Mercer University
18-5, 7-2SoCon
ETSU
14-10, 6-3SoCon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 23 | 8 | 23 | 17 | 71 |
| ETSU | 3 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 56 |
Lawrence, Bears Earn Hard-Fought Win at ETSU
2/4/2017 3:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Eight Bears score in balanced offensive attack
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Kahlia Lawrence led eight different Bears who scored with a game-high 21 points as Mercer defeated ETSU, 71-56, in Southern Conference play at Brooks Gym on Saturday afternoon.
Â
The win gets Mercer back on track after a loss to league-leading Chattanooga on Thursday. Mercer (18-5, 7-2 SoCon) now owns sole possession of second place in the SoCon and has the best road record (8-3) among all league teams.
Â
Mercer used a 23-3 first-quarter lead to hang on late as ETSU (14-10, 6-3) rallied and kept the contest close until nearly the final minute of play. Rachel Selph, who earned her first start of the season, contributed a career-high 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Â
Defensively, the Bears held an ETSU team that was tied with them for first in scoring offense (65.6 points per game) to 56 points on 30.6 percent shooting from the field. ETSU's Tianna Tarter, who entered the contest as the SoCon's leading scorer (19.8 PPG), was held to 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Everything went right for the Bears in the opening quarter of play as they hit a scorching 73.3 percent from the field and jumped out to a 23-3 lead. ETSU, meanwhile, connected on only one of its 14 field goal attempts. Six different Bears scored in the frame, led by six points apiece from Lawrence and Selph.
Â
ETSU tightened the contest up, 31-22, by halftime as Shamauria Bridges hit a pair of three-pointers. Mercer went cold from the field, shooting only 3-of-14 in the second quarter. The pace quickened in an electric third quarter. Mercer scored 12 of the first 15 points in the frame and eventually took a 54-40 lead into the final frame.
Â
Sydni Means and Selph each scored five points apiece while Lawrence hit a pair of crucial jumpers in the fourth quarter to help Mercer seal the road win. ETSU cut Mercer's lead to eight points with three minutes and 16 seconds remaining, but Lawrence knocked down the first of two crucial jump shots on the following transition to keep it a double-digit margin.
Â
NOTABLES
- Lawrence notched her 10th 20-point game of the season and added seven boards.
- Mercer improved to 8-3 on the road this season, the best mark in the SoCon.
- Mercer has won three straight against the Bucs and six of the last 10, tightening its all-time series deficit to 18-16.
- Selph stepped up in a big way in her first start of the season, logging a career-high 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds. The sophomore was 11-of-16 from the field this week with 28 total points and 13 total rebounds.
- Mercer committed an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers, but forced ETSU into 15 on nine steals. Kayla Potts and Means had three steals apiece.
"Obviously the first quarter was outstanding. We came out of the gates hot and played really well defensively, but we also knew that ETSU would fight back, which they did. ETSU has a dynamic backcourt that plays hard. It was a battle to the end; I'm very proud of our team for the way they bounced back after the loss at Chattanooga on Thursday."
Â
"Rachel has been playing well for us lately. We need a low-post presence…we've been relying on our guards to score. Our goal was to get her going; the first play of the game was for her and she responded. I couldn't be more proud of her. We're a better team when she gets going."
Â
"I wasn't sure how we'd respond after the Chattanooga loss, but you can't beat the first quarter performance we had. I'm really proud of this win today."
Â
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer: 18-5 (7-2 SoCon)
- ETSU: 14-10 (6-3 SoCon)
- Mercer: vs. Western Carolina on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
- ETSU: vs. Chattanooga on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB(Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Â
