DETROIT (2/21/22) - Graduate student
Tori Powell hit a career-high 5-for-10 from 3-point range scoring 15 first half points while freshman
Sonia Pereda added a career-best 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and 1-for-3 from long range while grabbing a career-best six rebounds and dishing out a career-best six assists for the second time this season. Senior
Monique Pruitt also reached double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds as Detroit Mercy hit a season-high eight 3-pointers but fell 80-60 in the home finale to Cleveland State on Monday at Calihan Hall. Sophomore
Irene Murua also grabbed a career-best 14 boards while scoring eight points.
After a competitive first half, Cleveland State's (18-6, 13-5 HL) hot shooting in the third quarter proved to be the difference as the Vikings went 10-for-19 (52.6%) and 3-for-5 from behind the arc while Detroit Mercy (1-26, 1-19 HL) only shot 4-for-20 (20.0%). This led to CSU opening the frame on a 21-5 run to take the lead at 56-42 before Graduate student
Daija Moses ended the drought with a layup with 2:10 left in the quarter. The Vikings went on to outscore the Titans 29-10 overall to take a commanding 64-47 lead into the fourth. CSU went on another 12-6 run to start the fourth quarter and never looked back to secure the win.
Both teams played even in the second quarter scoring 17 points each until graduate student
Janna Lewis took a pass from Pereda and launched a 3-pointer from just inside half court and banked it in as time expired giving the Titans a 37-35 halftime lead. This was Lewis' second buzz-beater in a week's time as she hit the game-winning layup as time expired at UIC last Monday giving Detroit Mercy its first win of the season. Powell was the story in the first half as she cashed in on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown with 15 points while Pruitt had 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Both teams were hot from the field to start the game as CSU shot 53.3% with Detroit Mercy just behind shooting 50% as the Titans only trailed by one point 18-17 at the end of the first quarter.
For the game, CSU had a 31-9 fast break points advantage along with 26 points off 25 Detroit Mercy turnovers while going 26-for-31 (83.9%) from the free throw line.
The Titans hit the road for their final two games of the regular season starting at Wright State on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m.
