Mercer Falls in Back-and-Forth Affair at UNCG

Thursday, January 30

Greensboro, N.C.

7 P.M.

Mercer University

UNCG

Mercer Falls in Back-and-Forth Affair at UNCG

1/30/2020 9:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Amoria Neal-Tysor scored a game-high 18 points against the Spartans

By: Stephen Waldman

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Mercer women's basketball team dropped a hard-fought 67-51 game at UNCG on Thursday evening at Fleming Gymnasium.

The Bears looked strong through the first 20 minutes of the game and took a 35-29 lead into the break. Sophomore Amoria Neal-Tysor was lethal for the visitors in the first half, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting (3-of-5 from downtown). Jaron Dougherty added six points and seven rebounds in the first half, along with Sierra Votaw contributing six points.

The second half was a different story, however, as Mercer was held to 18.5 percent from the floor (5-of-27), including 12.5 percent (2-of-16) in the final period. Neal-Tysor was held off the scoresheet, while Shannon Titus scored 12 of Mercer's 16 points.

On the other side of the floor, the Spartans scored 38 second half points and shot 53.6 (15-of-28) from the floor. UNCG tightened up its defensive effort in the second half, forcing nine of Mercer's 14 turnovers on the night in the final two frames.

Neal-Tysor finished with a game-high 18 points, while Titus joined her in double-digits with 15 points on the night along with a game-high five steals. Dougherty finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, two points shy of her seventh double-double of the year. Votaw totaled eight points and five rebounds in the contest, while Tia Benvenuti dished out a team-best four assists in her return to the lineup.

How It Happened
Mercer jumped out to an early 11-4 lead to open the game through the first four-and-a-half-minutes of the contest thanks to six points by Votaw. UNCG battled back with an 8-0 run to take a 12-11 advantage as one of 14 first-half lead changes. Neal-Tysor started to heat up at the end of the opening period, however, as she connected from long range on back-to-back possessions to five Mercer a 17-15 edge after the first.

The two sides battled back-and-forth throughout the second quarter, trading baskets and jockeying for position heading toward the break. Mercer was able to pull away down the stretch as a 9-0 run provided the visitors with a 35-29 edge heading into halftime.

The second half started with an 11-4 run by UNCG as Mercer began 1-of-6 from the floor after the intermission. The Spartans ended the third with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting to take a four-point lead into the final 10 minutes. The home side continued to find ways to score in the fourth, shooting at 58.3 percent (7-of-12) to break away down the stretch.

Player of the Game
Neal-Tysor scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting and finished 3-of-6 from beyond-the-arc. The Sanford, N.C., native collected four rebounds and a steal in her home state and was red hot in the first half. She scored all 18 of her points in the first 20 minutes of the game and was shooting at a clip of 58.3 percent (7-of-12).

Notables
» Mercer scored at least 18 points off turnovers for the 11^th time this season.
» Neal-Tysor made multiple 3-pointers in a game for the eighth time this season, including her fourth contest with at least 3 treys.
» Titus recorded at least five steals for the fourth time this year.
» Votaw scored a career-high eight points in the contest.
» Dougherty recorded double-digit rebounds without earning a double-double for the first time in her career.

Up Next
The Bears close out their short two-game road trip at Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPN3.

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.