Saturday, February 3
Macon, Ga.
2 P.M.
Mercer University
22-2, 9-0
80
vs
39
Wofford
10-14, 3-6
1
2
3
4
F
Wofford
12
5
9
13
39
Mercer
17
23
24
16
80
Team Stats
WOF
MER
FG%
.235
.500
3FG%
.118
.333
FT%
.650
.857
RB
31
42
TO
16
8
STL
6
10
Game Leaders
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Mercer Cruises Past Wofford for 19th Straight Win
2/3/2018 5:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears defeat Wofford, 80-39, in Hawkins Arena
MACON, Ga. – Mercer used a tenacious defensive performance and a 21-point second-quarter run to blow past Wofford, 80-39, in front of a crowd of 2,327 in Hawkins Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Southern Conference win pushed the Bears' win streak to 19 games and improved their record to 22-2 overall (9-0 SoCon). Wofford dropped to 10-14 (3-6).
Stat of the Game
Eleven of 12 Bears who saw the floor Saturday recorded at least two points, resulting in a well-balanced attack. Mercer's bench tallied 29 points, outscoring Wofford's reserves by 23 points.
Player of the Game
Kahlia Lawrence tallied 15 points with an efficient shooting performance (6-of-8) and added six rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes of play. The senior moved into third all-time on Mercer's career scoring list in the process, passing Emma Mumphrey (2,098 points).
How It Happened
A sluggish start by the Bears resulted in a back-and-forth opening quarter of play, as Mercer shot only 5-of-15 (33 percent) from the field. However, trailing 10-9 with three minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the quarter, Mercer turned up the defensive intensity and went on a 6-0 run en route to taking a 17-12 lead into the second frame.
Lawrence scored nine of her 15 points in the second quarter as Mercer used a 21-0 run over a seven-minute, 29-second stretch to take a 40-17 advantage into halftime. The Bears held Wofford scoreless for 8:21 of the 10-minute period and scored seven points off turnovers.
Mercer's hot shooting carried over to the third quarter as the Bears hit 11 of their 17 field goal attempts. KeKe Calloway and Amanda Thompson carried the load, scoring a combined 14 points. A layup by Kayla Potts with 26 seconds remaining in the quarter pushed Mercer's lead to 38 points (64-26).
Mercer's bench handled the rest of the contest over the final 10 minutes, outscoring Wofford 16-13 in the final frame to capture the 41-point victory. Shon Kitchens' layup with 3:19 remaining capped a 7-0 run while Ally Welch scored all six of her points in the quarter.
Notables
» Mercer extended its lead in the all-time series to 10 games (11-1). The Bears have won 10 consecutive contests in the head-to-head battle.
» KeKe Calloway scored a game-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. She hit a pair of three-pointers, giving her 200 made three's for her career.
» Amanda Thompson tied a career-high with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
» The Bears' 19th consecutive win improved their record to 22-2 overall (9-0 SoCon). The win extended Mercer's program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» Mercer has won 17 consecutive games by double-digits, dating back to a 15-point win over Davidson on Dec. 3.
» Mercer converted 16 Wofford turnovers into 21 points.
» Despite not starting for the first time since Jan. 13, Rachel Selph had a game-high eight rebounds and seven points.
» Mercer had 11 players score at least two points. All but two Bears totaled at least one field goal.
» Saturday marked the seventh time this season Mercer has reached at least 80 points.
Coach's Corner
Opening statement:
"I'm really pleased with our entire game. We got off to a slow start, but made up for it with exceptional second and third quarters. We played really well on defense – Kahlia was great on defense – and it led to us meeting our goal of playing four full quarters."
On the difference in the second quarter:
"I think it was our defense. We put great pressure on the ball; we were denying passes and getting deflections…when we get up and down the court, we're pretty good. Our defensive pressure made a big difference in the second quarter."
On a packed house at Hawkins Arena:
"We certainly noticed. It was a great crowd today and we're very thankful for that. The energy was outstanding and that made it fun for our team to play in front of. It's exciting to see Middle Georgia in the house supporting this special team."
Records Update
» Mercer: 22-2 (9-0 SoCon)
» Wofford: 10-14 (3-6 SoCon)
Next Game
Mercer will remain at home to face Samford on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Hawkins Arena. The Bears defeated Samford, 73-59, in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 13.
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.
The Southern Conference win pushed the Bears' win streak to 19 games and improved their record to 22-2 overall (9-0 SoCon). Wofford dropped to 10-14 (3-6).
Stat of the Game
Eleven of 12 Bears who saw the floor Saturday recorded at least two points, resulting in a well-balanced attack. Mercer's bench tallied 29 points, outscoring Wofford's reserves by 23 points.
Player of the Game
Kahlia Lawrence tallied 15 points with an efficient shooting performance (6-of-8) and added six rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes of play. The senior moved into third all-time on Mercer's career scoring list in the process, passing Emma Mumphrey (2,098 points).
How It Happened
A sluggish start by the Bears resulted in a back-and-forth opening quarter of play, as Mercer shot only 5-of-15 (33 percent) from the field. However, trailing 10-9 with three minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the quarter, Mercer turned up the defensive intensity and went on a 6-0 run en route to taking a 17-12 lead into the second frame.
Lawrence scored nine of her 15 points in the second quarter as Mercer used a 21-0 run over a seven-minute, 29-second stretch to take a 40-17 advantage into halftime. The Bears held Wofford scoreless for 8:21 of the 10-minute period and scored seven points off turnovers.
Mercer's hot shooting carried over to the third quarter as the Bears hit 11 of their 17 field goal attempts. KeKe Calloway and Amanda Thompson carried the load, scoring a combined 14 points. A layup by Kayla Potts with 26 seconds remaining in the quarter pushed Mercer's lead to 38 points (64-26).
Mercer's bench handled the rest of the contest over the final 10 minutes, outscoring Wofford 16-13 in the final frame to capture the 41-point victory. Shon Kitchens' layup with 3:19 remaining capped a 7-0 run while Ally Welch scored all six of her points in the quarter.
Notables
» Mercer extended its lead in the all-time series to 10 games (11-1). The Bears have won 10 consecutive contests in the head-to-head battle.
» KeKe Calloway scored a game-high 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. She hit a pair of three-pointers, giving her 200 made three's for her career.
» Amanda Thompson tied a career-high with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
» The Bears' 19th consecutive win improved their record to 22-2 overall (9-0 SoCon). The win extended Mercer's program record for most wins in the NCAA Division I era.
» Mercer has won 17 consecutive games by double-digits, dating back to a 15-point win over Davidson on Dec. 3.
» Mercer converted 16 Wofford turnovers into 21 points.
» Despite not starting for the first time since Jan. 13, Rachel Selph had a game-high eight rebounds and seven points.
» Mercer had 11 players score at least two points. All but two Bears totaled at least one field goal.
» Saturday marked the seventh time this season Mercer has reached at least 80 points.
Coach's Corner
Opening statement:
"I'm really pleased with our entire game. We got off to a slow start, but made up for it with exceptional second and third quarters. We played really well on defense – Kahlia was great on defense – and it led to us meeting our goal of playing four full quarters."
On the difference in the second quarter:
"I think it was our defense. We put great pressure on the ball; we were denying passes and getting deflections…when we get up and down the court, we're pretty good. Our defensive pressure made a big difference in the second quarter."
On a packed house at Hawkins Arena:
"We certainly noticed. It was a great crowd today and we're very thankful for that. The energy was outstanding and that made it fun for our team to play in front of. It's exciting to see Middle Georgia in the house supporting this special team."
Records Update
» Mercer: 22-2 (9-0 SoCon)
» Wofford: 10-14 (3-6 SoCon)
Next Game
Mercer will remain at home to face Samford on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Hawkins Arena. The Bears defeated Samford, 73-59, in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 13.
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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