Third Quarter Outburst Leads Mercer Past Jacksonville, 74-63

Sunday, December 17

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

5-8,0-0SoCon

Jacksonville

4-7,0-0ASUN

Jacksonville

Mercer

Third Quarter Outburst Leads Mercer Past Jacksonville, 74-63

12/17/2023 5:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Presser Photo Gallery

Mercer outscored Jacksonville 30-14 in the third quarter

MACON, Ga. - A 30 point third quarter eruption from Mercer helped lead the Bears to a 74-63 win over Jacksonville Sunday afternoon in Hawkins Arena.

Mercer trailed 35-32 at halftime, but would go on to outscore Jacksonville, 30-14 in the third quarter to go from trailing to up 13 at the end of the third quarter.

The 74 points were the second most points scored by the Bears in a game this season, but the most scored in regulation (78 vs Austin Peay in double overtime). Mercer's 30-point third quarter was the highest scoring quarter this season for Mercer and the most points scored in any quarter since December 10, 2022 when the Bears scored 30 points in the fourth quarter at Troy.

Mercer shot a season best 53 percent from the field and Jacksonville 44 percent. The Bears were also solid from three-point range as Deja Williams made all four of Mercer's threes and as a team were 4-for-9 (44%) from deep.

The Bears had five players score in double figures in the game, with four of those five players shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.

Coming off a career-high 15 points at North Carolina A&T, Aspen Johnson followed it up with another career-high scoring 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting. She also added five rebounds and three assists.

Williams scored 16 points, Stacie Jones had 15 points and seven rebounds, Briana Peguero had 12 points, and Mackenzie Johnson added 10 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer got out to a 6-0 start, but Jacksonville would eventually come alive as they went on an 11-2 run to take a 16-12 lead in the first quarter. Aspen Johnson would score the last five points of the first quarter for the Bears who took a 21-20 lead after the first 10 minutes.

The second quarter was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than four at any point in the quarter. The Bears cooled off a bit with their shooting in the second quarter going 4-for-12 and scoring 11 points as Jacksonville led 35-32 at the break.

The Bears came out strong on both ends of the floor to start the second half, going on a 15-2 run to take a 47-37 lead just minutes into the third quarter. Mercer was 12-for-19 (63.2%) from the floor in the third quarter. Aspen Johnson and Jones each had eight points in the third quarter as the Bears led the Dolphins 62-49 after the third.

Jacksonville needed to go on a scoring run to get back in the game, but the Bears tightened up defensively allowing just five points from the Dolphins over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. Williams knocked down two of her four three-pointers in the quarter to keep the lead in double digits for the Bears.

NOTES

Mercer's 29 made field goals and 52.7 percent field goal percentage were both season highs
The Bears had 13 steals and forced 24 Jacksonville turnovers. Mercer's 13 steals were a season-high
The Bears attempted just nine three-pointers in the game, its fewest three-point attempts in a game this season
Williams' four made three-pointers were tied for the second most in a game for her
Points in the paint were 36-26 in favor of the Bears

COACH GARDNER QUOTES

On the defense helping toward the 30-point third quarter:
"Well, at halftime we talked about our defense. I felt like our defense let us down in the first half. We talked about our defense creating our offense. It started with Cianté of course guarding their leading scorer. We got some steals, got some easy layups. It got us going a little bit. Defense is kind of contagious and it got us amped up a little bit.

On the play of Aspen Johnson:
"I think Aspen is in a unique situation in that she got hurt in her senior year of high school in February. She came to us as a freshman with a torn ACL. So her freshman year was a little bit rocky in terms of she didn't get to practice or play or do anything. So she's finally beginning to get her confidence back, being the player that we knew she was going to be when we signed her out of high school. She's a great offensive player. She's strong. She gets to the rim. She draws fouls. She's a good free throw shooter. I'm really proud of her. These last two games she's played exceptional."

ASPEN JOHNSON QUOTES:

On what's been working for her the past two games:
"I would say being patient. Not really forcing my shot, but letting the game come to me has been something that I've really been trying to work on."

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