STATESBORO, Ga. (Interstat) — The Georgia Southern Eagles used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from the Mercer Bears for a 93-72 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Hanner Fieldhouse.

The game was a tight contest through the first 20 minutes, with the Eagles holding a narrow 40-39 lead at halftime. The third quarter, however, proved to be the turning point. Georgia Southern outscored Mercer 26-15 in the period, building a double-digit lead that Mercer could not overcome. The Eagles continued their offensive onslaught in the fourth, pouring in 27 more points to secure the decisive win.

Georgia Southern’s offense was exceptionally efficient, shooting 61 percent from the floor on 36-of-59 shooting. The Eagles also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 17 of 23 attempts. Defensively, they stifled Mercer’s perimeter game, holding the Bears to just 3-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc.

Shanti Simmons led a balanced scoring attack for Georgia Southern with 18 points. She was one of five Eagles to score in double figures. Destiny Garrett scored 15 points and dished out four assists, while Kishyah Anderson also added 15 points. McKenna Eddings contributed 12 points and four assists, and Kyla Bryant finished with 10 points. Lia Anderson anchored the interior defense with two blocks.

For Mercer, Ariana Bennett was the standout performer, scoring a game-high 20 points. Talia Kemp supported the effort with 14 points and three assists, and Nahawa Diarra added 11 points. The Bears shot 44 percent from the field but were hampered by a significant disparity in offensive efficiency, scoring on just 96.4 points per 100 possessions compared to Georgia Southern’s 125.8.

The Eagles improved their season record to 2-3 with the victory, while Mercer fell to an even 3-3.

Georgia Southern is scheduled to play next on Tuesday at Charleston Southern. Mercer will return home to host Florida A&M on Tuesday.