MACON, Ga. (Interstat) — The Furman women’s basketball team secured a 60-49 road victory over Mercer in a Southern Conference matchup Thursday night at Hawkins Arena. A dominant second-quarter defensive effort proved decisive as the Paladins limited the Bears to just four points in the period to build a lead they would not relinquish.

Alyssa Ervin led all scorers with 20 points for Furman. Chantelle Stuart added 14 points for the Paladins, who improved to 12-8. Mercer, which fell to 12-7, was led by Stephanie Utomi’s 14 points. An announced crowd of 407 watched as Furman’s defense stifled Mercer, holding the Bears to their second-lowest scoring output of the season.