Charlotte Slips By Bears In Final Minute

Thursday, December 5

Macon, Ga.

11 a.m.

Mercer University

4-6,0-0SoCon

Charlotte

4-5,0-0AAC

Charlotte

Mercer

12/5/2024 1:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Visiting Charlotte scored 17 points off of 19 Mercer turnovers, including Keanna Rembert's go-ahead layup with 36 seconds left, to lead the 49ers past the home-standing Bears, 43-42, on Thursday afternoon in Hawkins Arena.

The setback snapped a two-game string of home wins for the Bears (4-6) who fell to 3-2 this season in Hawkins Arena with the loss. The triumph put an end to a two-game skid for the 49ers (4-5) who have now taken two-straight meetings in the series with the Orange & Black.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Charlotte 43, Mercer 42
RECORDS: Mercer 4-6 (0-0 SoCon); Charlotte 4-5 (0-0 American)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga. (Hawkins Arena)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Mercer shot nearly 41 percent in the opening stanza, but eight turnovers by the hosts was enough to allow Charlotte to build a 14-6 lead after 10 minutes of action. A fastbreak layup from Talia Harris with 3:18 left cut MU's deficit to two possessions, 10-6, but the visitors closed it out with a second-chance bucket and a pair of free throws.

2ND QUARTER

The Bears kept their hot shooting hand going in the second quarter and cut into their deficit heading into the intermission. Charlotte got a 3-pointer from Alexis Andrews with just more than three minutes left to push its lead out to 11 points, 25-14, but the Orange & Black answered with a jumper from Kayla Smith at the 1:35 mark, and then got the final points of the half via a second-chance layup by Stephanie Utomi 32 seconds later.

3RD QUARTER

MU limited Charlotte to just a 23.1 percent shooting effort from the floor in the third quarter, but the 49ers were able to slightly pump their lead thanks to five turnovers by the hosts. Ashlee Locke's hookshot just 18 seconds into the period trimmed Mercer's deficit down to just five points, 25-20, but the Niners answered with the game's next six points to distance themselves again.

4TH QUARTER

The Bears suffocated Charlotte, again, in the fourth period, holding the visitors to just two buckets (11 attempts) in the final quarter. The 49ers took a 9-point lead, 41-32, on Hayleigh Breland's trey at the 5:32 mark, but a pair of free throws from Stephanie Utomi on the other end of the court sparked a 10-0 run over the next five minutes that handed the advantage to the Orange & Black.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Freshman Stephanie Utomi came off of the bench to score 10 points on 3-for-4 shooting, as well as a 4-for-4 effort from the free throw line. She also turned in a game-best eight rebounds.
+ Senior Ashlee Locke added 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting, while also tallying six rebounds and a trio of assists.
+ Freshman Talia Harris chipped in eight points and three rebounds to the effort as well.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer finished Thursday's outing with an 80 percent effort (8-for-10) from the free throw line – the fourth time this season that MU has connected on at least 80 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe.
+ The Bears recorded six blocks against the 49ers – their most since finishing with six swats in the 2023-24 season finale against Chattanooga. MU has now tallied at least one block in 38 consecutive games.
+ Thursday's result marked the fourth time this season that Mercer has held its opponent to 52 points or less.

UP NEXT

The Bears will close out a short 2-game home stand on Sunday when they bunker down to battle in-state rival and undefeated Georgia Tech (8-0) at Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.

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BACK THE BEARS

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