DETROIT (2/17/22) - Junior Imani McNeal posted a career second-best 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 2-for-4 from 3-point range while grabbing a career-best seven rebounds for the third time this season while sophomore Lucia Fleta Robles added 11 points going 2-for-5 from long range and 3-for-4 from the free throw line with a career-best three steals as Detroit Mercy opened their final home stand of the season with a 77-62 setback to visiting Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday night at Calihan Hall. Fleta Robles has now hit a 3-pointer in eight straight games. 

Sophomore Irene Murua was the third player in double figures for the Titans (1-24, 1-17 HL) with 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting with four boards and three assists. Senior Monique Pruitt came close to notching her second consecutive double-double with eight points and team-high nine rebounds while going 4-for-6 from the charity stripe. Graduate student Daija Moses chipped in with seven points while freshman Akyia Baker grabbed a career-best three steals while adding four points along with graduate student Janna Lewis.

For the game, Detroit Mercy out shot Purdue Fort Wayne (9-17, 7-11 HL) from the field at a 43.4% to 40.3% advantage. However, the Mastodons went a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line and added two big runs in the third and fourth quarter coupled with a career-high 33 points from Sylare Starks on 12-for-20 shooting, 5-for-11 from 3-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line which proved to be the difference in the game. 

PFW opened up the third quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 15 point lead at 46-31 with 6:32 left. The Dons went on to out score the Titans 24-13 in the frame to take a 57-41 lead into the fourth quarter. 

The Titans cut the deficit down to nine points at 64-53 in the fourth quarter off back-to-back layups from Moses and Murua off an inbound pass steal from Fleta Robles. PFW once again responded with another 13-4 run to move ahead by 18 points at 77-59 to seal the game.

The first half was nip and tuck as both teams could not pull away from one another. The Titans had a balanced attack as McNeal led the way with seven points followed by five points from Pruitt and four points from Murua, Baker and Lewis to trail by four points at the half, 33-28. 

The Titans host Cleveland State for Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.