Mercer Smothers UNC Asheville In Opener

Monday, November 4

Macon, Ga.

7:00 p.m.

Mercer University

1-0,0-0SoCon

UNC Asheville

0-1,0-0Big South

UNC Asheville

Mercer

11/4/2024 8:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer women's basketball team shot nearly 59 percent from the field, registered 44 points in the point and finished the evening with a 35-19 edge in the rebounding column as the Bears successfully kicked off the Michelle Clark-Heard era in Macon with a 75-52 rout of UNC Asheville on Monday in Hawkins Arena.

Mercer (1-0) got double-digit scoring numbers from four different players on the way to posting a win in its home opener for the third-straight year. It was the third-straight series loss for UNC Asheville (0-1) who has not tasted victory in Macon since the 1996-97 campaign.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Mercer 75, UNC Asheville 52
RECORDS: Mercer 1-0 (0-0 SoCon); UNC Asheville 0-1 (0-0 Big South)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga. (Hawkins Arena)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

The Bears shot 60 percent from the field in the opening quarter and scored seven points off of a quartet of UNC Asheville turnovers to grab an early 18-7 lead. A 6-4 affair with four minutes left in the stanza, Ashlee Locke's fast break jumper 34 seconds later sparked a period-ending 12-3 run for the hosts.

2ND QUARTER

It was more of the same in the second quarter for the Orange & Black who shot better than 58 percent from the field, while also turning six turnovers into nine points. Mercer tacked up nine-straight points midway through the second period to stretch its lead out to 23 points, 35-12, on Ariana Bennett's free throw, and eventually lugged a 39-18 advantage into the intermission.

3RD QUARTER

Mercer registered 6-for-11 (.545) shooting in the third quarter and eventually pushed its lead out to 20 points, 42-22, after a pair of free throws from Kayla Smith. Smith canned a nifty 3-pointer two minutes later to pad the advantage out to 23 points, but Asheville got a layup from Hannah Dunn, as well as a free throw from Suzan Sisman, to trim its deficit back again.

4TH QUARTER

Mercer held the visitors at arm's length for the remainder of the contest, but still managed to shoot 54.5 percent from the field. Zenia Palaska hit a pair of free throws with 2:24 left to play to pad the lead out to 30 points, 75-45, and MU hit cruise control the rest of the way out.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Senior Ashlee Locke registered her first career double-double with a game-high (shared) 14 points and 10 boards. She shot 6-for-10 from the field, and added four assists and a block to her offensive line as well.
+ Junior Aliyah Collins went 7-for-8 from the field on the way to a game-high (shared) 14 points. She turned in four assists as well.
+ Redshirt sophomore Aspen Johnson (12 points) and newcomer Nahawa Diarra (10) reached double-figure scoring numbers as well. Johnson added four boards to her stat line, while Diarra posted three rebounds and as many assists.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer improved to 6-4 all-time against UNC Asheville, and is now 3-2 against the Bulldogs in Macon. The Bears have now captured two-straight meetings with the Bulldogs in Hawkins Arena.
+ Michelle Clark-Heard became the sixth coach in program history to post a win in their MU debut, and the first to do it since the Janell Jones-led Bears upended South Carolina State in the 2007-08 season opener.
+ The Bears have now captured three-straight home openers. MU's last loss in a home opener came at the hands of Wake Forest on Nov. 9, 2021.

UP NEXT

Mercer will open the road portion of its regular season schedule on Saturday when it makes the short flight to Boca Raton, Fla., to battle Florida Atlantic (0-1) in Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Owls dropped a road contest with Florida in their season opener on Monday night.

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BACK THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, email maf@mercer.edu.