Mercer University
21-5, 10-2SoCon
Wofford
12-14, 2-9SoCon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 16 | 21 | 11 | 13 | 61 |
| Wofford | 16 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 46 |
Mercer Outlasts Wofford, 61-46, on the Road
2/16/2017 8:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bears powered by Means’ season-high, team’s late defense
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – An all-around performance by Sydni Means and stifling fourth-quarter defense powered Mercer to a 61-46 victory over Wofford in Southern Conference play at Benjamin Johnson Arena on Thursday evening.
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The Bears (21-5, 10-2 SoCon) limited Wofford (12-14, 2-9) to three points in the fourth quarter, allowing them pull away after leading by only five points through three quarters of play. Means dropped a season-best 22 points and added nine assists, five rebounds and four steals to pace Mercer while Kahlia Lawrence scored 16 points on 50 percent shooting.
It was Mercer's fourth straight win as they maintained sole possession of second place in the league standings. Wofford lost its eighth straight game.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
After Wofford outscored the Bears 17-11 in the third quarter to tighten the contest to a five-point affair, Mercer put its collective foot down and slammed the door shut with a decisive 13-3 fourth frame. The Terriers went 1-for-10 from the field in the final quarter, only connecting on a three-pointer just before the two-minute mark.
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The game started out fast-paced with both teams racing out to a 16-16 tie after one quarter before Mercer hit a groove en route to a 21-10 second quarter. The Bears forced four turnovers in the second period and turned them into six points while Means hit four of her eight made baskets.
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NOTABLES
- Lawrence corralled her 500th career rebound in the first quarter, becoming only the fifth player in program history with 1,500 points and 500 boards.
- Mercer's 21 wins this season are the second most since the program transitioned into NCAA Division I, only ranking behind last season's mark of 24 total wins.
- Another SoCon road win pushed Mercer to 9-3 away from Hawkins Arena this year.
- The Bears improved to 8-1 all-time against Wofford and have won seven straight in the series. Head coach Susie Gardner is a perfect 6-0 against the Terriers at Mercer's helm.
- KeKe Calloway moved into sole possession of eighth place on Mercer's career three-pointer leaderboard with her 105th career trey.
- Means became the third player in program history to have two of the top-10 single-season steals totals as she jumped into sixth place with 72 steals this year.
"Tonight was a hard-fought win for our players. The first quarter was back-and-forth with both teams hitting shots. We knew Wofford plays hard the entire game and that they have the ability to come back, which they did in the third quarter.
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"I was pleased with our defensive effort in the fourth quarter – we simply made big plays, grabbed big rebounds and hit big shots. We were not getting stops during the third quarter as we switched from man to zone, but at the end, we tightened it up.
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"Sydni [Means] can shoot the ball. She was 8-for-11 tonight and when she is open, we want her to shoot it. She played a complete game – we needed her tonight and she stepped up."
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer: 21-5 (10-2 SoCon)
- Wofford: 12-14 (2-9 SoCon)
- Mercer: at Furman on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.
- ETSU: vs. Samford on Feb. 18 at 2 p.m.
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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