Box Score |   

The Basics
Score: Mercer 92 - Western Carolina 88 OT
Records: Western Carolina 4-12, 0-2 SoCon, Mercer 12-5, 2-0 SoCon
Location: Ramsey Center - Cullowhee, N.C.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Sophomore guard Ace Easter scored a career-high 25 points as Western Carolina women's basketball dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Mercer 92-88 Saturday in the Ramsey Center.

Tied at 79 with 4:22 left in overtime, Mercer outscored WCU 13-9 in the final four minutes to secure the win. The Bears run began when the Catamount bench was hit with a technical foul and Sydni Mason hit both free throws to give Mercer an 91-79 lead -- the Bears would never trail again.

Western Carolina did trim the Mercer lead to one, 88-87, with 59 seconds left in overtime when sophomore forward Sherae Bonner drained a pair of free throws. After Bonner's pair of free throws, Mercer was 5-of-6 from the free throw line to close out the game.

Trailing by two, 74-72, Western Carolina took the lead with 18 seconds left in regulation on a huge three-pointer by sophomore guard Ace Easter. Coupled with a pair of free throws by Kyia Hough, the Catamounts led Mercer 77-74 with 11 seconds left in the game.

Mercer forced overtime, leading to the Bears' eventual win, when Linnea Rosendal sank a three-pointer with seven seconds left to tie the game at 77.

Western Carolina had four players score in double figures. Besides Easter's career-high 25, Bonner just missed tying her career-high with 16, Lindsay Simpson added 13 and JonTay Mitchem added a career-high 12.

Mercer was led by Kahlia Lawrence with 26, Means had 25 and Rosendal had 14.

Turning Point
Tied at 79 with 4:22 left in overtime, Western Carolina's bench was called for a technical foul. Mercer hit both free throws, giving the Bears an 81-79 lead, and never trailed again.

Individual Leaders
- Easter scored a career-high 25 points.
- Mitchem scored a career-high 12 points.
-Bonner pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
- Lawrence led Mercer with 26 points.

Inside the Box Score
- Mercer was 18-of-25 from the free throw line.
- Mercer just outrebounded Western Carolina 43-41.
- Mercer got 40 of its 92 points inside the paint.
- Western Carolina committed 13 turnovers leading to 21 Mercer points.
- The Catamounts had five blocks against Mercer. - Western Carolina hit 11 three pointers in the game.

News & Notes
- Western Carolina tied the school record for three-pointers in a game with 11.
- With 13 points against Mercer, Simpson has scored in double figures in the last three games. - Bonner tied her career-high with three blocks.
- Western Carolina's 88 points is the second most scored by the Catamounts this season.
- The overtime game against Mercer was Western Carolina's first of the season.
- The 92 points scored by Mercer was the most points Western Carolina has allowed this season.
- After winning the first period, 22-16, Western Carolina did not win the ensuing next three periods nor the overtime frame.
- Simpson connected on three treys against Mercer pushing her career total to 154 ranking her fourth in the Catamount record books ... She needs four three pointers to move into third.

Up Next
Western Carolina plays its first Southern Conference road game of the season traveling to Chattanooga for a 6:30 p.m. game Wednesday.

For the latest information on Catamount women's basketball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.