Tuesday, November 29
Statesboro, Ga.
11:00 AM ET
Mercer University
6-1
77
at
56
Georgia Southern
2-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 23 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 77 |
| Georgia Southern | 6 | 19 | 4 | 27 | 56 |
Team Stats
MER
GS
FG%
.427
.354
3FG%
.360
.407
FT%
1.000
.688
RB
40
37
TO
9
26
STL
19
8
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F/G
/ Women's Basketball
Mercer Blows Past Georgia Southern, 77-56
11/29/2016 2:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, Ga. – Mercer showed no signs of a sluggish start to its morning – or game – as the hot-handed Bears raced to a 77-56 victory over intrastate foe Georgia Southern at Hanner Fieldhouse on Tuesday.
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A 17-0 run in the first quarter gave the Bears the early separation they needed to overcome an unusual tip-off time of 11 a.m. on Georgia Southern's Field Trip Day, in which the Eagles welcomed local elementary school children to attend the game.
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Sydni Means filled up the box score with 14 points, seven steals, seven assists and four rebounds to help Mercer extend its win streak to five games and improve to 6-1 on the season, the program's best start under head coach Susie Gardner. Georgia Southern dropped to 2-5 overall and extended its five-game skid.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer came out of the game's first media timeout locked in a 6-6 tie, but it didn't take long for the Bears to start firing on all cylinders to close the quarter on a 17-0 run and lead 23-6. Fourteen of the Bears' points in the quarter came off of turnovers – any early indication of what was to come.
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Georgia Southern cut the Bears' lead to 13 points heading into halftime as the Eagles hit seven of 13 shots in the second quarter (53.8 percent), including five three-pointers. However, Sydni Means' 10 points and a pair of treys each from KeKe Calloway and Linnea Rosendal kept the Eagles at bay.
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A 19-point third quarter and more stifling defense by Mercer put the game away after halftime. Kahlia Lawrence deposited seven of her team-high 17 points during the third frame, including a three-pointer. The Eagles tried to make things interesting with a 27-point fourth quarter of its own, but Mercer's depth off the bench proved to be key with 12 of the Bears' 20 points.
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NOTABLES
Opening Remarks:
"I was obviously pleased with the first quarter but disappointed going into halftime; Georgia Southern's Nakol Franks had 21 of their 25 points and hit seven three-pointers on us. I thought that was more of a mental breakdown than a physical breakdown…we just had to locate where she was. But, we came out with a great third quarter that put the game away."
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On Mercer's impressive performance in the third quarter:
"I wasn't very happy at halftime and we were going to change our defense in the second half – we had 19 transition points at half. Sydni [Means] did a fantastic job getting tips and was clearly our offensive spark in the first half. To score easily I felt like we had to play solid defense, which is what we did in the third quarter."
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On Mercer's 19 steals:
"Sydni [Means] had seven [steals], which was pretty incredible. We feel like every team we play is bigger inside than us, but we have the length and advantage on the perimeter. One of our goals was to get those tips and deflections and they fortunately led to big-time transition points."
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On Sydni Means' individual performance:
"She's the reason we had the lead at halftime. She played an all-around game; good field-goal percentage, 4-for-4 at the free throw line, seven assists, seven steals…just a great line. She's playing our most consistent basketball right now."
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RECORD UPDATE
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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A 17-0 run in the first quarter gave the Bears the early separation they needed to overcome an unusual tip-off time of 11 a.m. on Georgia Southern's Field Trip Day, in which the Eagles welcomed local elementary school children to attend the game.
Â
Sydni Means filled up the box score with 14 points, seven steals, seven assists and four rebounds to help Mercer extend its win streak to five games and improve to 6-1 on the season, the program's best start under head coach Susie Gardner. Georgia Southern dropped to 2-5 overall and extended its five-game skid.
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer came out of the game's first media timeout locked in a 6-6 tie, but it didn't take long for the Bears to start firing on all cylinders to close the quarter on a 17-0 run and lead 23-6. Fourteen of the Bears' points in the quarter came off of turnovers – any early indication of what was to come.
Â
Georgia Southern cut the Bears' lead to 13 points heading into halftime as the Eagles hit seven of 13 shots in the second quarter (53.8 percent), including five three-pointers. However, Sydni Means' 10 points and a pair of treys each from KeKe Calloway and Linnea Rosendal kept the Eagles at bay.
Â
A 19-point third quarter and more stifling defense by Mercer put the game away after halftime. Kahlia Lawrence deposited seven of her team-high 17 points during the third frame, including a three-pointer. The Eagles tried to make things interesting with a 27-point fourth quarter of its own, but Mercer's depth off the bench proved to be key with 12 of the Bears' 20 points.
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NOTABLES
- Mercer set a season-high in steals for the second straight contest with 19 Tuesday. Sydni Means led the way with seven individually, which tied a career-high for the junior point guard.
- Mercer extended its lead to 35-30 in the all-time series with Georgia Southern.
- Kahlia Lawrence scored a team-high 17 points to reach double-digits for the sixth time in seven games this season.
- Linnea Rosendal hit a season-best four three-pointers to finish with 12 total points.
- Amanda Thompson snagged nine rebounds and added eight points to narrowly miss a double-double.
- The Bears' 21-point win is their largest margin of victory this season.
- Ten different Bears scored at least two points Tuesday, including three in double-digits.
- Thirty-four of Mercer's 76 points came off of turnovers.
- Mercer has held its opponents to 60 points or less during its current five-game win streak.
Opening Remarks:
"I was obviously pleased with the first quarter but disappointed going into halftime; Georgia Southern's Nakol Franks had 21 of their 25 points and hit seven three-pointers on us. I thought that was more of a mental breakdown than a physical breakdown…we just had to locate where she was. But, we came out with a great third quarter that put the game away."
Â
On Mercer's impressive performance in the third quarter:
"I wasn't very happy at halftime and we were going to change our defense in the second half – we had 19 transition points at half. Sydni [Means] did a fantastic job getting tips and was clearly our offensive spark in the first half. To score easily I felt like we had to play solid defense, which is what we did in the third quarter."
Â
On Mercer's 19 steals:
"Sydni [Means] had seven [steals], which was pretty incredible. We feel like every team we play is bigger inside than us, but we have the length and advantage on the perimeter. One of our goals was to get those tips and deflections and they fortunately led to big-time transition points."
Â
On Sydni Means' individual performance:
"She's the reason we had the lead at halftime. She played an all-around game; good field-goal percentage, 4-for-4 at the free throw line, seven assists, seven steals…just a great line. She's playing our most consistent basketball right now."
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RECORD UPDATE
- Mercer: 6-1 (0-0 Southern Conference)
- Georgia Southern: 2-5 (0-0 Sun Belt)
- Mercer: Hosts Kennesaw State on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m.
- Georgia Southern: At Savannah State on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.
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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