DETROIT (2-10-24) - Graduate student Imani McNeal put Detroit Mercy on her back scoring 10 of her team-high 14 points down the stretch of the fourth quarter while grabbing seven rebounds as the Titans battled but came up short losing just their second #HLWBB home game to visiting Youngstown State, 54-49, on Saturday afternoon at Calihan Hall. 

Senior Irene Murua was the only other Detroit Mercy (15-11, 8-7 HL) player in double figures scoring 12 points with seven rebounds. Junior Emma Trawally Porta added eight points also grabbing seven boards while sophomore Myonna Hooper chipped in with six points. Sophomore Amaya Burch added five points and was the fourth player to haul in seven rebounds.

With UDM trailing 44-41 out of the media timeout with 4:39 remaining, McNeal went to work nailing a triple from the corner. YSU (11-14, 7-8 HL) responded with a pair of triples to move back ahead by nine points at 50-41. McNeal then answered with a 5-0 run by herself connecting on an and-1 layup, hitting the ensuing free throw, followed by a jumper to pull the Titans within four points at 50-46 with 1:51 left. Murua then split a pair of free throws cutting the deficit to three, 50-47. 

After a YSU layup, McNeal came up clutch once again nailing a jumper pulling the Titans within three points at 52-49 with 41 seconds left. Despite out-rebounding YSU 38-27 to this point in the game, Detroit Mercy got the stop they needed as Dena Jarrells missed a 3-pointer but couldn't grab a crucial board off the miss allowing Malia Magestro to get the offensive rebound which forced the Titans to foul with just nine seconds left. Magestro then sank a pair of free throws to ice the game while UDM could not convert three attempts from close range to extend the game as time expired to seal the Penguins' third consecutive league win.

Before the fourth quarter, YSU opened up the third on a 10-6 spurt to move ahead 35-29. Hooper was able to get to the line and sink a pair of free throws to pull UDM within six points at 36-31 at the end of the frame.

In the first half, Both team's defenses were on point as buckets were hard to come by in the first quarter as neither team reached double figures with YSU leading 9-6 at the end of the frame.

Trailing 14-8 at the media timeout, UDM outscored YSU 13-8 capped off by a Burch 3-pointer giving the Titans their first lead at 19-17. The Penguins went on to outscore the Titans by an 8-4 margin to lead by two points, 25-23, heading into the locker room.

Detroit Mercy hit the road for a three-game #HLWBB swing starting at Purdue Fort Wayne on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.