Bears 1-1 On the Road

By Adam Hunt
Sports Reporter / Columnist

1/21/2009 @ Stetson, W 69-57 (A-Sun Conference)
Mercer raced to a convincing victory at the Edmunds Center thanks to career-high efforts from sophomore Lacy Ramon in both points and rebounds.

Guards LaToya Jackson, Courtney Ford and Lindsey Lowrie all notched double-figures in points scored but it was Ramon who stole the show with 20 points, 15 rebounds and four steals.

Down 28-22 at the halfway point, Stetson began the second half brightly and clinched their first lead of the night.

However, the Bears clawed their way back and a scintillating 11-2 run late on finally put the Hatters to bed.

The win marked Mercer’s third straight and saw them improve to 7-2 in Conference action – their best start in A-Sun play since 1991.

Stetson, on the other hand, stared down their third loss on the bounce and dropped to 3-15 overall.

1/23/2009 @ Florida Gulf Coast, L 77-84 (A-Sun Conference)
Despite a determined late rally from Mercer, A-Sun hot shots FGCU ran out the winners at the Alico Arena.

Having been steamrolled in the first period, trailing by 28 at one stage, the Bears found their swagger in the second half.

Buoyed by improved numbers from the field, they scored eight unanswered points with just over five minutes left on the clock to reduce the home team’s lead to five.

To their credit, the Eagles held on solidly for a seven point victory and their second-straight win saw them improve to 9-1 in Conference action and remain perched atop the A-Sun standings.

Mercer sophomore guard Neicey Lewis scored a career-high 20 points over the course of the game, including 12 in the second half. Sophomore forward Lacy Ramon also tallied 20 points while senior guard Courtney Ford contributed 15 points to continue her rich vein of form this season.

The Bears are back in action at the UC against Stetson on Jan. 30 at 1pm. Don’t forget to pick up the next issue of The Cluster for unrivalled coverage of Mercer women’s basketball.