The Basics
Final Score: IUPUI 95, Detroit Mercy 54
Records: Detroit Mercy 2-20 (2-9 HL), IUPUI 17-6 (11-1 HL)
Location: Detroit, Mich. (Calihan Hall)

DETROIT (2/6/2020) -- The University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team dropped a 95-54 contest to league-leading IUPUI on Thursday evening as the Titans hosted their annual Pink Game to raise money for Gilda's Club Metro Detroit, a local cancer support organization. The Titans, playing in pink uniforms, fell to 2-9 in Horizon League play in the setback.

Three Titans were in double figures on the evening with freshman forward Bridgid Fox leading the way with 13 points for the red, white and blue. Junior Aly Reiff had 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds and freshman guard Sylare Starks was in double figures for the 13th time in her rookie campaign, scoring 10 points for the Titans. Sophomore guard Jiera Shears tied her season-high, as well, with eight points in her first start of the season.

Detroit Mercy -- missing starting point guard Annika Corcoran -- had trouble finding an offensive rhythm early on as the Jaguars led 22-8 after the first stanza. The Titans shot it better in the second quarter, hitting 6-of-14 shots (42.9 percent) to score 14 second-quarter points with Starks nailing a triple in the final 100 seconds of the half. At halftime, Detroit Mercy trailed 43-22.

The Titans continued their effective shooting in the third quarter, sinking 40-percent of its field goals attempts (6-of-15) and all four free throws in scoring 17 points, but the Jaguars upped its advantage after the third quarter and continued to lead by double figures. Six different Titans scored in the third stanza with sophomore Maxine Moore and Fox each totaling four points.

Fox scored on an and-one situation early in the fourth quarter and sank the free throw as she was up to 13 points after the 30-minute mark of the game. Reiff then went to work early in the fourth quarter, scoring three field goals in just a matter of 2:34 with Shears adding a jumper from just outside of the paint in-between. The Titans scored 11 points in the opening 3:26 of the quarter.

Reiff scored eight of her 10 points in the final stanza, sinking all four of her field goal attempts during that stanza. It was her second game in double figures with the Titans and third overall in her collegiate career after totaling one with Xavier last season.

Fox sank 4-of-6 field goals and 5-of-7 shots from the free throw line in the game. She added five rebounds for the Titans. Sophomore forward Nicole Johanson tied her career-high with three blocks and added a career-best three steals as well for the Titans. Freshman guard Markyia McCormick had a team-high three assists.

As a team, Detroit Mercy shot 38.9 percent from the floor (21-for-54) in the game, while IUPUI made 52.1 percent of its shots (37-for-71). The Jaguars had the rebounding edge (45-26) and had 11 steals in the game. Detroit Mercy had six steals -- three by Johanson -- and eight assists. The Titans went 10-of-13 from the free throw line (76.9 percent).

Titan News & Notes
• Detroit Mercy freshmen have scored in double figures 30 times in 2019-20 with Starks leading the way with 13 of those efforts.
• Fox scored in double figures for the sixth time -- with all of those efforts being 12 or more points.
• Reiff tied her career-high in rebounds with seven and matched her season-high with 10 points (also had 10 against Sacred Heart).
• Johanson also had three blocks on the road against George Mason earlier this season and upped her season total to 10 rejections.
• Fox has five or more rebounds in a game in 10 of her 22 games as a freshman.
• Oatis was playing in her 90th career game for the red, white and blue.
• It was the sixth meeting between the two Horizon League foes.
• The Titans have donated proceeds from their Pink Game to Gilda's Club Metro Detroit in all five seasons under head coach Bernard Scott.

Up Next
Detroit Mercy returns to play on Saturday, hosting UIC in a 1 p.m. contest. The game may also be seen live on ESPN-Plus. It's National Girls & Women in Sports Day from Calihan Hall with the festivities beginning at 10 a.m. For more information on NGWSD, please visit www.detroittitans.com/NGWSD.