Mercer Falls in Conference Opener at Furman

Thursday, January 9

Greenville, S.C.

7 P.M.

Mercer University

3-13, 0-1SoCon

Furman

10-5, 1-0SoCon

Mercer

Furman

Photo by: Jhalen Wingate

1/9/2020 9:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Mercer saw its 34-game conference winning streak snapped.

By: Stephen Waldman

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team fell to Furman in its Southern Conference opener, 62-49, Thursday evening at Timmons Arena.

With the loss, Mercer saw its 34-game conference winning streak that began on Feb. 4, 2017 snapped.

Mercer's offense was led by Amoria Neal-Tysor (20 pts.), Shannon Titus (12 pts.) and Jaron Dougherty (12 pts.) who combined for 44 of the team's 49 points on the night. The Bears were balanced in their rebounding effort with 8-of-10 players recording at least three rebounds. Jill Harris brought down a team-high six boards, while Summer Pahl and Titus each collected five rebounds.

Tia Benvenuti dished out a season-high seven assists, while Harris added five assists. The rookie from Navarre, Fla., has now recorded at least four assists in eight of the team's last 11 games.

Mercer failed to reach 50 points for the second consecutive game and shot 35.5 percent from the floor, while Furman converted 45.5 percent of its shots from the field. The Paladins sank 18-of-25 shots from the free throw line (72.0 percent), compared to just eight attempts from the charity stripe for the Bears.

How It Happened
Mercer started the game red hot on a 9-0 run to force Furman to call a timeout less than four minutes into the contest. The Bears held a one-point advantage at the end of the first quarter thanks to the offensive efforts of Neal-Tysor and Titus who contributed all 13 of the team's points.

Fouls became an issue for the Bears in the second quarter, however, allowing the home side to battle their way back into the game. After trading baskets for roughly the first three minutes of the period, Furman went on an 11-1 run to push its way in front before halftime.

The Bears brought the deficit down to four points with four minutes remaining in the third quarter thanks to a 12-4 fueled by Dougherty and Neal-Tysor. Mercer's offense hit a snag, however, going 2-for-its-next-14 which allowed Furman to pad its lead and hold on for the win.

Quotables – Head coach Susie Gardner
On tonight's game…
"Three of our starters got into foul trouble and I had to sit them in the second quarter. We lost that quarter, 17-7. Our players need to have the discipline not to foul so they can stay in the game. With that said, we had a chance. We have to shoot the ball better as a team and have more people rebounding. We will continue as a staff to work with this team and put them in position to win games."

Player of the Game
From the opening tip, Neal-Tysor was the best offensive weapon for the Bears. The Sanford, N.C., native went 5-of-11 in the first half and 5-of-13 in the second half, scoring 10 points in each. She recorded her fourth 20-point outing of the year and 10th double-digit performance. Neal-Tysor added four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Notables
» Mercer saw its 34-game winning streak against SoCon opponents snapped, dating back to Feb. 4, 2017.
» The Bears are currently on a seven-game losing skid, the longest since the 2011-12 season.
» Neal-Tysor tallied her fourth 20-point game, scoring 10 in both halves.
» Harris dished out five assists, marking her eighth time in the last 11 games she has recorded at least four assists.
» Benvenuti recorded a season-high seven assists.

Up Next
Mercer will remain in South Carolina for its next matchup as the Bears continue their five-game road trip at Wofford on Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. 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.