Thursday, February 15
Cullowhee, N.C.
5 P.M.
Mercer University
24-2, 11-0SoCon
53
at
46
Western Carolina
5-22, 1-11SoCon
1
2
3
4
F
Mercer
12
11
13
17
53
Western Carolina
11
10
8
17
46
Team Stats
MER
WCU
FG%
.396
.395
3FG%
.100
.333
FT%
.588
1.000
RB
25
37
TO
9
25
STL
13
3
Game Leaders
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Bears Secure Road Victory in Cullowhee
2/15/2018 8:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mercer runs win streak to 21 following seven-point win
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Mercer Women's Basketball pulled away from the Catamounts to earn win No. 24 on the season, besting Western Carolina 53-46. With the win, the Bears improve to 24-2 (11-0 SoCon) and run their winning streak to 21 consecutive games. The Catamounts fall to 5-22, including 1-11 in SoCon action.
Stat of the Game
For the second consecutive game, the Bears' defense stepped up to seal the victory. Mercer forced 25 turnovers from the Catamounts, turning those blunders into 31 points on the offensive end.
Player of the Game
Amanda Thompson led the Bears in scoring with 12 points and had an effective night shooting the ball, finishing 6-for-11 from the field. Thompson also snatched three rebounds and swatted two shots, while also swiping two steals.
How It Happened
The Bears trailed the Catamounts 8-4 through the first 6:37 of the opening quarter as both defensed seemed to be locked in. Mercer then went on an 8-0 run capped off by an Alex Williams jumper to give the Bears the 12-8 advantage with just 12 seconds left. Western Carolina's Nikki Johnson cut the Mercer deficit to one at the buzzer, draining a three from the wing.
Neither team could gather any separation from one another in the second quarter as Mercer led by as many as four and the Catamounts led by as many as two. With the score knotted at 21-21 with four seconds remaining in the half, Amanda Thompson netted a layup at the buzzer to give the Bears the 23-21 advantage at the intermission.
The Catamounts would not go away in the third quarter, clawing back to tie the contest at 27 apiece with 5:04 remaining in the quarter. The Bears ended the frame on a 9-2 run to provide themselves with a seven-point cushion heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Western Carolina proved resilient yet again, chipping the Mercer lead to just one with 6:53 left to play in the game. However, the Bears rallied off six unanswered points to pull away from the Catamounts, leading 42-35. In the closing minutes, Mercer led by as many as nine points, keeping Western Carolina at bay. The Bears knocked down seven free throws in the final minute of play to walk away with the seven-point victory.
Notables
» The Bears improve to 13-0 all-time against Western Carolina, including 6-0 in Cullowhee, N.C.
» The Bears improve to 24-2, winning their 21st consecutive game to set the program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» With the win, Mercer moves to within two games of marking the most wins in a single season under Head Coach Susie Gardner.
» Sydni Means ended the game with seven assists, pulling herself to within 16 assists of third all-time in SoCon history.
Coach's Corner
Opening Statement
"I would like to say how proud I am of this team and everything they have accomplished this season so far. They come to practice every day with a great attitude and work ethic, they are getting extra shots up and still working on their skill set. I am just really proud of what they have done thus far."
On the defensive pressure
"We struggled from the field and the free throw line, so we felt that our defense was what we needed to win. I was proud of the way that we came up with stops tonight.
On the performance from Thompson
"Amanda is always the first player on the court. She has a great attitude and has always been an over achiever throughout her career. We weren't able to hit outside shots and I was proud of the way she stepped up and was able to knock down her own shots."
Records Update
» Mercer: 24-2 (11-0 SoCon)
» Western Carolina: 5-22 (1-11 SoCon)
Next Game
» Mercer: at UNCG on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. at Fleming Gym in Greensboro, N.C.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Stat of the Game
For the second consecutive game, the Bears' defense stepped up to seal the victory. Mercer forced 25 turnovers from the Catamounts, turning those blunders into 31 points on the offensive end.
Player of the Game
Amanda Thompson led the Bears in scoring with 12 points and had an effective night shooting the ball, finishing 6-for-11 from the field. Thompson also snatched three rebounds and swatted two shots, while also swiping two steals.
How It Happened
The Bears trailed the Catamounts 8-4 through the first 6:37 of the opening quarter as both defensed seemed to be locked in. Mercer then went on an 8-0 run capped off by an Alex Williams jumper to give the Bears the 12-8 advantage with just 12 seconds left. Western Carolina's Nikki Johnson cut the Mercer deficit to one at the buzzer, draining a three from the wing.
Neither team could gather any separation from one another in the second quarter as Mercer led by as many as four and the Catamounts led by as many as two. With the score knotted at 21-21 with four seconds remaining in the half, Amanda Thompson netted a layup at the buzzer to give the Bears the 23-21 advantage at the intermission.
The Catamounts would not go away in the third quarter, clawing back to tie the contest at 27 apiece with 5:04 remaining in the quarter. The Bears ended the frame on a 9-2 run to provide themselves with a seven-point cushion heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
Western Carolina proved resilient yet again, chipping the Mercer lead to just one with 6:53 left to play in the game. However, the Bears rallied off six unanswered points to pull away from the Catamounts, leading 42-35. In the closing minutes, Mercer led by as many as nine points, keeping Western Carolina at bay. The Bears knocked down seven free throws in the final minute of play to walk away with the seven-point victory.
Notables
» The Bears improve to 13-0 all-time against Western Carolina, including 6-0 in Cullowhee, N.C.
» The Bears improve to 24-2, winning their 21st consecutive game to set the program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» With the win, Mercer moves to within two games of marking the most wins in a single season under Head Coach Susie Gardner.
» Sydni Means ended the game with seven assists, pulling herself to within 16 assists of third all-time in SoCon history.
Coach's Corner
Opening Statement
"I would like to say how proud I am of this team and everything they have accomplished this season so far. They come to practice every day with a great attitude and work ethic, they are getting extra shots up and still working on their skill set. I am just really proud of what they have done thus far."
On the defensive pressure
"We struggled from the field and the free throw line, so we felt that our defense was what we needed to win. I was proud of the way that we came up with stops tonight.
On the performance from Thompson
"Amanda is always the first player on the court. She has a great attitude and has always been an over achiever throughout her career. We weren't able to hit outside shots and I was proud of the way she stepped up and was able to knock down her own shots."
Records Update
» Mercer: 24-2 (11-0 SoCon)
» Western Carolina: 5-22 (1-11 SoCon)
Next Game
» Mercer: at UNCG on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. at Fleming Gym in Greensboro, N.C.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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