Mercer women’s basketball starting to pull together after win

The Mercer Bears grabbed a win over in-state foe Georgia Southern, 62-52, stringing together back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Mercer got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 7-2 lead. The Eagles responded to tie the game at 11 before Amoria Neal-Tysor hit a shot near the buzzer to give the Bears a 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

The teams traded runs again before the Bears pulled away for a seven-point halftime lead. Forward Jaron Dougherty paced Mercer in the first half with 11 points and five rebounds.

Mercer outscored Georgia Southern 16-9 in the third quarter. The Eagles briefly made a run in the fourth quarter, but Shannon Titus scored six straight points to put Mercer up by 14 with two minutes left. The Bears made their free throws down the stretch to move to 3-6 on the season.

Jaron Dougherty emerging as key player

The biggest question coming into the season was who could help Shannon Titus shoulder the scoring load for Mercer. Dougherty seems to be the answer. She finished with 12 points. One of the most impressive parts of her game is the ability to drive inside to the basket and hit her defender with an almost unguardable step-back shot.

“I give it all to the coaches. They set up great plays,” Dougherty said. “We have great point guards who give me the ball in the right spot.”

She also is a force inside from her power forward position as she grabbed 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. She creates extra scoring opportunities on one end of the court and minimizes her opponent’s on the other end. Head coach Susie Gardner said Doughtery has always been a good scorer but had to improve in other areas to warrant consistent minutes.

“I am probably more proud of her five offensive rebounds than her 22 points,’ Gardner said. “We have really been stressing don’t be one and done on one end.

The Bears need consistent performances from her this year to alleviate some of the pressure on Titus.

Jill Harris stepping into the role as facilitator

Last season, the Bears lacked a true point guard who could find open teammates on a consistent basis. This season there are a few prime candidates to step into that role.

One is Harris, who led the team with 10 assists. Harris isn’t looking to score when that ball is in her hands. She is looking to set up the offense and get the best shot possible for one of her teammates. Harris said she feels her game is rounding into form as she adjusts to the college game.

“I am getting more comfortable with the pace of the game and the competition level,” Harris said. “I think from the first couple of games I was really hesitant and wasn’t playing to my full potential.”

If Harris can become that consistent presence on offense, providing large numbers of assists, the Bears will only get better. She is just a freshman so it is a bit surprising to see her already hitting double-digit assist totals, but it is a welcome sign for this young group.

Bears starting to heat up

Mercer went 1-6 to start the season but has grabbed back-to-back victories to right the ship a bit. This is basically a brand new team after graduating all but one starter from last year. This team is starting to gel which should scare the teams in the Southern Conference.

The Bears haven’t lost a conference game in two years. This team will probably drop a few games in conference play but don’t count them out as a top contender for their third straight title.

Expect this team to only get better as the season goes on. Experience is the main thing lacking at this point. The other issues will begin to correct themselves as the freshmen and sophomore get their feet under them at this level.