Thursday, January 29, 2009

MACON, Ga. - Taking on in-state rivals Kennesaw State in the Comcast Sports South Game of the Week, Mercer rose to the occasion with a gutsy team performance, downing the Owls, 66-56, at the University Center on Wednesday night. The Bears (10-9, 6-4 A-Sun) used a 41-point second half, in which they shot 52.0 percent from the floor, to surge past KSU in both the game as well as the A-Sun standings.

It was a gritty, physical contest that saw neither team shoot above 37 percent for the game, but in the end, the Bears’ heart, intensity, and effort paid off, as they outscored their visitors by a 20-10 margin in the last six minutes, when it mattered most.

Senior Dominique Chism led the Bears’ charge with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds, hitting eight of her 15 shots from the field. Natasha Doh also enjoyed a fine game, scoring 10 points with five steals and two assists from the bench.

All told, four Bears would crack double-digit scoring, with Latoya Jackson and Courtney Ford each also dropping in 10 apiece.