Oh Yes, Titans Rally From Double Digits To Beat Valpo

DETROIT (2/26/2014) -- A 17-2 run in the first half got Detroit back in it and sophomore Tayelor McCalister's (Akron, Ohio / Firestone) jumper with less than five seconds left turned out to be the game winner as the University of Detroit Mercy women's basketball team beat Valparaiso, 81-79, on Dick Vitale in historic Calihan Hall on Wednesday.

The win moved Detroit (5-21) into a tie for eighth in the Horizon League with Valparaiso (4-22) at 2-11.

Freshman Megan Galloway (Greenville, Ohio / Greenville) continued her great run with her second-straight double-double tying her season-best with 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior Senee Shearer (Detroit, Mich. / Pershing) tallied a game-high 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 5-of-7 from downtown as she moved into a tie for first in school history with 217 career 3-pointers.

Detroit was down by one, 77-76, with 2:19 left when Shearer was able to hit a jumper to give UDM the lead. A Galloway free throw made it 79-77 at the 1:49 mark, but the Crusaders would knot it up with over a minute left. Both defenses were able to hold the opposition scoreless on the next possession and the titans took over with 29 seconds left.

That is when McCalister took control as she tried to look for Shearer outside and Galloway inside, but ended up driving to the hole and stopping to put up a fade away 8-footer that tickled the twine with four seconds on the clock and the Titans held on for the victory.

McCalister ended with 15 points and five rebounds, while senior Megan Hatter (Howell, Mich. / Howell) posted 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The Titans did a lot of work to get back in the game after trailing by as many as 17 in the first half, but Detroit was still down by 10, 60-50, with 13 minutes left in the game.

Detroit trimmed it down to four, 62-58, and then two, 65-63, as Galloway got loose inside with 9:55 remaining. The Crusaders held off the Titan charge there and ran their lead back to six, 74-68, but a three-point play by Galloway and a trey from Shearer tied it all up and McCalister's short jumper gave UDM its first lead of the game, 76-74, at the 4:15 mark.

Valparaiso came back to jump out in front, 77-76, with less than four minutes until the Titans closed the game on a 5-2 spurt.

The Titans shot 46.0% (29-of-63) and forced 18 Valpo turnovers, turning those into 27 points. UDM was also 17-of-24 at the free throw line and 6-of-16 from three.

Valparaiso (5-21, 3-10 HL) came out on fire in the first half hitting six-straight shots to take a 14-6 lead. The Crusaders kept that up hitting 14-of-16 and opening a 17-point lead, 32-15, midway through the first half.

UDM (4-22, 1-12 HL) then went on a 7-0 run courtesy of McCalister, who scored all seven points, and the Titans were within 12, 32-20, at the nine-minute mark, but another Crusaders' spurt ran their lead to 17, 40-23, with 6:14 left in the half.

That is when the red, white and blue caught fire going on a 17-2 run over the next five minute to make it a one possession game. The defense clamped down forcing Valpo to just 1-of-6 from the field with a pair of turnovers, while Detroit was 5-of-6, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc.

Galloway started the charge with back-to-back baskets and then Hatter found freshman Haleigh Ristovski (Sterling Heights Mich. / University Liggett) in the corner for an open 3-pointer. Galloway then hit two free throws and after a Crusaders bucket, Shearer was able to put one in from three to make it 42-35. A three-point play from Galloway followed and freshman Minisha Frederick-Childress (North Mankato, Minn. / Mankato East) – who had a team-best four assists - finished it for a layup to cut it to 42-40, before going into the half down 45-40.

Valparaiso shot 60.7% (17-of-28) in the first half, while Detroit was at 45.5% (15-of-33).

UDM will close out the regular season homestand on Saturday as Detroit hosts first-place Youngstown State in a Titan basketball doubleheader on Senior Day. The women will play at 1:00 p.m., as they honor Hatter, Shearer and Abby McCollum (La Salle, Mich. / Monroe) prior to the start and then the men will face first place Green Bay at 4:00 p.m.

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Game Notes:

Detroit leads the all-time series, 12-7 and has won six in a row over the Crusaders at home as Valpo has not won in the Motor city since 2009… The Crusaders shot over 50% in both games against Detroit this season… If the season ended today, Valpo would host the 8-9 Horizon League opening game based on the tiebreaker of a win over a high team in the standings as the Crusaders win over Oakland trumps the Titans' victory over Milwaukee… Detroit won its first game when trailing at the half this season (1-17)… Shearer is tied with Michelle James (1998-02) for first in school history with 217 career 3-pointers… Shearer is now just one point away from tying Mandy Chandler (1987-91) for 15th in school history with 1,181 points… Hatter has now scored in double figures in back-to-back games… McCalister now has eight-straight games with 10 or more points… It was the fifth-straight game that the Titans have had four or more players in double figures… Galloway has now scored in double digits in four-straight games – including a pair of 21-point efforts – and is averaging 17.5 points during that span.

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Box Score

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