CORALOPOLIS, Pa. (Interstat) — The Robert Morris Colonials used a dominant third-quarter surge to overcome a sluggish start and fend off a late rally by the Detroit Titans for a 60-52 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

In a contest defined by defensive pressure and scoring droughts, the Colonials improved to 8-2 overall by holding the Titans to just 16 first-half points before withstanding a determined comeback attempt in the final period. Detroit fell to 3-6.

The game’s pivotal stretch came immediately after halftime. Leading 26-16 at the break, Robert Morris exploded with a 21-point third quarter, extending their advantage to as many as 18 points. The Colonials’ interior defense, led by 6-foot-3 center Myriam Traore of Lognes, France, who blocked four shots, consistently disrupted Detroit’s offense. The Titans, however, refused to capitulate, answering with a 19-point quarter of their own, sparked by back-to-back three-pointers from Maya Anderson and Myonna Hooper, to trim the deficit to 47-35 entering the fourth.

Detroit’s momentum carried into the final quarter, where they mounted a sustained charge. A driving layup by Nisea Burrell of Philadelphia and a corner three-pointer from Hooper of Pontiac, Michigan, fueled a 9-2 run that brought the Titans within 55-52 with just over a minute remaining. The comeback bid was fueled by a defensive effort that forced several Colonial turnovers in the closing minutes.

With the outcome in the balance, Robert Morris relied on its veterans to secure the win. Traore, who finished with a team-high 13 points, hit a crucial pull-up jumper with 1:03 left to push the lead back to five. After a Detroit miss, the Colonials then sealed the game at the free-throw line, with Jada Lee of Pittsburgh sinking a pair with 4.4 seconds remaining for the final margin.

The first half was a struggle for both offenses, but particularly for the visiting Titans. Detroit managed only nine points in the opening quarter and seven in the second, shooting a frigid percentage from the floor against an active Robert Morris defense. The Colonials, while not efficient, built their lead through balanced scoring and second-chance opportunities, taking a 10-point lead into the locker room.

Traore’s all-around line of 13 points, four blocks and two assists in 31 minutes anchored the Colonials. She was joined in double figures by Aislin Malcolm of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, who scored 11 points and dished out five assists, and the trio of Lee, Noa Givon of Ra’anana, Israel, and Bailey Kuhns of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, who each added 10 points.

Detroit was led by the backcourt duo of Makayla Jackson of Alexandria, Virginia, and Hooper, who each scored 13 points. Jackson added a steal and a block in 35 minutes. Burrell contributed nine points and three assists.

The game was organized by the Horizon League. Attendance was 357.

Robert Morris, which entered the game with an 81 percent probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system, will host Point Park on Friday. Detroit travels to New Orleans to face Mercer on Saturday as part of a multi-team event.