ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An explosive third quarter helped Mercer overpower Furman, 73-54, as the Bears claimed their fourth tournament title at the 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on Sunday.
 
The teams spent the first few minutes trading baskets before Furman used a 6-0 run to take an 8-4 lead halfway through the first quarter. The Bears kept the Paladins from pulling away any further and eventually retook the lead, 12-11, with 1:02 left in the period. Furman notched a layup to take a 13-12 lead before the quarter ended. The second period continued in the same fashion as neither team led by more than two during the 10 minutes of play. Tate Walters hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send Furman to the locker room with a 25-24 lead.
 
The third quarter was the defining quarter of the game, as Mercer outscored Furman 30-4 to take a 54-29 lead and control of the game. The Paladins started strong in the fourth period, outscoring the Bears 10-3 in the first four minutes. Mercer refused to relinquish its comfortable lead and each time Furman gained momentum, the Bears responded in kind. The Paladins outscored the Bears 25-19 in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 73-54.
 
Amoria Neal-Tysor led the Bears with 26 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 performance at the free-throw line, and added six assists. Neal-Tysor was unanimously voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Southern Conference tournament and is the first Mercer player to earn the honor multiple times. Shannon Titus scored 15 points, Jaron Dougherty tallied 13 and Erin Houpt added 12 to round out the double-digit day for the Bears. Houpt and Nigeria Harkless each pulled down a team-high five rebounds. Mercer connected on 52.8 percent of its shots and was a perfect 13-for-13 from the charity stripe for the day.
 
Tate Walters scored 20 points and dished out a team-high three assists to lead Furman. Grace Van Rij tallied 12 points and Tierra Hodges added 11 for the Paladins. Hodges also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and Van Rij notched a game-high three steals.
 
RECORDS: No. 1 Mercer 23-6 | No. 3 Furman 19-12
 
3 STATS TO KNOW
- Furman’s four points in the third quarter is tied for the lowest offensive output from a team in the Southern Conference tournament championship game since women’s basketball began playing four quarters in the 2015-16 season. Mercer’s 26-point margin in the third quarter is also the largest point differential scored in a single quarter in a SoCon tournament championship game.
- Neal-Tysor scored 80 points in the 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Championship, the most ever by a Mercer player.
- Tierra Hodges finishes her SoCon career as a four-time All-Tournament Team selection, including first-team honors in 2019 and 2022.
 
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
First Team
Tierra Hodges, Furman
Tate Walters, Furman
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Mercer (MOP)
Shannon Titus, Mercer
Alexis Tomlin, Wofford
 
Second Team
Carly Hooks, ETSU
Grace van Rij, Furman
Jaron Dougherty, Mercer
Abbey Cornelius, Chattanooga
Jackie Carman, Wofford

Pinnacle Award (highest GPA on championship-winning team)
Eliza Snyder, Mercer
 
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
 
Sunday, March 6
Championship Game
Game 7 – No. 1 Mercer 73, No. 3 Furman 54