Mercer Women End UTC’s Monster SoCon Winning Streak

MACON, Ga. — UTC fell 67-44 at Mercer Thursday night in Southern Conference women’s basketball action at Hawkins Arena. The loss was the Mocs’ first in league play since January 2012 at Elon, snapping a 52-game conference win streak.

Chattanooga drops to 13-6 overall and 4-1 in league play while the Bears improve to 14-5 and 4-0 against the conference.

“They really outplayed us tonight,” Chattanooga head coach Jim Foster said. “They did a great job on the boards and every loose ball was theirs.”

The first period was a battle back-and-forth between the two teams with UTC pulling ahead 13-11 at the first break. UTC shot 50 percent from the field with a pair of 3-pointers and a 3-point play from junior Jasmine Joyner (Southaven, Miss.) who had a team-high five points after 10 minutes.

Mercer pulled away in the second quarter, shooting 76.9 percent (10-of-13), making both 3-pointers to pull ahead 34-26 at halftime. Khalia Lawrence was 11-for-22 for the game and led all scorers with 24 points and seven rebounds, adding three assists.

“I think the Lawrence kid is probably the toughest kid in the league to guard,” Foster said. “She has got an absolutely terrific mid-range game. She gets to a spot and gets it in the air.”

Sophomore Keiana Gilbert scored a team-best 15 points, making 2-of-4 from the 3-point line and connected on all three of her free throw attempts. She had three steals and two blocked shots. Joyner added 11 points and five rebounds along with three blocked shots.

"For us to be a good basketball team Kei Gilbert has got to be more assertive, offensively,” Foster said. “That is something that I have been talking to her about all year. I look down and I see the Lawrence kid is 11-22, and Kei is 5-10. I think she had every opportunity to take 20 shots herself.  For us to be a good basketball team and compete at the level, Kei has to take that step.

"Jas has got to do a better job in the post. I thought the latter part of the fourth quarter, she was really working on her position and trying to get a strong position, and did. But I think she allowed the folks to be very physical with her early on. They were bumping here and she didn’t fight back like she needs to. Towards the end of the game she figured that out."  

Senior Alicia Payne added a season-best eight assists and matched Joyner on rebounds with five.

Mercer outdueled the Mocs 30-18 in the paint and scored 23 points off 14 UTC miscues while Chattanooga had nine points off eight Bear turnovers. Mercer converted 14 offensive rebounds into 17 points and outrebounded UTC 38-23.

The second quarter started with Mercer quickly retaking the lead with a pair of jumpers. Sophomore Aryanna Gilbert, who finished with eight points, hit a layup to tie the game 15-15 with 8:58 to play in the frame. Lawrence hit a jumper to put the Bears back up by two, but Keiana Gilbert returned the favor to tie it up for the last time.

Mercer’s Britnee Broadway scored the next two buckets for the Bears and the closest it would be for the Mocs after that was 21-19 with 5:44 to play on a pair of free throws from Aryanna Gilbert. Mercer went on a 13-2 run to lead 34-21 with 1:53 to go in the period.

Keiana Gilbert scored the final five points of the second quarter and Mercer’s lead was 34-26 at intermission.

The third quarter saw Mercer pull out front 42-28, but UTC responded with a 10-2 run, making it 44-38 with 3:37 to play in the period. UTC would get just one point the rest of the frame and Mercer rebuilt its lead to double digits, 51-39 at the end of three quarters.

The Bears continued the push and outscored the Mocs 16-5 in the final set, handing Chattanooga its first loss in Southern Conference play this season.

The Mocs will remain on the road to take on Samford in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday in a 3 p.m. Eastern time tilt at the Pete Hanna Center. The Bulldogs are 11-8 and 3-1 after beating ETSU 55-47 at home tonight.