DETROIT (7/21/17) – From July 10-21, DetroitTitans.com will release the Top 10 Moments of 2016-17 as voted on by members of the Detroit Mercy athletic staff. Each day, a new moment will be posted on DetroitTitans.com as well as on all of the Titan social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram).
At No. 1 in our countdown is women's basketball's run to the league title game at the Horizon League Championship, capping a fantastic 2016-17 season overall.
Following a regular season which included a 9-0 conference home record, nearly setting a new attendance record, defeating Oakland twice and topping a nationally-ranked Green Bay squad, the Titans made a strong push for a Horizon League Championship.
Head coach
Bernard Scott's squad, seeded No. 3 in the league tournament with a 12-6 conference record, cruised to the championship game, which was being played for the first time at Joe Louis Arena in downtown Detroit. Detroit Mercy would play back-to-back-to-back in the tournament.
Detroit Mercy, who had split with sixth-seeded Cleveland State during the season used a 21-point burst in the third quarter to help defeat the Vikings, 70-56, in the quarterfinals.
Brianne Cohen led four Titans in double figures with 22 points.
Nicole Urbanick and
Anja Marinkovic each added 11 points, while
Rosanna Reynolds scored 10 points.
The Titans defense was impressive against Cleveland State, forcing the Vikings into 2-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc and just a 34.8 shooting percentage overall in the contest. The Vikings had just seven assists, while Detroit Mercy dished out 18 dimes, seven of them from
Brittney Jackson.
The red, white and blue then overwhelmed No. 2 seed Wright State in the semifinals, out-scoring the Raiders 48-28 in the second half on their way to a 71-52 triumph and a spot in the conference title game for the first time since 2012. The Titans shot 65.5 percent (19-of-29) in the second half alone.
Reynolds helped the Titans take over the second half, scoring 13 of her team-high 19 points in the third and fourth quarters combined.
Haleigh Ristovski had 10 rebounds after halftime and finished with 14 boards in the game. Urbanick, Cohen and Marinkovic each added 11 points and the Titans drained 11 triples in the game, while shooting 46.8 percent overall from the field.
Once again, the Titan defense was impressive, holding WSU in check from deep as the Raiders went 1-of-12 from 3-point range, while shooting just 25.0 percent overall during the semifinal game.
Detroit Mercy faced top-seeded and the defending champions Green Bay in the championship game, which was televised on ESPNU. Detroit Mercy was playing in their seventh Horizon League title game in school history and first since 2012.
Reynolds, who was named to the five-member Horizon League Tournament Team, led all scorers with 25 points, while fellow senior
Haleigh Ristovski added 11 points, but Detroit Mercy ultimately fell to the Phoenix, 64-52. The Titans cut the double-digit deficit to eight points, 53-45, with just over four minutes left in the game, but Green Bay pulled away in the remaining minutes.
Detroit Mercy shot 7-of-14 from beyond the arc (50 percent) for the game, with Reynolds draining 3-of-4 triples.
It was a special setting in the final women's basketball game at Joe Louis Arena with so much support from the Athletic Department, University, family, fans, alumni and others who helped cheer on a great season from the Titans.
Complete 2016-17 #TitanTop10 List
1. Women's Basketball Run to HL Title Game
2. Men's Basketball Comeback Win at Oakland
3. Titans Are True Student-Athletes
4. Reynolds Wraps Up Record-Breaking Career
5. Kendell Runs His Way to Another Big Year
6. Thompson Puts Finishing Touches on Standout Career
7. Softball's Run at Horizon League Championship
8. Men's Fencing Has Banner Season, Szumlas Fences at NCAA's
9. Men's Tennis Tallies Most Wins Since 1991 in Stellar Year
10. Women's Soccer Defies Polls to Finish Second in League
