Monday, November 7
Macon, Ga.
7 PM
Mercer University
1-0,0-0SoCon
76
vs
75
Middle Tennessee
-01,00 CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
Middle Tenn.
15
13
21
26
75
Mercer
24
21
15
16
76
Team Stats
MTSU
Mercer
FG%
.404
.575
3FG%
.350
.667
FT%
.722
.917
RB
24
31
TO
13
25
STL
15
5
Game Leaders
Pts
32
FGM
10
3FGM
4
FTM
8
Pts
18
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
9
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Summah Evans' Buzzer-Beater Gives Mercer 76-75 Win over MTSU
11/7/2022 10:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Neal-Tysor Finished with 32 points; two shy of her career-high
MACON, Ga. - With 5.2 seconds on the clock Summah Evans inbounded the ball to Amoria Neal-Tysor. Neal-Tysor, the preseason Southern Conference Player of the Year pulled up from the elbow looking for the game-winning shot and her 33rd and 34th points of the night. Her shot came up short, but Summah Evans beat everyone for the rebound and put up a shot just before the final buzzer - in between two Middle Tennessee State defenders - that went in, to give Mercer a 76-75 season opening win over Middle Tennessee State, Monday night at Hawkins Arena.
In a matchup of two teams picked to win their respective conferences, the game lived up the billing. The Bears had an all-around effective shooting night, shooting 57.5 percent from the floor, while connecting on 8-of-12 three-point field goals (66.7 percent). The Bears were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, shooting 22-for-24 (91.7 percent) from the line.
Middle Tennessee's press forced numerous Mercer turnover's and helped the Lady Raiders chip away at Mercer's lead. The Bears had 25 turnovers and MTSU had 28 points off those turnovers.
Amoria Neal-Tysor led all scorers with 32 points in the game, two shy of her career-high 34 point game against Western Carolina in last season's SoCon Tournament Quarterfinal. She started the game going 8-for-8 from the field with 21 points. Erin Houpt added 18 points including a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Summah Evans had 10 points to go with five rebounds. Freshman Enjulina Gonzalez finished with 10 points, two assists and two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer played an excellent first quarter shooting 8-for-11 from the field including 4-for-4 from deep. After MTSU scored the first points of the game, Mercer went on a 10-2 run. Then with the Bears leading 10-4, Neal-Tysor would score 10 of the next 12 points for Mercer and the Bears had a 24-15 lead after the first quarter.
Neal-Tysor continued to roll into the second quarter, scoring the first six points of the second quarter for the Bears. A 3-pointer by Erin Houpt stretched Mercer's lead to the largest of the night at 43-24 with just under two minutes to play in the second quarter.Â
The Lady Raiders got out to an 8-2 run to begin the second half to cut the deficit to 11, but freshman Enjulina Gonzalez capped a 7-0 run by the Bears with back-to-back baskets to make it a 53-36 game midway through the third quarter. Mercer had 8 turnovers in the third quarter and took a 60-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
MTSU began the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run within the first three minutes of the quarter and suddenly it was a 62-60 game. That set it up for a fantastic final seven minutes in which there were six lead changes and two different ties. Jaron Dougherty scored on a nice pass from Amoria Neal-Tysor to give Mercer a 72-71 lead with 1:11 to play.
Then, down 73-72, Erin Houpt was fouled with 11.2 seconds remaining. She calmly drained both free throws to put the Bears back on top by one.
MTSU scored out of the timeout to go ahead 75-74 with 5.2 seconds remaining. Out of the Mercer timeout, Summah Evans corralled the rebound and hit a buzzer-beating shot to give Mercer the 76-75 win.
NOTABLES
UP NEXT
Mercer travels to Orlando, Florida to play UCF on Thursday, Nov. 10. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.
Follow the Bears:Â
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @Mercer_WBB (Twitter),  /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @Mercer_wbb (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Buzzer beater for Win #1
— Mercer Women's Basketball (@Mercer_WBB) November 8, 2022
🤯🤯🤯🤯#SCTop10 @SportsCenter @MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/PlGAP9iBqL
In a matchup of two teams picked to win their respective conferences, the game lived up the billing. The Bears had an all-around effective shooting night, shooting 57.5 percent from the floor, while connecting on 8-of-12 three-point field goals (66.7 percent). The Bears were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, shooting 22-for-24 (91.7 percent) from the line.
Middle Tennessee's press forced numerous Mercer turnover's and helped the Lady Raiders chip away at Mercer's lead. The Bears had 25 turnovers and MTSU had 28 points off those turnovers.
Amoria Neal-Tysor led all scorers with 32 points in the game, two shy of her career-high 34 point game against Western Carolina in last season's SoCon Tournament Quarterfinal. She started the game going 8-for-8 from the field with 21 points. Erin Houpt added 18 points including a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Summah Evans had 10 points to go with five rebounds. Freshman Enjulina Gonzalez finished with 10 points, two assists and two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer played an excellent first quarter shooting 8-for-11 from the field including 4-for-4 from deep. After MTSU scored the first points of the game, Mercer went on a 10-2 run. Then with the Bears leading 10-4, Neal-Tysor would score 10 of the next 12 points for Mercer and the Bears had a 24-15 lead after the first quarter.
Neal-Tysor continued to roll into the second quarter, scoring the first six points of the second quarter for the Bears. A 3-pointer by Erin Houpt stretched Mercer's lead to the largest of the night at 43-24 with just under two minutes to play in the second quarter.Â
The Lady Raiders got out to an 8-2 run to begin the second half to cut the deficit to 11, but freshman Enjulina Gonzalez capped a 7-0 run by the Bears with back-to-back baskets to make it a 53-36 game midway through the third quarter. Mercer had 8 turnovers in the third quarter and took a 60-49 lead into the fourth quarter.
MTSU began the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run within the first three minutes of the quarter and suddenly it was a 62-60 game. That set it up for a fantastic final seven minutes in which there were six lead changes and two different ties. Jaron Dougherty scored on a nice pass from Amoria Neal-Tysor to give Mercer a 72-71 lead with 1:11 to play.
Then, down 73-72, Erin Houpt was fouled with 11.2 seconds remaining. She calmly drained both free throws to put the Bears back on top by one.
MTSU scored out of the timeout to go ahead 75-74 with 5.2 seconds remaining. Out of the Mercer timeout, Summah Evans corralled the rebound and hit a buzzer-beating shot to give Mercer the 76-75 win.
NOTABLES
- Amoria Neal-Tysor's 32 points are the second-most in her career.
- Mercer's 22 made free throws are the most it has made in a game since it made 22-of-25 free throws against UAB on Dec. 10, 2020.
- Mercer shot 66.7 percent from 3-point range. Last season, the Bears had just one game in which they made at least 65 percent of their 3-point attempts.
- Erin Houpt went 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Her nine free throws made, surpasses her career-high of six made free throws in a game.
Mercer travels to Orlando, Florida to play UCF on Thursday, Nov. 10. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.
Follow the Bears:Â
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @Mercer_WBB (Twitter),  /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @Mercer_wbb (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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