HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (3/1/22) - Graduate student Brandi Washington closed out her career in a Titan uniform posting her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds going 6-for-7 from the free throw line with two steals as No. 12 seed Detroit Mercy closed out the season with a 73-50 setback at No. 5 seed Northern Kentucky in first found action at the 2022 Keeps #HLWBB Championship on Thursday night. Sophomore Irene Murua scored eight second half points to reach double figures with 10 points with seven rebounds while grabbing a career-best five steals. Sophomore Lucia Fleta Robles also chipped in with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

Graduate student Daija Moses added nine points while graduate student Tori Powell dished out a team-high five assists with five points.

Detroit Mercy (1-29, 1-21 HL) had no problem getting to the line going 18-for-25 (72.0%) but could not complement it only shooting 16-for-50 (32.0%) from the field while Northern Kentucky went 29-for-66 (43.9%) with 24 points off 21 Titan turnovers which proved to be the difference.

Defense was the name of the game as both teams had trouble scoring to open the first quarter. Washington was able to convert a 3-point play after a jumper and ensuing free throw while Moses and Fleta Robles added back-to-back buckets to close out the frame with the Titans trailing 14-8.

Just like the last meeting, NKU responded with a big second quarter run posting a 15-2 spurt before a pair of free throws from Murua ended the run with Detroit Mercy trailing 29-10. The Titans ended the quarter getting five points from the free throw line to trail by 19, 39-20, at the half but were outscored 25-12 in the frame.

Both teams played about even in the third quarter with the Norse posting a 18-14 advantage to maintain their big lead at 57-34. The Titans went on a 10-4 run to open the fourth quarter trailing 63-44 at the 4:37 mark but that would be as close as the Titans would get as NKU closed out the game to advance to the next round.