Mercer University
Kennesaw St.
Women's Basketball Stumbles Versus Kennesaw State
1/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – Mercer guards Briana Williams and Precious Bridges combined to score 28 points as the Bears lost to Kennesaw State 75-51 in Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Sun women's basketball game.
Mercer dropped its eighth-straight game and slipped to 3-15 (1-6 A-Sun) while Kennesaw State moved to 8-10 (3-4 A-Sun).
Williams netted her team-high 17 points in 35 minutes of play while Bridges scored seven of her 11 points at the free throw line.
Mercer junior Ry'van Buchanan scored seven points, grabbed seven rebounds and notched four blocks before leaving the game with an injury in the second half.
With the game tied early on, freshman Tabitha Bradshaw picked off a Kennesaw State pass and raced the other way for an acrobatic lay-in plus the foul. The Montgomery, Ala. native hit the subsequent free-throw, giving Mercer a 6-3 lead with 18:31 to go in the first half.
After the teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, Williams went coast-to-coast for a lay-in to give the Bears a 14-9 advantage with 14:01 remaining in the first stanza.
The Owls responded with a 6-1 surge that tied the game at 15-15 with 10:58 left in the first.
Williams and Kennesaw State freshman Taylor Mills exchanged three pointers in the final 23 seconds of the stanza to send the Owls into the locker room in front, 31-30.
Seven minutes into the second half, Kennesaw State held a slim 40-39 advantage before ripping off a 14-0 run over the next five minutes.
Mills put the game out of reach when converted a fast break lay-up to give Kennesaw State its biggest lead of the game, 66-43, with 4:39 left in the game.
Mercer shot just five-of-32 (15.6%) in the second half. In contrast, Kennesaw State was 15-of-27 (55.6%) from the field in the final 20 minutes.
Mercer returns to action hosting Jacksonville on January 19. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
