Macon, Ga. – Hailey Rhatigan scored a game-high five goals as the No. 3 seed Mercer Bears defeated the top-seeded Furman women's lacrosse team, 14-13, Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the SoCon Women's Lacrosse Championship at Five Star Stadium.

Sophie Shaw scored a career-high four goals, while tying her career-best of four points, to lead the Paladins (12-5) offensively. Meagan Beal added a hat trick, while Kyra LaMotte and Hannah Demis scored two goals each. Demis finished with four points after dishing out two assists. Hannah Dintino recorded three points on two assists and a goal, and Lindsey Kelly contributed two assists. Sydney Catts had a goal and an assist, and Avery McIlwaine tallied one assist. Demis led the team with five draws, and Catts and Regan Lingo both picked up four ground balls. Kaylee Coleman caused a team-high three turnovers. In goal, Meghan Deehan made three saves to go with one ground ball.

Rhatigan paced the Bears (7-7) on offense with her five goals, and seven draws, while Lily Morin scored three times. Chloe Schaeffer, Eva Thorn and Shannon Urey all recorded three points on two goals and one assist. Haley Gerold also had one assist. Four different players caused two turnovers apiece and Hannah Lind picked up three ground balls. In goal, Iseabal Cryne registered nine saves and two ground balls.

The teams traded the opening two goals with Dintino putting Furman on the board just over one minute into the contest. After Rhatigan netted her first goal of the game, the Paladins scored five consecutive times over the span of less than four minutes to hold a 6-1 advantage. Shaw scored three of her goals during the run, while Beal and LaMotte collected one goal each. Shaw's third goal of the game with 21:42 left gave the Paladins a five-goal lead.

Mercer came back with four straight goals of its own and cut the deficit down to 6-5 with 10:05 remaining. Furman answered with three of the next four goals to increase its lead out to 9-6 with 6:41 to go. Demis, Catts and Beal scored the Paladins' three goals. The Bears closed out the half recording back-to-back goals as Furman led 9-8 at intermission.

Morin and Rhatigan picked up goals in the first four minutes of the second half to give Mercer a 10-9 lead, but Beal answered 40 seconds later to even the score at 10-10 with 26:00 left. Shaw's goal at the 25:03 mark put the Paladins back in front 11-10. Furman would then be held without a goal for the next 21 minutes as the Bears totaled four goals to extend their lead out to 14-11 with 7:48 to go.

Demis and LaMotte teamed up for a pair of goals in the game's final five minutes to put the final score at 14-13.

Coleman, Demis and Shaw were named as the Paladins' representatives on the SoCon All-Tournament Team.