Bears Upend UAB

Sunday, December 19

Macon, Ga.

2:00 PM

Mercer University

7-5,0-0SoCon

UAB

-64,00 CUSA

UAB

Mercer

12/19/2021 5:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Mercer uses 3rd quarter run to beat Blazers

Bears Upend UAB
Mercer uses 3^rd quarter run to beat Blazers

MACON, Ga. – Following a disappointing setback a week ago, the Bears (7-5) rebounded with a strong win on Sunday afternoon, taking down UAB (6-4) by a 71-62 score.

Double-digit scoring performances from Jaron Dougherty and Amoria Neal-Tysor and a 29-point third quarter led the Bears to the nonconference win inside Hawkins Arena.

The game featured eight ties and five changes with both sides using scoring runs of at least 13 points.

How it Happened

Mercer claimed the opening tip and the game's first three points. The opening frame ended with the visitors holding a slim 14-12 lead in back-and-forth fashion. The second quarter had a seven-point Mercer run that was quickly countered by a 13-point one by the Blazers to take a nine-point cushion into the locker room at the break. Dougherty led Mercer with eight points and four boards at the half.

Out of the break, Mercer exploded for a 29-point third quarter that eventually separated themselves from the Blazers. Neal-Tysor tacked on 12 of her 19 in the third, including four from the charity stripe and another four from the field. Dougherty dropped 11 in the third, connecting on four from the field and three from the foul line.

UAB chipped a 13-point deficit down to two in the fourth quarter, but the Bears held strong the secure the home win. Four straight foul shots by Erin Houpt and Dougherty cemented the result.

Dougherty set a new season-high with 28, breaking the previous benchmark of 19, which was set in the third game of the season against Troy. Neal-Tysor's 19 matched her season-high, which was last attained in the road tilt with Alabama just before Thanksgiving.

Quotables – Head Coach Susie Gardner
Thoughts on the game
"It was a game of runs. The first quarter was pretty tight. Then UAB made a run and we went into halftime down. Then we made a run in the third quarter and UAB brought it back. It ended up coming down to free throws at the end of the game. It was a much closer game than the scoreboard indicated because they were having to foul. We dug ourselves into a hole at halftime and I'm really pleased with how the defense stepped up. We were trying to get out and run and that's what we did in the third quarter by scoring 14 transition points. It was a good team win for us. It was good to have Jaron scoring again. She did a great job of putting the ball in the hole."

Notables
• Mercer is 3-0 when scoring 71 points or more, and 2-0 when in the friendly confines of Hawkins Arena
• Dougherty has notched double-digits in points in nine of the 12 contests this season
• Mercer went 3-1 in nonconference play versus teams from the state of Alabama, the outlier being a seven-point setback on the road to Alabama
• The Bears have notched at least 71 points in their last three wins over UAB

Up Next
Mercer will continue the seven-game homestand by hosting Bethune-Cookman this coming Tuesday, December 21st. Tipoff against the Blazers will be at 5 p.m. and broadcasted on ESPN+ and can be heard on Mercer Sports Network (100.9 The Creek).

Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer 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.