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Bears Remain Unscathed in SoCon Play

Credit: Mercer University

MACON, Ga. – Mercer remains undefeated on Southern Conference action after besting Western Carolina by the final score of 72-50 on Saturday afternoon inside Hawkins Arena. With the win, the Bears improve to 18-2 and 5-0 in conference play, running their win streak to 15 consecutive games.

Stat of the Game

The Bears are proving once again that defense is critical in winning games, forcing 21 Catamount turnovers. Mercer’s offense only surrendered the ball on six occasions, while turning 21 Western Carolina turnovers into 24 Mercer points.

Player of the Game

KeKe Calloway stole the show for Mercer, scoring 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-12 from downtown. Calloway’s first triple of the game lifted her into Mercer history, becoming just the 26th player to score 1,000 career points.

How It Happened

Mercer set the pace and momentum early in the first quarter, concluding the quarter with a 15-point advantage. The Catamounts scored on their opening possession following a layup from Julia Brown, claiming the early 2-0 lead. The Bears responded with a 21-4 run over the final nine minutes of the quarter, led by KeKe Calloway with 10 points.

Western Carolina claimed the first four minutes of the second quarter, outscoring Mercer by six to cut the deficit to nine points with 5:50 to play in the half. The Bears responded with yet another run over the final 5:30 of the opening half, outscoring Western Carolina 13-4 for the 18-point lead at the half.

The Catamounts outscored the Bears 15-13 in the third stanza, despite Mercer stretching its lead to 20 points. Western Carolina ended the frame on a 4-0 run to cut the Mercer lead to 16 points heading into the final 10 minutes of play.

The Bears would not yield in the final quarter, stretching their lead further for a 23-point advantage with 3:39 to play following back-to-back free throws by Kahlia Lawrence. Shannon Titus’s jumper put the icing on the cake with 1:05 to play, solidifying Mercer’s 22-point victory.

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