Box Score
MACON, Ga. - Mercer University women’s basketball head coach knew her team had a golden opportunity on Monday evening. Unfortunately for Jones’ team, opportunity didn’t knock twice as the Bears dropped a 67-62 decision to Atlantic Sun frontrunner, Florida Gulf Coast University at the University Center
“We blew a great opportunity,” said Jones. “You never catch (FGCU) shooting that poorly. We didn’t play smart.
“We played hard; we just didn’t play smart.”
Mercer (11-10, 8-4 A-Sun) could not take advantage of an off night by the normally hot-shooting Eagles (17-4, 12-1 A-Sun). FGCU, which came in connecting on nearly 43 percent from the floor, shot just 37 percent (21-of-57) from the field at Mercer. FGCU’s 67 points was also slightly below its season average of 71.1 p.p.g.
Compared to the first half of the last meeting between the teams just last weekend in Ft. Myers, Fla., Monday night’s start was polar opposite for the Bears. A week ago, Mercer trailed by as much as 28 points in the opening half.
But this night, it was the slimmest of leads, 33-32, at the intermission for the league-leading Eagles.
As a matter-of-fact, MU led b y as much as eight points with 11:59 left in the first half when LaToya Jackson (11 points) was fouled on a steal and made a lay-up. The senior guard also drained the free throw to make it 20-12.
Last time out versus FGCU, Mercer never held a lead the entire game.
But against the powerful Eagles team, no advantage was safe. FGCU stormed back and over the next 6 1/2 minutes went on a 19-4 run to grab a seven point lead of its own. A pair of made free throws by Eglah Griffin (her only points of the half) made it 31-24.
Courtney Ford got the Bears right back into the thick of it a minute later thanks to a three-pointer and short jumper on successive possessions . Ford’s buckets made it 31-29 and then, in the waning seconds of the half, Neicey Lewis’ (10 points) fast-break lay-up got MU to within the single point heading into the locker room.
Ford would finish the game with a team-leading 18 points. Ford registered her 10th double-double of the year – and 13th of her career - by snagging a team-best 10 rebounds. The senior guard had two assists and two steals, as well.
The Bears lost a big part of their offense when sophomore Lacy Ramon fouled out of the game with 8:15 left to play and her team down by eight, 59-51. Ramon’s night finished with 16 points, on a 4-for-6 shooting effort from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw stripe. She also grabbed five boards.
FGCU held its lead – and even increased it to 10 points (65-55) - after Ramon had fouled out. But the Bears continued to battle.
Thanks to a cold spell from the Eagles’ shooters, the Bears cut the margin to three points, 65-62, on a Jackson trey with 2:50 left in the game. FGCU did not make a field goal after Courtney Chihl’s layup with 4:15 left in the game.
Unfortunately for the Bears, Jackson’s long-range shot would also prove to be its last. Ford launched a three-point attempt with six seconds that would have tied the game, but the shot careened off to seal Mercer’s fate in the loss.
“They’ve been in this position before,” Jones said of the defending A-Sun champions. “Our youth showed tonight. Their shots fell and ours didn’t.
“These were two teams with a lot of respect for each other’s program.”