FORT WAYNE, Ind. (12-2-22) - Junior
Irene Murua recorded her second double-double of the season scoring a team-high 13 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for the second consecutive game with two assists as Detroit Mercy came up short in a defensive battle at Purdue Fort Wayne, 58-49, in #HLWBB opening action on Friday night at the Gates Sports Center.
Senior
Imani McNeal added 12 points hitting 5-of-7 from the free-throw line while freshman
Amaya Burch got back on track with 11 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Ana Cabañas Llorens chipped in with a career-high four points with two assists while hitting her first career 3-pointer. Sophomore
Emma Trawally Porta and junior
Lucia Fleta Robles each had two points and grabbed six and five rebounds respectively.
Defense was a premium for both teams as Detroit Mercy (1-5, 0-1 HL) and PFW (4-4, 1-0 HL) each shot under 40 percent from the field. The Mastodons entered the game hitting 70 3-pointers which lead the Horizon League but the Titans were able to hold them to 4-of-22 (18.2%).
Training 25-17 at the half, Murua found Fleta Robles for a lay-up as the Titans open the third quarter with eight points. McNeal then hit Detroit Mercy's first 3-pointer of the game at the 2:56 mark followed by Cabañas Llorens who connected on her first career 3-ball as the Titans only trailed by two points, 39-37, heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter proved to be the difference as the Dons opened the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 11 points, 48-37, before a lay-up from Murua stopped the run with 4:08 left. However, PFW outscored the Titans 19-12 down the stretch to close out the game.
In the first half, Hoops by Burch and Murua tied the game at 4-4 but the Titans went on a three-minute scoring drought before lay-ups from freshman
Maite Lara Garcia and Burch cut the Mastodon lead to 14-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Trawally Porta grabbed a board and added a put-back pulling the Titans within five points, 16-11 in the second quarter. PFW responded to close out the quarter on a 9-6 clip to lead 25-17 at the half.
Detroit Mercy continues #HLWBB play at Cleveland State on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.
