Mercer University
UNC Asheville
Furious Comeback Not Enough for Women's Basketball at UNC Asheville
12/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Briana Williams and Alicia Williams combined for 44 points as the Mercer women's basketball team erased a 12-point second-half deficit on Wednesday, only to come up short in a 76-75 loss to UNC Asheville at the Kimmel Center.
Asheville improved to 3-7 on the season while Mercer slipped to 3-8.
"The game shouldn't have come to a last second play," Mercer head coach Susie Gardner said. "We were up early but after we got down, we fought back. This was another learning experience. We continue to learn the hard way."
With 5:20 remaining, the Asheville lead was 71-59 when Mercer junior Ry'van Buchanan hit a turnaround jumper to bring the Bears within 10. Buchanan's jumper ignited a 16-3 Mercer run, capped by a Briana Williams three that saw the Bears take a 75-74 lead with 2:21 to play.
Briana Williams' three was her fifth of the game and put Mercer on top for the first time since the 3:03 mark of the first half.
With 1:15 to play, Asheville's Shonese Jones penetrated for a layup and a 76-75 Bulldog lead. A Mercer miss on the other end and an Asheville rebound put Lindsey Thompson on the line for two shots with 21 tics left.
Thompson missed both and Mercer raced the other way with the opportunity for the game's final shot. Freshman Precious Bridges beat a defender and stopped for a pull up jumper, which was off the mark and fell to the hands of a leaping Sharmesia Smith. Smith went back up and got off a buzzer-beating layup, but her attempt found iron and the Bulldogs escaped victorious.
"On the final play, they were in a zone and denying Briana," Gardner said. "We got a great look when Precious took it to the rim. [Sharmesia] made an amazing athletic play to get the rebound and the ball looked like it was halfway down."
Briana Williams led all scorers with 23 points, 15 of which scored in the first half. Her final stat line also showed six rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers in 37 minutes of work. Wednesday's game was her second-straight contest with 20+ points and the third time this year she has broken the 20-point barrier.
Alicia Williams contributed a season-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She also had career highs in rebounds (7) and blocks (3).
Freshman Tabitha Bradshaw had a season-best nine point effort on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. She also had two steals, a rebound and an assist in 14 minutes played.
"Tabitha had her best game of the year," Gardner said. "She hit some shots offensively and made key defensive plays during the comeback. We need her to continue that type of play."
Smith had nine rebounds, seven points, two blocks and a steal in the loss. Buchanan recorded her fifth-straight game in double-figures, scoring 12 and adding seven rebounds.
At the start, Briana Williams and Alicia Williams got Mercer off to a quick 6-0 lead with back-to-back threes. Asheville responded with nine-straight points before Bridges halted the Bulldog charge with a baseline jumper.
Halfway through the first period, Mercer took a 21-19 lead on a pair of Buchanan free throws and later extended that lead to as many as seven.
With 6:02 before intermission, Mercer led 34-27 before a 17-2 run for the hosts gave Asheville an eight point lead with 1:20 to play. Alicia Williams closed the first half scoring with her third trey of the stanza, sending Mercer to the locker room behind 44-39.
Mercer returns home to host Winthrop on December 28. Game time at the University Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
