Mercer 80, Saint Louis 75
ST. LOUIS – Precious Bridges scored a career-high 43 points to lead the Mercer women’s basketball team in a double-overtime rally as the Bears defeated Saint Louis, 80-75, on Friday afternoon.
Alicia Williams notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Kahlia Lawrence tallied 13 points and Teanna Robinson pulled down 12 rebounds to round out the double-digit efforts for the Bears.
Bridges’ career-high points included career-highs of 18 field goals and six three-pointers. She also tallied nine rebounds, five assists and a steal. Robinson also notched seven blocks, while Briana Williams added eight points and two assists.
After falling behind 14 points mid-way through the second half, Mercer (4-1) closed out the last 9:14 of the stanza with a 19-5 run that included 15 straight points from Bridges.
Bridges scored her final points of regulation with a shot at the top of the key to knot the score, 62-62, with just 2.7 seconds on the clock. Saint Louis (2-3) failed to get a shot off in the final seconds, sending the game to overtime.
Neither team pulled away in the first overtime; and a Saint Louis layup with 2.8 seconds left tied the score again, 71-71, and sent the game to a second overtime period. Bridges scored all nine of Mercer’s points in the first overtime period.
Mercer took control of the second overtime early, scoring the first five points. The Billikens answered with four points of their own, but Bridges and Lawrence combined for another four to stretch the Bears’ advantage and eventually win the game, 80-75.
On the night, Mercer shot 38.6 percent from the field and 46.7 from beyond the three-point arc. The Bears sank seven treys, which is one more than they had previously recorded on the season. Saint Louis notched a 43.2 shooting percentage, but were held to just 3-of-17 from behind the three-point line. Prior to facing the Bears, the Billikens were averaging 7.5 three-pointers a game.
Mercer got started quickly, scoring the first points and eventually working its way to a 9-4 lead just three minutes into the game. However, an 8-0 run by Saint Louis gave the Billikens a 12-9 advantage with 13:37 left in the first half.
A 7-2 spurt lasting 1:21 put the Bears back on top, 16-14, with 11:41 remaining in the half. The Billikens then worked their way to a 23-18 lead, but Mercer answered and tied the game, 27-27, with 7:26 on the clock.
After the sixth tie of the game, Saint Louis closed out the half by outscoring Mercer 11-6 and taking a 38-33 lead at the intermission.
Bridges scored 12 points in the first half as the Bears shot 38.5 percent from the field, including 30.0 percent from behind the three point line.
Next up, Mercer will head to Carbondale, Ill., to face Southern Illinois on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bears will return to Hawkins Arena on Thursday, Dec. 4, when they host the Georgia Lady Bulldogs at 7 p.m.
Mercer will also host a Teddy Bear Toss on Dec. 4. Fans are encouraged to bring a new teddy bear or stuffed animal to the gym. During halftime, a target will be placed at the center of the gym and fans will attempt to hit the target with the stuffed animals. The three fans that make is closest to the target will win prizes. More importantly, all the teddy bears and stuffed animals will be donated to the Children’s Hospital Navicent Health in Macon.
Florida State 94, Furman 63
CANCUN, Mexico - Adut Bulgak scored a game high 18 points, leading a contingent of five double figure scorers, and Florida State used hot shooting to run away from Furman, 94-63, in women’s basketball action Friday afternoon at the Cancun Challenge.
Florida State (5-1) burned the nets at a 59.1 percent clip, finding the mark on 39 of 66 shots, and used its height advantage to post a 42-26 rebounding advantage in the contest.
Bulgak combined her 18 points with a game high 10 rebounds for the Seminoles, who got 15 points apiece from Ivey Slaughter and Meagan Conwright. Kai James added 11 points, and Shakayla rounded out the double figure performers with 10 points.
Kelsey Ellis paced Furman (4-2) with 13 points, and Holli Wilkins tallied 12 points for Furman, which will wrap up its Cancun Challenge experience with a Saturday 1:00 p.m. clash with Washington.
The Paladins battled Florida State on even terms over the game’s first 12 minutes and led 25-24 following a Brittany Hodges layup with 8:31 to go in the first half. It didn’t last, however, as a 15-0 FSU run over the next three minutes, capped by a Conwright 3-pointer with 5:13 remaining, put the Seminoles up 39-24 and firmly in control.
Trailing 45-32 at halftime, Furman cut the lead to 11 with a Hodges layup to open the second half, but the Paladins could get not closer.
FSU, which shot 55.9 percent from the field in the first half, heated up even more over the game’s final 20 minutes, draining 20-of-32 shots (62.5 percent) to cruise to the victory.
Georgia State 61, Samford 56
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Samford women’s basketball team built a nine-point lead in the second half, but could not hold on as the Bulldogs fell to Georgia State, 61-56 in the first round of the Georgia State Thanksgiving Invitational Friday afternoon at the GSU Sports Arena.
In the loss, Samford was led by Ellen Riggins, scoring 14 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. Hannah Nichols also scored 14 points for the Bulldogs. Taylor Reece added nine points for Samford.
For Georgia State, Kayla Nolan led the way with 20 points and seven rebounds. Alisha Andrews scored 14 points, while Brittany Logan added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers.
After the teams traded baskets to start the game, Georgia State went on a 9-0 run to take an 11-2 lead with 14:43 left in the first half after a basket by Nolan. Samford scored the next six points to cut the lead to 11-8 with 12:47 to go in the opening half following a basket by Riggins.
With Samford trailing, 16-10, the Bulldogs went on a 16-3 run to take a 26-19 lead with 3:52 left in the half after a layup by Riggins. Georgia State closed the first half with a 10-4 run to cut the Samford lead to 30-29 heading into halftime.
Early in the second half, Georgia State came back to take a 33-32 lead with 18:25 to play after a layup by Nolan. Samford answered with an 11-1 run to take a 43-34 lead with 12:46 left in the game after a layup by Riggins. Georgia State then went on an 11-3 run to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to one point at 46-45 with 8:29 left after a pair of free throws by Haley Gerrin.
With Samford leading, 51-47, Georgia State came back with an 11-2 run to take a 58-53 lead with 4:08 to play following a jumper by Andrews. Samford fought back to cut the lead to three points at 59-56 with 1:31 left, but the Bulldogs could get no closer as GSU came away with the 61-56 win.
As a team, Samford made 40 percent of its shots, while Georgia State shot 35.8 percent overall. Georgia State won the rebounding battle, 38-36.
The loss ends a three-game win streak for the Bulldogs, and Samford drops to 3-2 so far this season. Georgia State improves to 3-0 with the win.
Eastern Kentucky 72, Western Carolina 61
WILMINGTON, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball (2-3) dropped game one of the UNCW Thanksgiving Classic falling to Eastern Kentucky (2-2) 71-62 Friday in Trask Coliseum.
After a quick start to open the game, Western Carolina cooled off and Eastern Kentucky heated up. The Catamounts had no answer for the perimeter shot as the Colonels connected on eight three pointers.
Western Carolina did come back from a 20-point deficit in the second half to only fall to EKU by nine.
Tied at seven, EKU used a 7-0 run to take the lead and never relinquish it. Western Carolina went on two costly scoring droughts in the first half, from 13:47 to 8:51 and then again from 5:49 to 3:09. The Catamounts also struggled from the free throw line only hitting 7-of-12 in the first half.
The Catamounts improved its free throw shooting in the final minute hitting 5-of-6 to cut the EKU lead to 10, 40-30, with 8.1 seconds left. The Colonels' Mariah Massengill hit a lay-up with 1.1 second left on the clock to put EKU up 42-30 at the half.
EKU opened the second half with another 7-0 run to pad its lead. Western Carolina halted the EKU run off a pair of field goals by Justin Taylor and Makensey Campbell but just like all game EKU had an answer.
WCU did make a mini run of it in the final four minutes cutting into the EKU lead with 2:53 left in the game. Trailing by 17, 60-57, with 4:24 left WCU went on a 10-2 run to twice cut it down to nine - the smallest point margin of the second half. The Catamounts trimmed it to nine when EKU's Head Coach Chrissy Roberts was called for a technical and Taylor hit a pair of free throws.
EKU's Alexus Cooper's lay-up with 1:12 left in the game all but iced the game despite the Catamounts' going 4-for-4 from the free throw in the in the final minute.
Taylor scored in double figures for the fifth time this season, and 10th straight dating back to the 2013-14 season, with 15 points. Freshman guard Ace Easter came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points becoming the second Catamount freshman to score in double figures this season. Fellow freshman Sherae Bonner opened the season with back-to-back double figure scoring performances.
Michaela Hunter led EKU with 20 points. She was one of three EKU players to score in double figures with Massengill and Jasmine Henshaw each scoring 10.
EKU shot a scoring 49.2 percent from the field and Western Carolina shot 32.2 percent. EKU also got 18 points off turnovers and 16 second chance points. EKU also had a season-high six blocks in the game. Western Carolina did get 31 points off the bench.
Western Carolina will play host UNC Wilmington at 2 p.m. Saturday to complete play in the UNCW Thanksgiving Classic.
Navy 71, UNCG 64
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The UNCG women’s basketball team battled but ultimately fell victim to eight threes from Navy in a 71-64 loss Friday night at Alumni Hall.
UNCG falls to 2-3 on the season while Navy improves to 2-3 with the victory. The Midshipmen finished the game 8-for-20 from the three-point line and 19-of-23 from the charity stripe to clinch the win.
Senior guard Jessica Collins lead the team with a season-high 16 points (6-for-15) with five rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Jade Scaife tied her career high with 15 points on 6-of-7 from the field and was 3-for-4 from the free throw line. Scaife was playing in front of family and friends being from Ft. Washington, Md.
Junior guard Lucy Mason rounded out the double figure scoring with 13 points, including 11 in the second half. Classmate Jazmine Missouri played aggressive defense coming up with three steals and five points for the Spartans.
The Blue and Gold shot 26-for-62 for 41.9 percent and was 9-of-12 from the free throw line. The Spartans forced 28 turnovers for Navy that resulted in 24 points for UNCG and earned 13 steals. Both teams grabbed 32 rebounds but the Spartans held a 17-11 margin on the offensive glass.
A balanced attack for Navy as only two players were in double-figures with Taylor Dunham scoring 13 points off the bench. Sarita Condie added 11 points, including a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line.
Navy came out of halftime on fire leading to an 11-0 run capped by a fast-break layup from Sarah Reilly. The Spartans would answer with with back-to-back jumpers from Collins and Mason to cut the lead to 32-29 with 15:14 remaining.
with 10:42 left in the game, Collins would hit another jumper cut the gap to 40-39 Navy countered with a three-point from Peri Curtis to go back up four 43-39.
Navy would go on a 5-0 run with 6:36 left to push in front 56-48 off a layup from Condie. UNCG cut the lead to three at 57-54 after a Mason jumper with 3:45 to play.
The Midshipmen would hit the final dagger as Justice Swett nailed a three-pointer to give Navy a 63-56 advantage with 1:45 left. The Spartans cut the lead to three on a Collins three-pointer but Navy would hit the final four free throws to make the final tally 71-64.
UNCG took a 23-21 lead into halftime thanks to nine points from Scaife. Collins added seven points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field.
After a slow start, the Spartans took a 3-2 lead off a jumper from Collins at the 16:21 mark in the first half. Navy would come back to lead 7-5 after a layup from Justice Swett with 11:34 left.
The Blue and Gold would go on a key 7-0 run to re-take the lead at 12-7 off a fast-break layup from Collins. The Spartans would increase their lead to 18-11 off two free throws from sophomore Mariah Wilson.
The Midshipmen would answer with an 8-0 run to take the lead at 19-18 off a back-door layup from Sara Jones with 2:46 left in the half. The Spartans would end the break on a 5-2 run off a jumper from Collins and a free throw by classmate Jarae Savage.
The Blue and Gold end the Navy Classic against Northern Kentucky Saturday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m.