Lady Bears Stumble at No. 24 Georgia 72-41

ATHENS, Ga. (MERCER RELEASE) – The Mercer women’s basketball team couldn’t sustain its quick start in an eventual 72-41 loss at No. 24 Georgia on Thursday evening at Stegeman Coliseum.

Freshman Ana Anderson paced Mercer (1-2) with a season-high 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field to go along with nine rebounds.

Junior Teanna Robinson had a huge game defensively, setting a career-high with nine blocks while also grabbing 13 rebounds in a losing effort.

Robinson’s nine blocks are the most in Mercer single-game history and the second-most by an Atlantic Sun Conference player dating back to the start of the 2002 season.

The Bears registered 12 blocks as a team in the contest which was just two shy of tying the A-Sun Conference record of 14 set by College of Charleston back in 1992.

Junior Alicia Williams got things going quickly offensively, scoring Mercer’s first five points of the game to make the score 5-2 Bears with 17:55 remaining in the first half.

Mercer continued to hang around after a pair of free throws by junior Briana Williams made the score 9-9 with 12:18 to go in the first half.

Georgia started to find its legs offensively after that, however, ripping off a 14-2 run capped by a three-pointer by junior Krista Donald to take a 23-11 lead with 7:08 left in the first half.

Mercer tried to claw its way back into it, using four-straight points by Anderson to make the score 37-15 going into halftime.

Another jumper by Anderson at the outset of the second half made the score 39-17 Georgia with 17:38 left in the game.

Despite being down by as many as 36 in the second half Mercer never quit, out-scoring the Bulldogs 16-11 over the final nine minutes of the game.

Sophomore Shacobia Barbee paced Georgia with a double-double consisting of 15 points and 15 rebounds in the win.

Mercer returns home next time out when it plays Troy on November 19. Game time is schedule for 7 p.m. at Hawkins Arena.