Moving up

DETROIT—So much for star power.

The battle for second place in the Horizon League between Detroit Mercy and Wright State was supposed to feature dominant post players and explosive guards.

            But it was a pair of unlikely heroes who sealed the 75-64 win for the Titans Saturday afternoon in Calihan Hall.

            Megan Hatter's career-highs in points (16) and rebounds (eight) paced Detroit, and Demeisha Fambro's 13 points off the bench helped contribute to the Titans' Homecoming victory.

            "It feels really good," Hatter said. "It was an important game for us and we all came together."

            Playing without usual-starter Lauren Allen (suspension), Detroit trailed by four late in the first half.

            That's when Fambro went on a personal 8-0 run to give the Titans a lead they would never relinquish.

            "I know I had to step it up big time," Fambro said. "When we lose a player that's an opportunity for someone else to step up and just help the team out."

            Detroit led by three at halftime, thanks in part to the team's defense of the Raider stars.

            When freshman standout Shareta Brown picked up her second foul early in the first half, her teammates stepped up defensively.

            A combination of Yar Shayok and Megan Hatter helped limit senior center Molly Fox—who's had huge games against Detroit in the past—to 4-for-14 shooting.

            "We had to lock her down," said Hatter, who was at a significant size disadvantage. "My team had my back. It was important that we communicated with each other and told where I was at and where she was at. It was a really good team effort defensively."

            The Titans' defense also helped limit WSU's leading scorer.

            Wright State freshman Kim Demmings, who leads the team with 16.6 points per game, shot just 6-for-25 Saturday.

            Coach Autumn Rademacher said senior point guard Jalesa Jones was the reason why.

            "She has great timing and is just little enough to fight over those screens," she said of Jones's defensive abilities.

            The Titans came out of halftime on an 11-0 run and built as much as a 15-point lead. The game seemed in hand before the Raiders responded.

            WSU cut the deficit to four with less than eight minutes left before five-straight points from Hatter helped UDM rebuild its lead.

            "She was unreal," Rademacher said. "She made a critical three and has been such a surprise. She and Shareta work really well on the block. They seem to know where each other are all the time."

Fambro said losing the lead didn't affect Detroit.

            "We just needed to stay with a level head and trust in each other," she said. "Basketball's a game of runs. We just had to push, fight and not give up."

            Hatter said the team, now second in the Horizon League, is playing well because of their off-court relationships.

"Our team chemistry is really coming together," she said. "It's important to keep that up and never break apart. We're like a family."