GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Erin Houpt scored 22 points and Southern Conference front runner Mercer used a late surge to edge a game Furman squad, 71-64, in women's basketball action Saturday evening at Timmons Arena.

The win, the eighth straight for Mercer (19-6, 12-1 SoCon), earned the Bears the season split with Furman (15-11, 8-4 SoCon), the only league foe to beat Mercer, the reigning league tournament champions, this season.

Houpt, a freshman guard, made 7-of-12 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, to pace the Bears, who shot 47.5 percent (29x61) for the game.

Shannon Titus followed Houpt in the scoring column with 18 points, and Amoria Neal-Tysor finished with 16 points to complete Mercer's double digit scoring threesome.

Furman got a game and career high 26 points from senior forward Grace van Rij, among four Paladin seniors playing the final home game of their careers.  The 6-foot-2 Knoxville, Tenn., product who matched her then-previous career high with 19 points in Thursday's 79-67 win over Samford, connected on 9-of-17 shots and 8-of-9 free throws in 39 minutes of action — another career best.

Fifth-year senior forward Tierra Hodges contributed 18 points and a game high nine rebounds.

The Paladins shot 38.5 percent from the field (26x65) in the contest.

After Greyson Boone's 3-pointer less than a minute into the fourth quarter pulled Furman to within 47-46, the Paladins watched Mercer fashion an 8-0 run over the next 1:44 of clock, thanks, in large measure, to two missed Furman layups and a Paladin turnover.  Titus' jump shot with 7:28 remaining gave Mercer a 55-46 lead.

Furman answered with a 10-0 burst over the next three minutes, with van Rij accounting for six of the points with free throws to put the Paladins up, 56-55, with 4:13 remaining.

The Bears took the lead for good, 57-56, on the ensuing possession on a baseline drive and reverse layup by Nigeria Harkless.

Neal-Tysor's 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:49 remaining gave Mercer a 62-58 lead, and the senior guard made it 64-58 on the next trip down the floor with a jump shot with 50 seconds to go.

Furman plays its final two games on the road, taking on Chattanooga on Thursday before facing ETSU  in the regular season finale next Saturday.