Game Notes vs. No. 21 Green Bay

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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Detroit women's basketball team will take its two game winning streak on the road as the Titans begin Horizon League play on Friday with a match-up against No. 21 Green Bay. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. (EST) at the Kress Events Center.

The game can be seen live on the Horizon League Network as well as with a free live stats link. Both links are located on top of the page.

The Titans come into the game at 6-5 as they ended the non-conference portion of their schedule with two big victories, a 67-48 win at Michigan on Dec. 18 and a 68-27 rout of Marygrove this past Monday, Dec. 27.

Detroit is looking for its second-straight win over Green Bay as the red, white and blue pulled off a 71-55 upset the last time these two teams met on Feb. 4, 2010, in Calihan Hall. A victory would mark the first time Detroit has beat Green Bay in back-to-back games since 1997, which is also the last time – and only time – UDM has won on the road against the Phoenix.

DETROIT VS. GREEN BAY
Detroit defeated Green Bay, 71-55, the last time these two teams squared off, but the Phoenix own a 32-6 career mark against the Titans.

The victory ended a 15-game slide to Green Bay, but Detroit will now look to end a 15-game road losing streak to the preseason HL favorite as UDM is 1-17 all-time in Green Bay.

The Titans only win on the road in the series was in the Horizon League championship game on March 9, 1997, as the No. 1 seeded Titans defeated No. 3 Green Bay, 63-55.

ABOUT THE PHOENIX
Green Bay is currently ranked 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and comes into the game at 11-1. Green Bay's lone setback on the season was to Marquette on the road, 63-60.

The Phoenix was picked to win the Horizon League in the conference's preseason poll, which would be its 13th consecutive title.

Green Bay is led by the HL's preseason Player of the Year Kayla Tetschlag, who is averaging 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Julie Wojta leads the team in scoring at 12.6 ppg., while Adrian Ritchie (12.3 ppg.) and Celeste Hoewisch (11.9 ppg.) are also in double digits in point production.

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR'S
The game at Green Bay marks the third time in Titan history that Detroit will play on New Year's eve. UDM is 0-2 on Dec. 31 games with a 76-67 loss at Cleveland State in 2005 and a 90-79 setback at Western Michigan in 1986.

OPENING UP IN WISCONSIN
Detroit opens conference play on the road in Wisconsin to face the only two current Horizon League teams that the Titans do not have a winning record against.

UDM is 6-32 all-time against Green Bay and 17-21 versus Milwaukee.

The only other team Detroit does not have a winning record against is Valparaiso as the Titans are 4-4 all-time in match-ups with the Crusaders, including 3-3 since Valpo joined the conference.

LOOKING FOR THE ELUSIVE WIN IN GREEN BAY
Detroit is looking for its second-straight victory over Green Bay after defeating the Phoenix in the Motor City, 71-55, in the squad's second meeting of the season.

A win would give Detroit its first two-game winning streak in the series since 1997, when the red, white and blue took 2-of-3 from Green Bay, including a 57-44 win at home and a 63-55 decision on the road in the Horizon League championship game.

That year, current Titan head coach Autumn Rademacher was a senior guard leading Detroit to its first NCAA tournament. 

WHO MIGHT GO DOWN THIS YEAR
Detroit has played six ranked teams since Autumn Rademacher returned to her alma mater as head coach in 2008, and the Titans have shown some impressive results with a pair of wins. During the 2008-09 season, the red, white and blue took down No. 23 Georgia at home, 70-66, while last season, UDM beat No. 22 Green Bay, 71-55, also in Calihan Hall.

Titans Against Ranked Teams In Rademacher's Tenure
W - 70-66 over No. 23 Georgia, Nov. 22, 2008
L - 71-62 to No. 10 Michigan State, Nov. 15, 2009
L - 66-42 at No. 9 Georgia, Dec. 22, 2009
L - 71-46 at No. 18 Green Bay, Jan. 9, 2010
W - 71-55 over No. 22 Green Bay, Feb. 4, 2010
L - 82-42 to No. 25/22 Michigan State, Nov. 21, 2010

WINNING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Detroit posted a 6-5 mark in its non-conference schedule, the Titans first winning non-conference slate since going 7-6 to start the 2000-01 campaign.

The non-conference saw UDM go 5-1 against teams from the state of Michigan, including a dominating 67-48 tally at the University of Michigan.

As of Dec. 29, the non-conference opponents on Detroit's schedule were 84-54 (.626%) on the year.

RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE
Detroit ended the non-conference with a defensive effort that ranked among the top performances in school history. In the 68-27 victory over Marygrove on Dec. 27, the Titans:

- Allowed the second fewest points in school history, behind only the 17 Detroit yielded in an 83-17 triumph over Madonna on Feb. 22, 1978.

- Held the Mustangs to just 18 percent shooting (11-of-59) from the field, which is believed to be the second best defensive field goal percentage and opponent made field goals surpassing the 21 percent (12-of-56) Youngstown State connected on in a Titan 80-44 win last season (Jan. 28. 2010) *

- The 41-point victory was also the biggest win for the Titans since a 96-54 win over McNeese State on Dec. 14, 2005.

* The box score for the Detroit 83-17 win in 1978 is currently unavailable, but the score would indicate that the most field goals Madonna would have had in the contest was eight and with the score that lopsided, it would be of no surprise if the Crusaders attempted at least 45 shots which would equate to 17 percent from the field.

MORE ABOUT DETROIT'S DEFENSE
Detroit has forced at least 15 turnovers in six of its 11 games on the year, including three contests with 20+ turnovers.

UDM forced a season-high 22 turnovers against Ball State (turning those opportunities into 30 points) as well as against Marygrove (29 points of turnovers). Detroit also forced No. 25/22 Michigan State into 21 turnovers.

On the year, the Titans have caused 172 opponent turnovers, an average of 15.6 per game.

The 15 steals against Marygrove was a season high and the most Detroit has come away with since a 16-steal effort at Wright State on Jan. 31, 2009.

FAMILIAR PLACE
Detroit head coach Autumn Rademacher is no stranger to Green Bay as she was an assistant coach for the Phoenix from 2004-08.

During her tenure, Green Bay won four conference regular-season championships, as well as two post-season titles (2005 and '07).

MURPHY DEBUTS WITH A BANG
Junior Britney Murphy made her Titan debut against Marygrove, ending the contest with 10 points, while tying her career high with five rebounds and setting a new collegiate best with four steals.

Murphy transferred to Detroit from St. John's out of the BIG EAST, where she played in 39 games, with five starts, in her career as a member of the Red Storm. She averaged 2.7 points, 1.6 assists and 1.3 assists in 34 games as a freshman for St. John's and 2.4 points and 1.4 assists in five games as a sophomore before transferring to UDM last January.

PASSING RIGHT BY YOU
Junior Jalesa Jones put herself in the Detroit record books last season as she totaled 159 assists, the fourth-most in a season at UDM.

She already has an eight-assist performance on the season, against Western Michigan, and now has 287 career assists.

She just tied Daphne Smith for ninth and is just seven behind Lisa Blackburn for eighth in school history.

DOMINATING THE BOARDS
Detroit is second in the Horizon League with a 2.6 rebounding margin, thanks in large part to three dominating days on the glass. The Titans have outrebounded an opponent by 17 three times this season (Marygrove - 50-33, Michigan - 47-30 and Saint Joseph's - 48-31), while also winning the battle of the boards by 13 against Western Michigan (42-29).

Detroit had a +25 rebounding margin at the Big Easy Classic against Saint Joseph's and Tulane, pulling down 100 total rebounds on the weekend, including winning the battle of the boards against the Hawks, 48-31, and at Tulane, 52-44.