DETROIT (2-29-24) - Senior
Irene Murua broke out of her three-game scoring slump in a major way matching a season-best 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 4-of-5 from the free throw line with six rebounds and a block to lead Detroit Mercy to a 64-59 win over IUPUI in the Annual Pink Game on Thursday night at Calihan Hall. With the win, the Titans snapped a four-game skid and have a chance to secure the No. 4 seed in the upcoming 2024 #HLWBB Championships if they can defeat Wright State on Senior Day in the regular season finale on Saturday, Mar, 2 at 1 p.m.
Additionally to Murua, Detroit Mercy (16-14, 9-10 HL) had three other players in double figures as Junior
Emma Trawally Porta had 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting with seven boards while sophomore
Myonna Hooper added 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Freshman
Paris Gilmore chipped in with 10 points. Graduate student
Imani McNeal matched a career-high grabbing nine rebounds.
The Titans opened the game on a 12-5 run. IUPUI (6-22, 4-15 HL) responded with an 8-3 spurt to pull within a point at 15-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The offenses for both teams caught fire in the second quarter as the Jags went 7-for-14 (50%) and UDM shot 8-for-15 (53.3%) and 3-for-5 from long range to lead by two points at the half, 34-32.
Midway through the third quarter, UDM moved ahead by six points off a layup from Trawally Porta at 42-36. The Jags then went on a 9-2 run to retake the lead 45-44. Back-to-back layups from Murua and Trawally Porta put the Titans back up by a point at 48-47 to end the frame.
UDM opened the fourth quarter with a quick four points as Murua hit an and-1 layup. After IUPUI was assessed a technical foul after the play, she hit the ensuing free throw and then split a pair of technical free throws giving the Titans their largest lead of the game at nine points, 56-47. The Jags responded with a 6-0 run before Hooper connected on an and-1 layup followed by another jumper putting her in double figures. McNeal then added a jumper followed by a clutch jumper at the elbow from Murua moving the Titans back up nine points at 64-55 to seal the deal.
