INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (1-20-23) - For the second consecutive game and third time this season, Detroit Mercy had four players reach double-figures as the Titans battled hard before falling 74-64 at defending #HLWBB champion IUPUI on Friday night at The Jungle. Junior
Irene Murua posted a team-high and season-second-best 17 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals followed by 12 points from sophomore
Emma Trawally Porta on 6-of-8 shooting with six boards and three blocks. Junior
Lucia Fleta Robles went 2-for-4 from 3-point range scoring 10 points while freshman
Amaya Burch also added 10 points with two buckets from long range and six rebounds.
Freshman
Myonna Hooper chipped in with six points, four assists, and five rebounds. Freshman
Andrea Chiquemba connected on her second career 3-pointer while junior
Jada Moorehead and sophomore
Akyia Baker also had three points each.
Detroit Mercy (3-16, 1-9 HL) got off to a hot start early shooting 6-for-8 and 2-for-2 from long-range adding a 7-0 run to take a 14-9 lead at the first media timeout. The Titans finished the frame going 10-for-18 and 3-for-4 from 3-point range for a 24-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The Titans' hot shooting continued in the second quarter as they went 6-for-12 from the field. After only shooting 5-for-19 (26.3%) from the field in the first frame, IUPUI's (10-8, 6-3 HL) offense came alive shooting a blistering 8-for-13 (61.5%) to take a 41-38 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter proved to be Detroit Mercy's undoing. After Fleta Robles connected on her second 3-pointer of the game to open the frame, the Jaguars went a 10-0 run with a 13-3 spurt overall to take a 54-41 lead at the 4:09 mark. Hooper hit a free throw that ended a six-minute scoreless drought. Burch then added her second 3-ball of the game as the Titans trailed 56-49 heading into the fourth quarter.
Murua went to work in the fourth quarter scoring eight of the Titans' 13 points. Hooper and Trawally Porta each added buckets as Detroit Mercy still trailed by 10 points 72-62 with 2:34 left. The Titans held IUPUI to only a pair of free throws down the stretch defensively but the offense only got a jumper from Baker as the Jags maintained the 10-point margin for the win.
Detroit Mercy returns home to open a four-game #HLWBB home stand beginning with Cleveland State on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.
