Dougherty Collects Double-Double in Loss to Yale

Thursday, January 2

New Haven, CT

7 P.M.

Mercer University

3-11 (0-0SoCon)

Yale

10-3 (0-0)Ivy

Mercer

Yale Bulldogs

Photo by: Judy Stapleton

Dougherty Collects Double-Double in Loss to Yale

1/2/2020 9:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Jaron Dougherty recorded her fifth career double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs.

By: Stephen Waldman

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Mercer women's basketball team dropped its fifth straight game after falling 68-60 at Yale on Thursday evening.

Mercer led for the majority of the game, but the Bulldogs managed to outscore the Bears in the fourth quarter, 24-14, to pull away late for the victory. While Mercer started quickly by scoring at least 20 points in the first quarter for the second straight game, it was also the second time in as many games the Bears allowed 24 points in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Sophomores Jaron Dougherty and Amoria Neal-Tysor provided the offensive firepower for the Bears as the duo combined for 45 of Mercer's 60 points on the evening. Dougherty matched her career high with 26 points on 12-of-25 shooting and added 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Neal-Tysor made 9-of-20 shots from the field and ended with 19 points, four assists and two steals.

Junior Shannon Titus tied Dougherty with a team-high 10 rebounds and matched Yale's Camilla Emsbo for the game high with three blocks. The John's Creek, Ga., native now has 70 blocks in her career and passed Christy Cogley for seventh on Mercer's all-time leaderboard. Rookie Jill Harris also continues to distribute the ball efficiently with a game-high five assists, along with four rebounds and three points.

One of the biggest keys for the Bears on the evening was the emergence of redshirt sophomore transfer Kiana Barkhoff who made her debut for the squad this evening. The Kitzingen, Germany native compiled four rebounds, two blocks and an assist in 15 minutes of play, in addition to the energy and defensive prowess

How It Happened
After falling behind early, 12-8, the Bears went on a 10-2 run late in the first quarter to get out to an 18-14 advantage. Dougherty sparked the Mercer offense by scoring 10 of the team's first 12 points and opened the game going a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor.

Mercer ended the opening stanza with a 20-16 lead as the Black and Orange scored 20 points in the first quarter in back-to-back games. The Bears continued their offensive success into the second frame with a 12-3 run to open the period and extended their lead to 30-19 with 4:12 remaining before halftime. The Bulldogs responded with a 12-4 run of their own, however, to cut the visitors' lead to 34-31 at the break.

The two sides continued to battle back-and-forth with Yale going up 37-34 with 7:29 on the clock in the third quarter, only to see Mercer take a 41-37 edge four minutes later. The Bears managed to keep the Bulldogs at arm's length until the middle of the fourth quarter when the home side regained the lead, 55-54. Mercer responded with a jumper by Dougherty that gave the sophomore her 26^th point on the evening, but a free throw by Megan Gorman tied the game with 3:41 and sparked a 13-2 Yale run that sealed the win.

Quotables – Head coach Susie Gardner
On tonight's performance…
"We came out strong once again and had another chance to win against a very good Yale team. Unfortunately, we continue to not make plays down the stretch."

On Kiana Barkhoff's impact in her debut…
"Kiana was huge for us today. They had a 6'5" post player that we simply could not match up with, and she came in and was able to defend her and get some rebounds. I was very proud of Kiana and I look forward to her gaining even more confidence with more practice and games."

Player of the Game
Dougherty recorded her fifth double-double of the season by matching her career high with 26 points and added 10 rebounds. The Buford, Ga., native added three assists, two steals and a block in the game as she shot 12-of-25 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond-the-arc.

Notables
» The Bears dropped their first-ever meeting with Yale and fell to 0-4 all-time against the Ivy League.
» Mercer scored 20 points in the first quarter for the second consecutive game.
» Dougherty collected her fifth double-double of the season and her career.
» Dougherty scored at least 20 points for the sixth time this season, matching her career high of 26 points.
» Neal-Tysor scored in double figures for the 10^th time in her career.
» Barkhoff made her debut for the Bears after missing the first 13 games of the season.
» Barkhoff recorded two blocks in her debut, matching her career best mark from the University of Arizona.

Up Next
The Bears remain in the Northeast as they continue this five-game road trip at Columbia on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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.