Mercer Drops OT Heartbreaker to Eastern Kentucky

Sunday, November 24

Macon, Ga.

2 P.M.

Mercer University

1-5,0-0SoCon

Eastern Kentucky

3-2,0-0OVC

OT 1

Eastern Ky.

Mercer

Mercer Drops OT Heartbreaker to Eastern Kentucky

11/24/2019 6:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Shannon Titus recorded her first double-double of the 2019-20 season.

By: Stephen Waldman

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team dropped its fifth-straight game with a 61-60 overtime loss against Eastern Kentucky at Hawkins Arena Sunday afternoon.

The game was a defensive battle as the two teams combined to shoot just 31.3 percent from the floor with EKU shooting 36.7 percent (22-of-60) and the Bears made 27.0 percent (20-of-74) of their shots. Mercer outrebounded the Colonels 47-44, including 15 offensive boards. The Bears won the turnover battle, 24-13, and generated 24 points off turnovers thanks to 18 steals.

Jaron Dougherty paced the offense with 15 points, followed closely by Jordan McLaughlin (14 points) and Shannon Titus. Titus registered her first double-double of the year with a career-high 14 rebounds, in addition to a personal best seven steals. Jill Harris added nine boards and Dougherty brought down eight rebounds as well. Harris led the team with five assists, while Dougherty and McLaughlin contributed four steals apiece.

How It Happened
The Bears got off to a slow start offensively, shooting just 17-percent (3-of-18) in the first quarter. After trailing by 10 midway through the second quarter, Mercer stormed back with a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to two heading into the break.

Eastern Kentucky responded with an 8-0 run coming out of halftime to extend its lead back to double digits and held its largest lead of the contest of 11 points with 3:47 left in the third quarter.

Mercer closed the gap to seven by the end of the period and tied the game with just under eight minutes to go, 33-33 following a McLaughlin layup on the break. The two sides battled back-and-forth throughout the remainder of regulation with neither team holding more than a four-point advantage.

The Bears went on the offensive to start the extra period, sprinting out to a 5-0 run in the first 1:13. Mercer built up a six-point advantage with 2:11 remaining in overtime after Dougherty completed a three-point play. The Colonels' offense came to life after that, however, going on a 10-0 run to recapture the lead.

Mercer had a chance at the end of the game, but was unable to erase the deficit.

Quotables – Head coach Susie Gardner
Opening Statement…
"It's disheartening to score 20 points in the first half and 27 points through 30 minutes, but I thought we fought hard in the fourth quarter to have a chance to win in regulation. Certainly, when you are up six with two minutes to go in overtime, you should win the game. Obviously, this was the first close game we have been in, and we have to figure out, as a coaching staff, who the go-to players are in those situations. We just have so many players on the floor who that have never been in that situation in a Division I college game. It is our job as coaches to figure out who that person is, but, unfortunately, we are having to learn really hard lessons in games.

"We had the ball with 10 seconds to go in regulation, and we did not get a very good shot off. This is a really tough one because we had a chance but just not enough offensive weapons."

On rebounding…
"We have made a conscious effort in practice to rebound, but, at the same time, some rebounds are timely. They missed two free throws, we missed a box out, she got the rebound and we fouled her again. She came back to hit one of those free throws, and this was at the end of regulation. We could have avoided overtime if we just had a simple free throw box out. We have four on the line and they had two. So sometimes, it's the timely rebounds that matter most. Outrebounding them is obviously a goal, but we also have to be realistic about the timeliness of the rebounds."

On having five-day break until Appalachian State…
"This team needs the extra time. We need time to watch film collectively and individually and get in the gym to get some extra shots up. This long break probably couldn't come at a better time for us."

Player of the Game
Titus notched her first double-double of the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high seven steals. The Johns Creek, Ga., native was a factor in every facet of the game and made 6-of-16 shots from the floor.

Notables
» Mercer won the rebounding battle for the second time this season.
» The Bears dropped their fifth-straight game.
» This was the first time during the 2019-20 season that Mercer has played in overtime.
» Harris collected a career-high nine rebounds.
» Titus recorded her first double-double of the season and third of her career.
» Titus set new career highs in rebounds (14) and steals (7).
» McLaughlin posted a career-high 14 points and four steals.

Follow the Bears
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