Final Stats

MACON, Ga. - Western Carolina women's basketball dropped a Southern Conference road contest to Mercer 82-60 Monday in Hawkins Arena.

The Catamounts fall to 9-15 on the year and 1-8 in Southern Conference play. Mercer improves to 14-11 and 6-3 in the SoCon.

Senior Justin Taylor led Western Carolina with 16 points. Junior guard Lindsay Simpson followed with14, 11 in the first half, hitting four three pointers. On the defensive end, junior Erika Joseph ripped down 12 rebounds, seven on the offensive end.

Taylor's 16 points, against Mercer, gives her 415 for 2014-15 - the most for a Western Carolina women's basketball player since the 2004-05 season. Former Catamount standout Jennifer Gardner poured in 433 pointers, also in her senior campaign, in 2004-05.

Leading 39-25 at the half, Mercer continued to find the rim and keep a lead Western Carolina could never truly chip away at. Western Carolina did cut the Mercer lead to 10, 46-36, with 15:41 left in the game. However, the Bears growled back to score four straight points and all but secure its lead.

Though Western Carolina held the Southern Conference's leading scorer Precious Bridges, who averages 21.1 points, to just 12, it was another who lit up the court for Mercer. Brianna Williams, who averages 8.9 points per game, exploded for 25 points including five three pointers.

Western Carolina failed to score in the first seven minutes, to start the game, putting itself in a hole the Catamounts could never dig out of. The Catamounts didn't score until junior guard Lindsay Simpson nailed a three-pointer, at the 12:47 mark, just moments after entering the game. Simpson's three-pointer halted an 11-0 Mercer run to open the game.

In fact, Simpson was the only offense for Western Carolina in the first nine plus minutes as she hit the only two field goals for WCU, in that span, both three pointers. Simpson scored 11 of the Catamounts' first 13 points in the first 11 minutes.

The Catamounts did battle back a bit on the back of seniors Taylor and Makensey Campbell. Taylor's pair of field goals and Campbell's three pointer trimmed the Mercer lead to 10, 31-21.

Just like it had throughout the first half, and turns out the game, Mercer had an answer for the Catamount scores. Mercer outscored the Catamounts 7-4, in the final four minutes, to build a 39-25 halftime lead.

Western Carolina hit seven three-pointers, four from Simpson, to Mercer's six. However, it was the Bears' points in the paint, 32 to WCU's 14, and 20-of-25 from the free throw line that was the big tales of the tape.

Mercer also turned the ball over just four times and shot 43.8 percent from the field. Western Carolina shot 35.6 percent. Mercer outscored Western Carolina by 14 in the first half, 39-25, and 18 in the second half, 43-35.

Along with Briana Williams' 25 points and Bridges 12, Mercer benefitted from a double -double by Alex Williams, 16 points and 13 rebounds, and 11 from Alicia Williams.

The Catamounts complete their two-game road swing Saturday at ETSU. Tip time is set for 1 p.m.