Mercer 65, Samford 35

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – After a tight first quarter, No. 1 seed Mercer ran away with the game and defeated No. 4 Samford, 65-35, on Friday in the semifinal round of the 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. Mercer is seeking its fourth Southern Conference tournament championship in five years.
 
In an evenly matched first period, neither team led by more than five points and after 10 minutes, the Bears held a slim 15-14 advantage. Mercer took control early in the second quarter, starting with a 7-0 run that pushed its lead to 22-14. Interrupted by a Samford trey, Mercer answered by outscoring the Bulldogs 12-1 to close out the half and enter the locker room with a 34-18 advantage. 
 
The Bears opened the second half with a 12-0 run, extending their lead to 46-18 and putting the game out of reach for the Bulldogs. At the end of the third period, Mercer led 58-24. Samford continued to fight in the fourth quarter, outscoring Mercer 7-2 in the first five minutes. However, the Bulldogs were unable to close the gap and the Bears ultimately won 65-35.
 
Amoria Neal-Tysor once again led Mercer with 20 points, while also pulling down a career-high 12 rebounds. Shannon Titus netted 18 points and Jaron Dougherty added 12 to round out the double-digit efforts for the Bears. Andrea Cournoyer led Samford with nine points, while Annie Ramil grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
The Bears advance to play either No. 2 Wofford or No. 3 Furman in Sunday's championship game. That game tips off at 12 p.m. in Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and select Nexstar affiliates.
 
RECORDS: No. 1 Mercer 22-6 | No. 4 Samford 13-17
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- Mercer’s Neal-Tysor notched her second double-double of the season. 
- Mercer went 29-for-58 from the field, shooting a blistering 50.0 percent. The Bears also outrebounded the Bulldogs 41-26.
- Samford’s Cournoyer tallied a game-high four steals, helping the Bulldogs score seven points off turnovers.
 
Furman 64, Wofford 59

In a game where neither team led by more than five at any point, No. 3 seed Furman pulled away from No. 2 Wofford in the final minutes for a 64-59 victory of the semifinal round of the 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on Friday. With the win, Furman advances to the championship game to face No. 1 Mercer on Sunday.
 
After trading baskets in the first quarter, Furman used a last-second layup to take a 13-11 lead at the end of the period. Wofford opened the second period with a quick jumper, knotting the score at 13-13. After a 5-0 spurt from the Paladins, the Terriers embarked on a 9-0 run to take a 22-18 lead. Furman answered with a 10-2 run of its own, including another last-minute shot, to hold a four-point advantage, 28-24, at the half.
 
In terms of scoring, the third quarter was a near carbon copy of the second, as the teams continued to trade baskets and the lead. Furman once again sank a last-minute 3-pointer to stretch its lead to four, 44-40, just before the end of the period. The Terriers opened up the fourth period by closing the gap to one, 44-43, but the Paladins responded with a 6-2 run to go up 50-45 with less than five minutes on the clock. A few minutes and a few points later, Wofford had cut Furman’s advantage to 55-52 before scoring five points in 20 seconds to take its first lead of the period, 57-55. The Paladins outscored the Terriers 9-2 to close out the game, 64-59.
 
SoCon Player of the Year Tierra Hodges led the Paladins with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 20^th double-double of the season. Sydney James tallied 15 points and Tate Walters added 12 points to add to Furman’s double-digit efforts. Walters also dished out a game-high eight assists. Niveya Henley added nine points, all from behind the arc, tying her career-high of three made 3-pointers. Furman outrebounded Wofford 47-30, scoring 19 second-chance points.
 
Lilly Hatton also recorded a double-double on the afternoon, scoring 11 points and pulling down a career-high-tying 12 rebounds for the Terriers. Hatton also tied her career high with four blocks. Alexis Tomlin led Wofford in scoring with 14 points, while Reagan Rapert netted 13 points as the duo also recorded double digits. The Terriers recorded nine steals, helping them win the turnover battle and score 11 points off Paladin turnovers.
 
RECORDS: No. 3 Furman 19-11 | No. 2 Wofford 17-13
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- In each of the four quarters, Wofford scored the first points and Furman scored the last.
- Furman last played in the Southern Conference tournament championship game in 2019, also against Mercer.
- Neither team had a particularly great night at the charity stripe, but Furman connected on 8-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter, including five in the final two minutes to help solidify its win.
 
2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship
Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Asheville, N.C.
 
Thursday, March 3
Game 1 – No. 1 Mercer 85, No. 8 Western Carolina 46
Game 2 – No. 4 Samford 59, No. 5 UNCG 40
Game 3 – No. 2 Wofford 66, No. 7 ETSU 54
Game 4 – No. 3 Furman 70, No. 6 Chattanooga 63
 
Friday, March 4
Game 5 – No. 1 Mercer 65, No. 4 Samford 35
Game 6 – No. 3 Furman 64, No. 2 Wofford 59
 
Sunday, March 6
Championship Game
Game 7 – No. 1 Mercer vs. No. 3 Furman, 12 p.m.
 
NOTE: All times Eastern. All games to be broadcast on ESPN+, with the championship game also on Nexstar.
 
* Tip-off as part of Education Day program on March 3 and March 4.
 
^ Denotes approximate game time.  The first games both days will have a firm start time. Each game thereafter will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the preceding game but will not start prior to the listed time.