Lawrence Reaches 1,500 As Bears Steam Past Catamounts, 84-53

Thursday, February 9

Macon, Ga.

7:00 PM ET

Mercer University

19-5, 8-2SoCon

Western Carolina

7-18, 2-8SoCon

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Western Carolina	7	8	17	21	53
Mercer	22	24	17	21	84

PDF Box Score

Photo courtesy of Judy Stapleton

Photo by: Judy Stapleton

Lawrence Reaches 1,500 As Bears Steam Past Catamounts, 84-53

2/9/2017 9:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Stats

MACON, Ga. – Kahlia Lawrence scored her 1,500^th career point in the first half of Thursday's game as Mercer sailed past Western Carolina, 84-53, in Hawkins Arena. Lawrence led a quintet of double-figure scorers as the Bears put up their highest point total in Southern Conference play this season.

Lawrence led all scorers with 13 points, followed by KeKe Calloway and Sydni Means with 12 each and Linnea Rosendal and Rachel Selph with 10 apiece. Means was close to a double-double as she dished out nine assists on the night.

Mercer used a big first half, surging to a 46-15 lead, to take control of the game. The Bears connected on 53.8 percent of their shots from the field, including 63.3 percent in the first half and 75.0 percent in the second quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears were unstoppable in the first half, outscoring the Catamounts 46-15, including 22 Mercer points off 15 Western Carolina turnovers. The Bears committed just one turnover in the first half, while forcing 15 Catamount turnovers. Lawrence scored all 13 of her points in the first half and Means came close to a double-double with eight points and seven assists.

Mercer slowed down in the second half and Western Carolina was able to match the Bears in points in both the third and fourth quarters. The Catamounts did not come close to starting a rally however as the Bears led by as many as 38 in both periods.

NOTABLES

Mercer set season highs in conference play of 84 points, 25 assists and 14 steals.
For the first time this season, five Bears reached double figures in scoring.
Kahlia Lawrence became the ninth player in program history to reach 1,500 career points. In addition to her 13 points, she led Mercer with seven rebounds and had a steal.
Sydni Means notched 12 points, nine assists, four steals and three rebounds.
KeKe Calloway tallied 12 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Rachel Selph scored 10 points for her third straight game with double digits. She also had a career-high three assists, a season-high three blocks and three rebounds.
Linnea Rosendal rounded out the double-figure performers with 10 points.
Shon Kitchens scored a career-high seven points while Kayla Potts had six points and a season-high four assists.
Mercer forced Western Carolina into 23 turnovers, a season-high for the Bears' SoCon opponents. Mercer also scored 33 points off WCU turnovers.

COACH GARDNER'S TAKE
On opening the game well:
"Our defense has really picked up, I think, and we're getting some transition buckets and hitting shots for a better percentage, which is always helpful. I think a lot of times when you hit shots, your defense carries over from your offense, so I'm really pleased with the way we started the game."

On the defensive play in the first half:
"We've been working on defense a lot. We've been playing more man-to-man lately and it has kind of been good to us in some instances. I think Western Carolina scored 15 points in the first half, so that was a really, really good defensive effort."

RECORDS UPDATE

Mercer: 19-5, 8-2 SoCon
Western Carolina: 7-18, 2-8 SoCon

UP NEXT

Mercer: Hosts UNCG on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.
Western Carolina: At Samford on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3 p.m.

How to Follow the Bears:
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