GREENVILLE, S.C. (Interstat) — The Mercer women’s basketball team avenged an earlier loss with an 80-63 victory over Furman in a Southern Conference game Saturday at Timmons Arena.

The Bears used a decisive second quarter to take control, outscoring the Paladins 15-10 to build a 34-31 halftime lead after trailing by two points following the first quarter. Mercer then pulled away after halftime, led by Abigail Holtman’s team-high 16 points and seven rebounds. Nahawa Diarra added 14 points and seven assists for the Bears.

For Furman, Alyssa Ervin scored a game-high 19 points, while Clare Coyle recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Mercer improved to 16-11 overall, while Furman fell to 16-12. Attendance was 249.