Mercer University
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North Fla.
UNF Downs Women's Hoops on Last-Second Jumper
1/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – Three Mercer players scored in double figures, but UNF's Jadhken Kerr hit a 15-foot jumper with two seconds left to lift the Ospreys to a 56-54 victory over the Bears in Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Sun women's basketball game at the University Center.
UNF captured its fourth-straight win and moved to 6-11 (4-4 A-Sun) while Mercer dropped its 11th-straight game and fell to 1-16 (1-7 A-Sun).
Mercer freshman Briana Williams led all scorers with 15 points while chipping in five rebounds and four assists. Freshman Brittnee Hazel netted 13 points and collected seven rebounds while sophomore Alex Phillips tallied 10 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks in the loss.
Trailing 54-48 with 1:05 to go, Williams collected a defensive rebound and raced the other way, finding sophomore Shari Smith for a fast-break layup.
On UNF's next possession, freshman guard Jade Givens was fouled, but failed to connect on the front end of the one-and-one. Mercer's Sharmesia Smith collected her miscue, leading to a transition trey for Williams that brought the Bears within one (54-53) with 49 seconds tics left.
Moments later, UNF's Juliemay Syquio drove the baseline and released pull up jumper that came up short and wound up in the hands of Williams. Williams pushed the ball up the court and missed a jumper, but Phillips was there to collect the offensive rebound while drawing a foul.
At the line for two with 10 seconds to go, Phillips cashed in on her second free-throw attempt to tie the game at 54-54 with 9.6 seconds to go.
After UNF coach Mary Tappmeyer called timeout, Givens moved the ball up court and found Kerr, who nestled into a soft-spot in the Mercer zone defense. Kerr's jumper from just outside the paint was true, sending the visitors home with a two point victory.
All told, the game featured eight ties and eight lead changes.
With the game tied at six apiece, UNF ripped off a streak of six-straight points to take its biggest lead of the half, 12-6 with 14:52 to go. UNF's six-point advantage was short lived, however, as Williams stroked a three on Mercer's next possession making the score 12-9.
At the 13:20 mark, Smith collected an offensive rebound before being fouled on her put-back attempt. Smith converted her first free throw, trimming UNF's lead to two (14-12).
Smith's tenacity on the glass became a theme of the first half, as she pulled down six rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of play. Smith would finish the game with 10 rebounds and seven points.
After trailing for over six minutes, Brittnee Hazel got the ball in the low block and employed a drop-step post move to find an open layup and tie the game at 16.
Down 27-24 with 1:31 to go before intermission, the Mercer offense moved the ball around the perimeter and found freshman Rebecca Clanton open in the corner for a three-ball. On the Bears' next possession, Boykin dished to Clanton again for another key trey giving Mercer its first lead, at 30-27, since the 16:57 mark.
The momentum derived from Clanton's three seemed to carry over to the second half, as the Bears started the period strong and pushed their lead to a game-high five at 34-29. UNF responded with an 11-0 charge over the next five minutes, going back in front by seven, 41-34.
Mercer rebutted with an 11-1 scoring run of its own capped by a Hazel layup to move in front by three (45-42) with 9:33 to go.
Syquio's triple from the corner tied the game at 45, marking the sixth time the scoreboard showed even totals.
Sophomore Larkira Jones paced UNF with team-high totals of 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Mercer returns to conference action when it welcomes Jacksonville to the University Center on January 24. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
