DeLand, Fla. - Senior guard Tierra Brown (Orlando, Fla.) scored 14 of her game-high 19 points in the second half to lead the Stetson women's basketball team (7-9, 3-4 Atlantic Sun) to a 67-59 win over visiting Mercer (1-14, 1-5 A-Sun) at the Edmunds Center on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Hatters surpassed their victory total from the 2009-10 season with 13 games remaining in the regular season.
Despite their less than stellar record, the Bears gave the Hatters all they could handle and more throughout the game; neither team led by more than three points until the 3:11 mark of the second half.
A layup by Mercer point guard Sharnea Boykin gave the visitors a 53-52 lead with 4:53 remaining, but freshman forward Sasha Sims (Fayetteville, Ga.) started a 9-0 game-clinching Stetson run with a pair of three-pointers at 4:32 and 3:11, respectively. Brown scored five points in the final 2:35 to keep the Bears at bay; the Hatters held Mercer without a field goal for four of the last five minutes.
Brown's scoring effort left her with 970 points and well within hailing distance of becoming the 18th player in Stetson history to score 1,000 in her career. She also had three rebounds and three assists. Senior center Natasha Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while sophomore guard Victoria McGowan (Inkster, Mich.) added nine points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Sophomore forward Janelle Mills (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) scored a career-high eight points, all in the first half, also pulling down seven rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Simone Taylor (Delray Beach, Fla.) had seven rebounds in the game as well.
Brittnee Hazel led Mercer on the day with 16 points, nine rebounds, four steals, three assists and three blocked shots while Briana Williams (13 points) reached double figures as well for the Bears. Sharmesia Smith scored nine points to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds.
The Hatters continue their three-game A-Sun homestand Monday at 7 p.m. against Kennesaw State. Live Stats and Hatter Vision are available as always at GoHatters.com, the online home of Stetson Athletics.
STETSON SOCIAL MEDIA
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