Bears Battle in Setback to Georgia

Thursday, November 21

Athens, Ga.

7 P.M.

Mercer University

1-4,0-0SoCon

Georgia

3-1,0-0SEC

Mercer

Georgia

11/21/2019 10:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Three Mercer players scored in double-digits against the Bulldogs.

By: Stephen Waldman

ATHENS, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team fought hard in its Peach State matchup, but fell to Georgia, 76-60, on Thursday evening at the Stegeman Coliseum.

The Bears took advantage of Georgia's 23 turnovers by converting that into 25 points with 14 steals on the evening. Three players reached double-digit points for Mercer, led by Jaron Dougherty's game-high 16 points. Shannon Titus recorded 14 points, while Amoria Neal-Tysor contributed 12 of her own. Dougherty added a game-high three blocks and three steals to her total, while Titus brought down a team-high five rebounds. The Johns Creek, Ga., native also tallied a game-high four steals, matching Jill Harris' number of thefts in the game. Jordan McLaughlin contributed a team-high four assists and five rebounds, along with eight points.

As a team, Mercer shot 36.1 percent (22-of-61) from the field while getting outrebounded, 51-28.

Georgia was led by Gabby Connally's 14-point, eight-rebound effort, along with Maya Caldwell, Caitlin Hose and Que Morrison each depositing 10 points.

How It Happened
Mercer forced the issue early in the game as an 11-0 run in less than two minutes gave the visiting squad a 13-4 lead with 5:35 remaining in the first half. The Bears defense was swarming though the first four-and-a-half minutes, forcing the Bulldogs into seven turnovers on their first 10 possessions of the contest. That fast start propelled Mercer to a 16-14 lead after the first quarter.

The two sides battled through the second quarter trading two-point leads until Georgia scored a pair of buckets in the final 35 seconds before half to take a 5-point advantage into the break.

Georgia's offense steadily increased its lead throughout the third quarter until a 19-7 run gave the home team a 17-point cushion with 1:12 remaining in the period. The Bears did their best to claw back into the game with a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter, but Georgia managed to contain the attack and preserve the victory.

Quotables – Head coach Susie Gardner
Thoughts on tonight's game…
"I would say that we made progress compared to our last few games. Obviously, the first quarter we came out strong and played really well. I thought we competed the whole night which we hadn't done the last couple of games. The biggest negative is the rebounding (51-28). We have to find a solution to that, but I think if the rebounds had been a little bit closer, the game would have been a little closer."

Message to the team after the game…
"I'm the type of coach that likes to get their feedback after the game, so I asked them 'Did we make any progress?', and I think that we did. That's the main thing: they need to feel like the things we're teaching and emphasizing are going in the right direction. We feel like there is progress being made right now which is what non-conference play is for."

Player of the Game
Titus was the most well-balanced player on the court for the Bears, tallying 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting in addition to going 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. She added a team-high five rebounds and four steals in 23 minutes of action.

Notables
» Mercer has won the turnover battle in three-of-four games this season.
» Harris recorded career highs in points (5), rebounds (4) and steals (4).
» McLaughlin collected a personal-best five rebounds.
» Dougherty blocked a career-high three shots on the evening.
» Titus posted her fifth game with four steals tonight.
» Neal-Tysor notched a career-high three steals.

Up Next
The Bears return home on Sunday to face Eastern Kentucky for their "Fansgiving" game. Opening tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @Mercer_WBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.