Thursday, February 22
Macon, Ga.
7 P.M.
Mercer University
26-2, 13-0
65
vs
56
Chattanooga
16-11, 7-6
1
2
3
4
F
Chattanooga
15
14
13
14
56
Mercer
12
22
11
20
65
Team Stats
UTC
MER
FG%
.451
.410
3FG%
.500
.333
FT%
1.000
.750
RB
35
31
TO
16
4
STL
1
10
Game Leaders
Pts
25
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
20
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballNo. 25 Bears Clinch Outright SoCon Title
2/22/2018 10:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mercer defeated Chattanooga, 65-56, claiming its first-ever outright SoCon Regular Season Title
MACON, Ga. – The 25th ranked Mercer Women's Basketball squad upended Chattanooga tonight by the final score of 65-56, claiming the program's first-ever outright SoCon Regular Season Title. With the win, Mercer improves to 26-2, including a perfect 13-0 in Southern Conference action. The Bears also extend their winning streak to 23 consecutive games.
Stat of the Game
Defense turning into offense was the key in tonight's victory. The Bears forced 16 turnovers, converting the Chattanooga mishaps into 17 points. Mercer also won the fast break battle, 19-0, literally running away with the game in the end.
Player of the Game
Kahlia Lawrence returned to elite form on Thursday night, scoring 25 points on 9-of-20 from the field. Lawrence's 25-point outing was the most points she has scored since registering 31 at Samford on Jan. 13. The Georgia senior also finished 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, while pulling down six boards.
How It Happened
The Mocs notched the game's first bucket nearly two minutes into the game as Aryanna Gilbert buried a three from the top of the key for the 3-0 lead. Chattanooga eventually built its lead to five points on two separate occasions. The Bears would not let the Mocs run away, trimming the deficit to one four different times in the quarter, including one final time following Kahlia Lawrence's made jumper with 21 seconds left in the quarter. The Mocs ended the frame with Brooke Burns hitting a contested jumper for the 15-12 advantage.
Neither team could grow any separation from each other midway through the second quarter as the Mocs held on to a narrow advantage. KeKe Calloway stepped up to bury two free throws with 4:20 left in the half, providing Mercer with its first lead of the contest. After Chattanooga reclaimed the advantage, Mercer went on a 6-0 run to capture the 29-24 advantage and force a Mocs timeout. From there, the two squads traded the next 10 points with the Bears ending the half on a 5-0 run to claim the 34-29 halftime advantage.
The third quarter proved to be a low-scoring affair as the Mocs outscored Mercer 13-11 in the frame. The Bears stretched their lead to as much as six and never relinquished the advantage. Chattanooga cut the Mercer lead to one twice in the final four minutes, but Lawrence's shot with seven seconds left in the quarter provided the Bears with the 45-42 advantage heading into the final quarter of play.
The Mocs would not go away quietly in the fourth quarter, eventually reclaiming a 46-45 advantage with 7:18 to play. With 6:55 remaining, Lawrence netted back-to-back free throws to give Mercer the one-point advantage, a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Chattanooga hung around as Mya Long buried a triple with 1:23 left to cut the Mercer lead to 58-56. The Bears ran away in the final minute, outscoring the Mocs 7-0 to claim the nine-point win. Mercer's victory was capped off by Calloway's dagger triple from atop the key.
Notables
» After clinching at least a share of the SoCon Regular Season Title on Saturday, the Bears earned their first-ever outright title with tonight's win.
» Mercer improves to 4-16 all-time against Chattanooga, earning its first regular season sweep over the Mocs.
» The Bears improve to 26-2, winning their 23rd consecutive game to set the program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» With the win, Mercer recorded a program-record 13th SoCon win, while also setting a new single-season record of 26 wins under the helm of Susie Gardner.
» Sydni Means ended the game with 12 assists and just one turnover, passing Nancy Smith of Chattanooga for the 3rd most career assists in SoCon history with 654.
» KeKe Calloway notched 20 points in the win, while also pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
Coach's Corner
Opening Statement
"I am so proud of this team! I was really happy about the crowd tonight, because the crowd came to see the Mercer Bears and this was the loudest the crowd has ever been since I have been here. It was a great atmosphere to play in and I am beyond proud of our players for competing for 40 minutes."
Creating turnovers and scoring in transition
"We talk about defense creating offense and we are a good team when we run. We have a great point guard that likes to get out and run. I felt that Kahlia did a good job on guarding [Brooke] Burns in the second half. Alex had some good defensive stops and overall this was a team effort."
On claiming the first outright SoCon Regular Season Title
"The senior class helped start this for us by coming to Mercer when we weren't winning championships and believing in the dream and the vision. The juniors helped continue this vision. We have won three regular season conference titles in a row and it is very difficult to win a regular season conference championship. My hats off to this team for coming to practice every day with a purpose."
Records Update
» Mercer: 26-2 (13-0 SoCon)
» Chattanooga: 16-11 (7-6 SoCon)
Next Game
» Mercer will close out the 2017-18 regular season with a 2 p.m. showdown against ETSU on Saturday inside Hawkins Arena. Saturday's game will also serve as Senior Day.
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
Defense turning into offense was the key in tonight's victory. The Bears forced 16 turnovers, converting the Chattanooga mishaps into 17 points. Mercer also won the fast break battle, 19-0, literally running away with the game in the end.
Player of the Game
Kahlia Lawrence returned to elite form on Thursday night, scoring 25 points on 9-of-20 from the field. Lawrence's 25-point outing was the most points she has scored since registering 31 at Samford on Jan. 13. The Georgia senior also finished 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, while pulling down six boards.
How It Happened
The Mocs notched the game's first bucket nearly two minutes into the game as Aryanna Gilbert buried a three from the top of the key for the 3-0 lead. Chattanooga eventually built its lead to five points on two separate occasions. The Bears would not let the Mocs run away, trimming the deficit to one four different times in the quarter, including one final time following Kahlia Lawrence's made jumper with 21 seconds left in the quarter. The Mocs ended the frame with Brooke Burns hitting a contested jumper for the 15-12 advantage.
Neither team could grow any separation from each other midway through the second quarter as the Mocs held on to a narrow advantage. KeKe Calloway stepped up to bury two free throws with 4:20 left in the half, providing Mercer with its first lead of the contest. After Chattanooga reclaimed the advantage, Mercer went on a 6-0 run to capture the 29-24 advantage and force a Mocs timeout. From there, the two squads traded the next 10 points with the Bears ending the half on a 5-0 run to claim the 34-29 halftime advantage.
The third quarter proved to be a low-scoring affair as the Mocs outscored Mercer 13-11 in the frame. The Bears stretched their lead to as much as six and never relinquished the advantage. Chattanooga cut the Mercer lead to one twice in the final four minutes, but Lawrence's shot with seven seconds left in the quarter provided the Bears with the 45-42 advantage heading into the final quarter of play.
The Mocs would not go away quietly in the fourth quarter, eventually reclaiming a 46-45 advantage with 7:18 to play. With 6:55 remaining, Lawrence netted back-to-back free throws to give Mercer the one-point advantage, a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Chattanooga hung around as Mya Long buried a triple with 1:23 left to cut the Mercer lead to 58-56. The Bears ran away in the final minute, outscoring the Mocs 7-0 to claim the nine-point win. Mercer's victory was capped off by Calloway's dagger triple from atop the key.
Notables
» After clinching at least a share of the SoCon Regular Season Title on Saturday, the Bears earned their first-ever outright title with tonight's win.
» Mercer improves to 4-16 all-time against Chattanooga, earning its first regular season sweep over the Mocs.
» The Bears improve to 26-2, winning their 23rd consecutive game to set the program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» With the win, Mercer recorded a program-record 13th SoCon win, while also setting a new single-season record of 26 wins under the helm of Susie Gardner.
» Sydni Means ended the game with 12 assists and just one turnover, passing Nancy Smith of Chattanooga for the 3rd most career assists in SoCon history with 654.
» KeKe Calloway notched 20 points in the win, while also pulling down a team-high seven rebounds.
Coach's Corner
Opening Statement
"I am so proud of this team! I was really happy about the crowd tonight, because the crowd came to see the Mercer Bears and this was the loudest the crowd has ever been since I have been here. It was a great atmosphere to play in and I am beyond proud of our players for competing for 40 minutes."
Creating turnovers and scoring in transition
"We talk about defense creating offense and we are a good team when we run. We have a great point guard that likes to get out and run. I felt that Kahlia did a good job on guarding [Brooke] Burns in the second half. Alex had some good defensive stops and overall this was a team effort."
On claiming the first outright SoCon Regular Season Title
"The senior class helped start this for us by coming to Mercer when we weren't winning championships and believing in the dream and the vision. The juniors helped continue this vision. We have won three regular season conference titles in a row and it is very difficult to win a regular season conference championship. My hats off to this team for coming to practice every day with a purpose."
Records Update
» Mercer: 26-2 (13-0 SoCon)
» Chattanooga: 16-11 (7-6 SoCon)
Next Game
» Mercer will close out the 2017-18 regular season with a 2 p.m. showdown against ETSU on Saturday inside Hawkins Arena. Saturday's game will also serve as Senior Day.
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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