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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (4/12/2013) -- The 2012-13 season ended later than normal for the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team as the squad got together with staff and programs supporters to put the finishing touches on the year at the annual team banquet held at the Southfield Marriott on Friday evening.
The reason the season ended so late was a championship run to a Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) title. A four-game winning streak put together by Detroit allowed the Titans to win its first postseason tournament since claiming the State-Large College Tournament in 1981.
The season also brought Detroit back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2001 and 2002, and the second-straight year of at least 20 wins since 1981 and 1982. The 21 wins on the year were also the most since UDM went 23-7 in 1997.
After opening remarks and an invocation by
Sr. Beth Finster S.S.J. a dinner was served before getting to the main portion of the schedule in the awards ceremony, where six Titans earned team honors.
Sophomore
Shareta Brown was the team's Offensive Player of the Year and there was no debating that as she broke a school and Horizon League record with 714 points. She was second in the HL – and 13th in the country - in scoring at 21.0 ppg., and led the league and was fifth in the nation in field-goal percentage (59.2). The First Team All-Horizon League selection posted six 30-point games, 16, 20-point contests and broke another school record with 43 points in a home win over Lourdes.
The Most Improved Player went to senior
Demeisha Fambro and that came after she ended her career with highs in points (375), points per game (11.4), assists (71), rebounds (146), rebounds per game (4.4), free throws (55-of-79 for 69.6%), field goals (136-of-358 for 38.0%), 3-pointers (48), and blocks (6). Fambro finished her college career with 974 points and tied for ninth in school history with 112 three-pointers.
Senior
Yar Shayok earned the Coach's Award after another standout season, earning with the HL Sixth Player of the Year for the second-straight year as well as being tabbed to the conference's All-Defensive Team for the second time in her career. She posted 9.6 points and 8.8 rebounds as a senior - fifth in the HL - while shooting 52.3% from the field - fourth in the league - and she also topped the Titans with 33 blocks. Shayok ended her collegiate career with 1,230 points, which is 13th in school history, and with 1,152 rebounds which is number two in school history and fourth all-time in the Horizon League.
Freshman
Rosanna Reynolds was recognized as the Newcomer of the Year after earning a spot on the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. The rookie guard led the championship squad with 135 assists, while her 4.0 assists per game ranked fifth in the HL. She also averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds and came away with 34 steals, second most on the team.
Junior
Senee Shearer was named the Comeback Player of the Year and that was extremely well-fitting after she missed the first 14 games of the season recovering from a torn ACL, only to come back and average 11.6 ppg, second on the team. She also still led the Titans with 53 triples, while averaging 2.6 rpg., and 1.4 apg., and will enter her senior campaign tied for seventh place on the Titan all-time three-pointer's list with 134.
Freshman
DaVonna Bradford was the final award winner taking home the Mental Attitude accolade. She only saw action in seven games in her rookie season, but she was one of the most dedicated players in practice and her hard work day in and day out made the team better to the point that allowed the Titans to win the WBI.
Each student-athlete on the team also received a commemorative scrapbook highlighting the season, and a great highlight and tribute video was played that captivated the audience.