Bears Best Georgia Southern at Hawkins Arena

Saturday, December 7

Macon, Ga.

2 P.M.

Mercer University

3-6,0-0SoCon

Georgia Southern

2-5,0-0Sun Belt

Ga. Southern

Mercer

12/7/2019 5:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Jaron Dougherty recorded her third double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

By: Stephen Waldman

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team won its second consecutive game with a 62-52 victory over in-state foe Georgia Southern on Saturday at Hawkins Arena.

Mercer's defense limited the Eagles to shoot 28.4 percent (19-of-67) from the floor while forcing them into 20 turnovers. On the opposite end of the floor, the Bears shot over 40 percent from the floor for the third straight game at a clip of 44.1 percent (26-of-59).

Jaron Dougherty logged her third double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds, marking her second 20-point performance of her sophomore campaign. Shannon Titus added 18 points and nine boards on the afternoon for the Bears, while Jill Harris' 10 assists marked the first time a Mercer player reached double-digit helpers in a game this year. Amoria Neal-Tysor contributed 10 points and five rebounds in the victory as well.

How It Happened
Mercer made both of its first field goals to take an early 5-0 lead in the first 49 seconds of the game. Georgia Southern responded with a 9-4 run in the middle of the frame to even things up at 11 before a jumper by Tysor-Neal with four seconds on the clock put the home side ahead at the end of the first.

That shot sparked the Bears' offense to an 8-0 run through the first two minutes of the second to take a 10-point edge. Another 9-4 run by the Eagles trimmed the Mercer lead to four, but the Black and Orange responded with five unanswered to create some breathing room before heading into the break.

The Bears continued their trend of starting quickly in the third quarter, opening the second half with a 10-0 run. In the period, Georgia Southern was held without a field goal for a stretch of 3:40 and was able to only get two shots up over that stretch.

A back-and-forth fourth quarter saw the visitors get as close as eight points, but the Mercer offense was too potent and was able to fend off the Eagles to secure its second straight victory.

Quotables – Head coach Susie Gardner
Overall thoughts from the game…
"We've obviously had some bumps and bruises this year, but I thought we started the game really strong and very emotional. We found a way to get it done, which wasn't pretty at all, but we went to the offensive glass a lot more than we had been so I'm pleased with that. We still have a long way to go, but this was definitely a step in the right direction tonight.

Jaron's growth throughout the season…
"We've known since Jaron [Dougherty] got here that she could score. Scoring was never an issue with her, it's been on the other end of the floor defensively. She's growing in that area, but I'm honestly more proud of her five offensive rebounds than her 22 points because we've really been stressing the importance of not being one-and-done on one end. I thought she really made a concerted effort to go to the offensive glass tonight.

Jill's facilitating abilities…
"Jill has a very high basketball I.Q. which keeps her on the floor and is a very good defensive player, but I probably need to sub her a little bit more because we're relying on her a little too much. Her versatility makes it tough to take her out of the game though. She's one of those chameleons who can do so much for us. People often don't realize how valuable she is for us without needing to shoot the basketball."

Player of the Game
Dougherty forced her way into the tough areas of the court today and was effective in all aspects of the game. The sophomore from Buford, Ga., recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds (5 offensive, 7 defensive), four blocks, two assists and a steal on the afternoon, marking her third double-double of the season. Whether it was in the paint or the mid-range game, Dougherty was able to make her shots as she finished 10-of-21 from the floor.

Notables
» Mercer extended its winning streak over Georgia Southern to six games.
» The Bears' defense allowed a season-low 28.4 shooting percentage.
» Mercer forced 20 turnovers for the sixth time this year.
» Mercer's 18-point lead in the third quarter was its largest against a Division I opponent in 2019-20.
» Dougherty tallied her third double-double of the year and second 20-point game.
» Dougherty collected her 100^th career rebound.
» Harris became the first Mercer player to record 10 assists in a game this season.
» Titus posted her seventh double-digit scoring effort in nine games.

Up Next
The Bears remain at home as they clash with Clemson on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be aired 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.