Tech drops close game on the road; Opens at home Saturday
MACON, Ga. – The Tennessee Tech women’s basketball team wrapped up a four-game, season-opening road swing Tuesday night, dropping a six-point contest at Mercer, 73-67.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
39 | 28 | 67 |
|
|
33 | 40 | 73 |
Team Stats
Mercer
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Mercer |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (27-62) | (26-59) |
| Field Goal % | 43.5% | 44.1% |
| Rebounds | 33 | 40 |
| Assists | 14 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 12 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 16 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 8 | 5 |
| Bench Pts | 35 | 9 |
MACON, Ga. – The Tennessee Tech women's basketball team wrapped up a four-game, season-opening road swing Tuesday night, dropping a six-point contest at Mercer, 73-67..
In the opening period, Tech fought out of a seven-point hole behind the three-point threat of Catherine Taylor and the jump shot of Samaria Howard, each hitting two shots.
Tech managed to gain a 12-point lead with 1:24 left in the first half; however, six-straight points from the Bears closed out the half.
TTU connected on six shots from deep in the initial half, as well as out-rebounding Mercer, 19-15.
The second half was a different story.
The Bears came out firing on all cylinders, outscoring TTU 9-2 in the first five minutes. They continued the offensive and defensive pressure, forcing the Golden Eagles into eight second-half turnovers; the Golden Eagles had just five in the first half.
Mercer built its lead to 11 with a 1:36 left in the game, behind seven-straight points from guard Precious Bridges.
Just as Mercer had crept back on Tech at the end of the first, TTU attempted to do the same at the finish line, but just ran out of time after cutting the lead to six in the final seconds.
Howard led the Golden Eagles with 15 points, while Stone Mountain, Ga., native, Yaktavia "Shug" Hickson added 11 points, three boards, and two steals. Junior Mariah Dean capped off the double figure scorers for Tech, adding 10 points, two boards, a block and an assist. Sophomore Shunice Tionne Herron added six points, a game-high six assists, and three boards.
Bridges dropped 28 points to lead the Bears, adding 10 boards to secure a double-double. Freshman Kahlia Lawrence added 19 for the hosts, along with Brianna Williams who added 13.
The Golden Eagles will make their home debut against Georgia on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT. That game will be the second of two First Tennessee Bank Poster Night events, with free posters for fans and the team available after the contest to sign autographs.
