Running past Samford

Saturday, January 29

Macon, Ga.

2:30 PM

Mercer University

13-6,6-1SoCon

Samford

8-12,3-3SoCon

Samford

Mercer

Photo by: James Thomas

1/29/2022 5:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Mercer uses 10-0 run to beat Samford, 73-66, in Hawkins Arena

MACON, Ga. – Down by as many as many as five in the third, Mercer (13-6, 7-1 SoCon) used 40 second half points to push themselves past Samford (8-12, 3-3 SoCon) in their last of four consecutive games before the next road swing. Erin Houpt - a freshman from Danville, Ill. - led the Bears with 25 points, and matched a program-best with seven makes from beyond the arc. The first year was 50% (7-for-14) from three and hit a trio in the fourth to help secure the league win. Amoria Neal-Tysor continued her hot streak with 12 points and four rebounds. Nine Bears recorded at least two points on the afternoon in contribution to the result.

Mercer held their visitors off the scoreboard in the game's final 4:25 and finished with a 10-0 run.

How it Happened
The Bears and Bulldogs traded blows all game long in a match that featured 11 lead changes, eight ties and scoring runs of 10 or more for both sides. Neal-Tysor, looking to keep up her conference game momentum, notched eight of her 12 in the opening frame while Houpt's only entry to the scorebook was a three-pointer in the first. Four of the eight for Neal-Tysor came in the quarter's last to minutes to give the Bears a 15-12 edge to go into the second.
Despite a hot start from Mercer to begin the second, Samford chipped away at a 10-point deficit and turned it to a four-point lead with a 12-0 run. Samford would go into the break with a slim 34-33 lead over the Bears.

The second half started with 25 third quarter points by Mercer and finished the third with an eight-point advantage. Houpt added six to her total, while Shannon Titus and Nigeria Harkless with four points apiece. Mercer saw a six-point lead in the fourth quarter turn into a three-point deficit with just 4:25 left. Eight straight points by Houpt – two 3s and a pair of foul shots – turned the momentum fully to Mercer's side.

Quotables – Head Coach Susie Gardner
How the team responded to momentum shifts
"It took all of us. We had Amoria and Shannon get two fouls in the first half. Kinley made some big shots for us and ran the point for us. Votaw went in and made shots for us, Nigeria, too. It took all of us. I was proud of the way we responded to their run. Obviously, Houpt stands out with her hitting huge 3s for us down the line. We're growing, we're finding ways to win and I'm proud of them."

Notables
• Erin Houpt's seven 3s tied the Mercer all-time mark of individual 3s in a game for a performance in Hawkins Arena
• Mercer snapped a four-game skid to Samford that stretched to February 2019
• The 6-1 league start is the best for the Bears since the 2018-19 squad, which finished 14-0 in SoCon play

Up Next
Mercer will head to the Volunteer State to take on Chattanooga on February 3 for a 7 p.m. tip. The contest will be shown on ESPN+ and can be heard on 100.9 FM The Creek and SportsMic as "The Voice of the Bears," Rick Cameron, will be on the call.

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.