was followed by another NKU trey as the visitors took advantage late in the third.

Northern Kentucky would extend its advantage in the fourth quarter to pull away in the late stages of the game. Fox scored six of her 13 points in the final frame, sinking all four free throw shots during the 10 minutes.

The Titans finished the game with a season-high-tying seven blocks, four of those coming from Oatis. The Titans shot 23-for-63 (36.5 percent) in the game and 12-of-16 from the free throw line (75-percent). The Titans also had just 13 turnovers, which was among a season low and dished out 11 assists -- three by Oatis. NKU held the rebounding advantage in the game, 44-32.

The Norse were efficient from beyond the 3-point arc, sinking 12-of-24 (50 percent), while shooting 43.9 percent overall in the contest. Niece led all scorers with 19 points.

Titan News & Notes
• Oatis' four blocks were one off a career-high and upped her total to 18 on the season and 49 in her career.
• Moore scored in double figures for the sixth time in the past 10 games and 12th overall in 2019-20.
• Fox also reached double figures for the eighth time in her Titan freshman campaign and second-straight.
• Freshman guard Sylare Starks moved into the top-10 in Titan freshman history in scoring (291 points, 10th).
• The Titans also had seven blocks in the road contest at NKU earlier this season.
• It was the 11th meeting between the Titans and Norse in women's basketball.

Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to the court Saturday for Senior Day as the Titans host Wright State in a 1 p.m. contest from Calihan Hall. The red, white and blue will honor its senior, Zoey Oatis, prior to the regular-season finale against the Raiders.