University of North Carolina Athletics
Thursday, December 28
Chapel Hill, N.C.
2:00 P.M.
North Carolina
86
vs
97
Mercer
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Mercer Stuns Tar Heels, 97-86
December 28, 2017 | Women's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL - Kahlia Lawrence scored 39 points to lead Mercer to a come-from-behind, 97-86, victory over North Carolina on Thursday afternoon from Carmichael Arena.
Mercer (12-2) won its ninth-straight game by outscoring North Carolina 20-2 over the final four minutes, 33 seconds, and by a 33-8 margin in the fourth quarter to overcome a 16-point deficit alone in the fourth quarter.
Paris Kea led North Carolina (10-3) with 26 points for her 26th double-figure scoring game in a row, while freshman Janelle Bailey posted her fourth double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Jamie Cherry added 14.
Lawrence, who went over 1,900 career points in the game, set a new single-game high with 39 points and grabbed 13 boards. Sydni Calloway dished out 16 assists, one shy of the most ever given up by Carolina that was set by former Penn State standout and current Pitt head coach Susie McConnell on March 17, 1985.
Carolina knocked down nine of its first 10 shots out of halftime to regain its footing after giving away its lead late in the first half. Emily Sullivan's layup made it 68-57 and the visiting Bears were forced to call its second timeout of the third quarter with exactly four minutes remaining in the period.
When the dust settled on the third period, Carolina scored 35 points - most in a single quarter this season - with Kea single-handedly contributing 16 of the points. Sullivan, who returned after missing seven games, had three rebounds and a last-second tip-in to give UNC a 78-64 lead.
The fourth quarter belonged to Mercer. Calloway had 14 of her 22 points over the final 10 minutes and Lawrence scored 11. Cherry made it 80-64, but the Tar Heels hit a wall that they never recovered from. The Bears took their first lead of the game, 87-84, on a deep triple from Calloway with 2:57 to play, and UNC's eight-game winning streak was put to bed by a really good Mercer team.
Carolina showed no initial evidence of rust after a nine-day layoff between games by making 63 percent of its shots and led by as many as 12 points, 22-10, in the first quarter. However, Mercer closed the period on an 8-0 run to trim the Tar Heel lead to 24-21 going to the second.
Bailey went to work in the second quarter, scoring 10 of her 16 first-half points to give Carolina a seven-point working margin, but again Mercer, the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference, finished strong with the final six points of the half to knot the game at the intermission, 43-43.
UNC opens Atlantic Coast Conference action at No. 13 Florida State on Sunday in Tallahassee, Florida, at 2 p.m.
Mercer (12-2) won its ninth-straight game by outscoring North Carolina 20-2 over the final four minutes, 33 seconds, and by a 33-8 margin in the fourth quarter to overcome a 16-point deficit alone in the fourth quarter.
Paris Kea led North Carolina (10-3) with 26 points for her 26th double-figure scoring game in a row, while freshman Janelle Bailey posted her fourth double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Jamie Cherry added 14.
Lawrence, who went over 1,900 career points in the game, set a new single-game high with 39 points and grabbed 13 boards. Sydni Calloway dished out 16 assists, one shy of the most ever given up by Carolina that was set by former Penn State standout and current Pitt head coach Susie McConnell on March 17, 1985.
Carolina knocked down nine of its first 10 shots out of halftime to regain its footing after giving away its lead late in the first half. Emily Sullivan's layup made it 68-57 and the visiting Bears were forced to call its second timeout of the third quarter with exactly four minutes remaining in the period.
When the dust settled on the third period, Carolina scored 35 points - most in a single quarter this season - with Kea single-handedly contributing 16 of the points. Sullivan, who returned after missing seven games, had three rebounds and a last-second tip-in to give UNC a 78-64 lead.
The fourth quarter belonged to Mercer. Calloway had 14 of her 22 points over the final 10 minutes and Lawrence scored 11. Cherry made it 80-64, but the Tar Heels hit a wall that they never recovered from. The Bears took their first lead of the game, 87-84, on a deep triple from Calloway with 2:57 to play, and UNC's eight-game winning streak was put to bed by a really good Mercer team.
Carolina showed no initial evidence of rust after a nine-day layoff between games by making 63 percent of its shots and led by as many as 12 points, 22-10, in the first quarter. However, Mercer closed the period on an 8-0 run to trim the Tar Heel lead to 24-21 going to the second.
Bailey went to work in the second quarter, scoring 10 of her 16 first-half points to give Carolina a seven-point working margin, but again Mercer, the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference, finished strong with the final six points of the half to knot the game at the intermission, 43-43.
UNC opens Atlantic Coast Conference action at No. 13 Florida State on Sunday in Tallahassee, Florida, at 2 p.m.
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