Friday, March 8
Asheville, N.C.
11 a.m.
Mercer University
24-7, 14-0SoCon
69
vs
51
Wofford
16-15, 7-7SoCon
1
2
3
4
F
Wofford
11
10
16
14
51
Mercer
12
16
25
16
69
Team Stats
WOF
MER
FG%
.311
.483
3FG%
.176
.364
FT%
.556
.750
RB
39
37
TO
12
9
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Pts
29
FGM
13
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's Basketball
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Titus Lifts Bears Past Wofford into SoCon Title Game
3/8/2019 3:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Strong second-half performance pushes Mercer past Wofford
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Shannon Titus scored a career-high 29 points and Mercer used a second-half offensive outburst to defeat Wofford, 69-51, in the semifinal round of the 2019 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championship presented by General Shale on Friday at the U.S. Cellular Center.
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The win propelled the top-seeded Bears (24-7) into the conference title game for the fourth straight season. Mercer, the defending SoCon Tournament champion, will face second-seeded Furman on Sunday. Mercer's win streak now stands at 16 consecutive games and the Bears improved to 10-3 all-time at the SoCon Tournament.
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How It Happened
Titus, a sophomore from Johns Creek, Ga., erupted for 19 second-half points to lead Mercer's offensive surge. Titus sank 13-of-23 field goals and added six rebounds and two assists. The Bears shot a red-hot 67 percent from the field in the second half to pull away from the Terriers for an 18-point victory. Rachel Selph scored 12 points while Linnea Rosendal had 10. Amanda Thompson scored eight points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
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Wofford jumped out to an early four-point lead (8-4) on a basket by Marissa Bayer with five minutes and 49 seconds left in the opening quarter. Mercer rallied back and led by one, 12-11, at the quarter break. A layup by Thompson at the seven-minute mark of the second period lifted Mercer to an 18-13 advantage. The Bears' lead grew to eight, 24-16, on a basket by Titus with 2:55 left in the half. Mercer took a 28-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
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Mercer picked up the pace offensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 25-16 over 10 minutes to take a commanding 53-37 lead after three periods. The Bears continued their torrid shooting in the final frame, stretching their lead to 22 (64-42) on a pair of free throws by Thompson with 4:46 remaining. Mercer kept the pressure up the rest of the way, holding Wofford scoreless over the final three minutes.
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Player of the Game
Shannon Titus submitted a career-best performance on the semifinal stage, dropping 29 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field.
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Notables
» Amanda Thompson led all players with 12 rebounds and added three assists and two steals.
» Thompson has pulled down double-digit rebounds for the 18th time in the last 21 games.
» KeKe Calloway chipped in eight points, six rebounds and two assists.
» The Bears outscored Wofford 41-30 in the second half.
» Mercer outscored Wofford 26-18 in the paint.
» Mercer improved to 14-1 all-time against Wofford with its 13th consecutive win in the series.
» The Bears have won five straight SoCon Tournament games.
» Rachel Selph has scored double figures in seven of her last eight games. She only had four such performances in the first 23 games of the season.
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Coach's Corner
Opening statement:
"Give a lot of credit to Wofford," said head coach Susie Gardner. "They played us close both times [in the regular season] and we knew it would be a battle. I'm so happy for this crew to be back in the championship game."
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On Titus' performance:
"Shannon's got a lot of gifts in terms of being an athlete. She's long, she's got intelligence, she did an amazing job on defense. On offense, Shannon was hitting key shots at important times."
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On team effort:
"We can talk about Shannon, and we should. But this was a total team effort."
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On Mercer fans representing well at the tournament:
"They're loud! This is an arena where we can hear them. We are so appreciative of our fans who come up to Asheville and really, really cheer us on."
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Records Update
» #1 Mercer: 24-7
» #5 Wofford: 16-15
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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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The win propelled the top-seeded Bears (24-7) into the conference title game for the fourth straight season. Mercer, the defending SoCon Tournament champion, will face second-seeded Furman on Sunday. Mercer's win streak now stands at 16 consecutive games and the Bears improved to 10-3 all-time at the SoCon Tournament.
Â
How It Happened
Titus, a sophomore from Johns Creek, Ga., erupted for 19 second-half points to lead Mercer's offensive surge. Titus sank 13-of-23 field goals and added six rebounds and two assists. The Bears shot a red-hot 67 percent from the field in the second half to pull away from the Terriers for an 18-point victory. Rachel Selph scored 12 points while Linnea Rosendal had 10. Amanda Thompson scored eight points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
Â
Wofford jumped out to an early four-point lead (8-4) on a basket by Marissa Bayer with five minutes and 49 seconds left in the opening quarter. Mercer rallied back and led by one, 12-11, at the quarter break. A layup by Thompson at the seven-minute mark of the second period lifted Mercer to an 18-13 advantage. The Bears' lead grew to eight, 24-16, on a basket by Titus with 2:55 left in the half. Mercer took a 28-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Â
Mercer picked up the pace offensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Terriers 25-16 over 10 minutes to take a commanding 53-37 lead after three periods. The Bears continued their torrid shooting in the final frame, stretching their lead to 22 (64-42) on a pair of free throws by Thompson with 4:46 remaining. Mercer kept the pressure up the rest of the way, holding Wofford scoreless over the final three minutes.
Â
Player of the Game
Shannon Titus submitted a career-best performance on the semifinal stage, dropping 29 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field.
Â
Notables
» Amanda Thompson led all players with 12 rebounds and added three assists and two steals.
» Thompson has pulled down double-digit rebounds for the 18th time in the last 21 games.
» KeKe Calloway chipped in eight points, six rebounds and two assists.
» The Bears outscored Wofford 41-30 in the second half.
» Mercer outscored Wofford 26-18 in the paint.
» Mercer improved to 14-1 all-time against Wofford with its 13th consecutive win in the series.
» The Bears have won five straight SoCon Tournament games.
» Rachel Selph has scored double figures in seven of her last eight games. She only had four such performances in the first 23 games of the season.
Â
Coach's Corner
Opening statement:
"Give a lot of credit to Wofford," said head coach Susie Gardner. "They played us close both times [in the regular season] and we knew it would be a battle. I'm so happy for this crew to be back in the championship game."
Â
On Titus' performance:
"Shannon's got a lot of gifts in terms of being an athlete. She's long, she's got intelligence, she did an amazing job on defense. On offense, Shannon was hitting key shots at important times."
Â
On team effort:
"We can talk about Shannon, and we should. But this was a total team effort."
Â
On Mercer fans representing well at the tournament:
"They're loud! This is an arena where we can hear them. We are so appreciative of our fans who come up to Asheville and really, really cheer us on."
Â
Records Update
» #1 Mercer: 24-7
» #5 Wofford: 16-15
Â
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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