DELAND, Fla. - Mercer ended the first half of its conference season on a high note by defeating Stetson, 82-81, in overtime at the Edmunds Center on Tuesday night.
The Bears got off to a quick start in DeLand aided by solid defense and strong rebounding. The Hatters scored the first points of the game off of senior Anthony Register's three-point play. The Bears then proceeded to go on a 15-0 run over the next seven minutes, taking a 15-3 lead at the 11-minute mark. Sophomore Shaddean Aaron paced the Mercer run by dropping in five points.
Mercer and Stetson traded spurts for the remainder of the half as the Bears took a 38-28 lead into intermission. The Bears out-rebounded the Hatters 29-18 in the first half. Mercer shot 42 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes and held Stetson to a 27 percent clip.
Junior Ross Alacqua paced Mercer in the first half, draining a pair of deep three-pointers en route to 10...
MACON, Ga.- In a renewal of the oldest rivalry in the history of Mercer men's basketball, the Bears visit Stetson Tuesday night, with tip off scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Edmunds Center. Game Notes (pdf)
Mercer (3-12, 2-7 A-Sun) has faced Setson more times (107 games) than any other opponent in school history, with the Hatters holding a 64-43 advantage in the overall series. The Bears swept last season's regular-season series, winning their Atlantic Sun Conference opener, 89-76, in DeLand, FLa., on Dec. 2, and topping the Hatters, 74-73, in Macon, on Feb. 25.
"We're looking forward playing one of our longest rivals in the history of the program," said Mercer head coach Mark Slonaker. "We've had some great games the last few years. It's an important game as far as the conference standings go. We need to go out and play a complete game and be competitive."
Stetson (2-15, 2-7 A-Sun), like the Bears, is coming off a two-game homestand that saw the Hatters...
MercerPalooza is the theme for Homecoming 2006 and promises to provide exciting activities for all Mercerians - whether students, alumni, faculty, staff or friends.
Student activities for Homecoming, organized by QuadWorks, will run from Feb. 5-11 while alumni events are centered around the weekend, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11. Highlight of the week-long activities will center around the women's and men's basketball games at the University Center on Friday, Feb. 10. Both teams will entertain Stetson University, with the women tipping off at 4:30 p.m. and the men's televised game getting under way at 7:30 p.m.
Day-by-day student activities include:
Feb 5, banner competition at 3 p.m. and intramural competition at 7 p.m.;
Feb. 6, dancing heads from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., and a hypnotist from 7-9 p.m.;
Feb. 7, skit competition at 8 p.m.;
Feb. 8, airbrush tattoos from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. and music trivia at 7:30 p.m.;
Feb. 9, battle of the bands, 7 p.m. - 12...
MACON, Ga.- A cold-shooting second half by Mercer combined with hot shooting by East Tennessee State created a deficit that the Mercer men's basketball team couldn't overcome as it dropped a 104-81 decision to East Tennessee State in Atlantic Sun Conference play Saturday afternoon in the University Center.
Mercer (3-12, 2-7 A-Sun) trailing by 10 at intermission, saw the Bucs score the first six points out of the break to open a 16-point cushion. After the Bears cut the deficit to seven with more than 15 minutes left in the contest, ETSU went on an 18-6 run that pushed the lead to 20 points midway through the second half, and Mercer could get no closer over the final nine minutes.
The Bears jumped out on top early as guards Andrew Brown and Jacob Skogen combined to give Mercer a brief 7-4 lead in the contest, but East Tennessee (10-7, 7-3 A-Sun) penetrated inside and hit outside shots as the Buccaneers scored 16 of their first 23 points in the paint, led...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In its first meeting against Atlantic Sun newcomer North Florida, the Mercer women's basketball team couldn't hit its stride offensively in the second half and fell to the Lady Ospreys, 66-61.
North Florida (6-10, 4-4 A-Sun) opened the first half quickly with a 7-2 run with Jackie Beik hitting a trey and lay-up for the Lady Ospreys. Mercer struggled to find its offensive groove early in the opening frame, and trailed by as many as nine twice.
The Bears (8-7, 5-3 A-Sun) picked up their defensive intensity, which lead to its offense firing on all pistons. After Megan delaRosa's 3-pointer tied the game at 24, Mercer scored four of the final six points in the first half to take a 28-26 lead at the break.
The Lady Ospreys opened the second half with a 9-2 run, taking a 35-30 lead they would never surrender. UNF eventually pushed its lead to 11 with five minutes remaining, but Mercer rallied.
TaShera Lewis helped...
MACON, Ga.- Kennesaw State's Brent Ragsdale led all scorers with 23 points as the Owls handed Mercer its first home loss of the season, 63-57, in Atlantic Sun men's basketball action Thursday night in the University Center. Mercer (3-11, 2-6 A-Sun) turned in its best defensive effort since the Bears' win over Savannah State Dec. 1, holding league-leader KSU to 63 points, but came up just short against the Owls. The Bears won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding Kennesaw State, 41-30, but committed 23 turnovers en route to dropping their fourth straight game.
"We played hard, but sometimes we didn't play smart," said Mercer head coach Mark Slonaker. "Kennesaw State got outstanding point guard play, and there were some tough matchups out there."
Neither team led by more than three points in the first five minutes of the contest, as the lead changed hands three times before Kennesaw State edged out to a 17-11 lead with just under 12...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Expecting a challenge on the road, the Mercer women's basketball team stepped up and knocked off its first opponent on its two-game road trip. Three players finished with double digits as Mercer defeated Jacksonville, 66-59.
Mercer (8-6, 5-2 A-Sun) struggled to find its offensive groove in the first half, committing 10 turnovers but didn't fall too far behind as the teams swapped buckets most of the half. Jacksonville (3-11, 0-7 A-Sun) took an eight-point lead at the 1:59 mark off a 3-pointer from Regina Omoite. The Bears countered with a trey from Megan Lewis, but trailed 33-27 at halftime.
After a slow start to the second half, Mercer went on a 10-0 run to take a lead midway through. Courtney Hall tied things at 40 with a trey, while Sarah Russell and Erin Keller each contributed with a pair of free throws that sandwiched Hall's classic 3-point play conversion as the Bears took a 47-40 lead.
Ashley Williams cut the...
MACON - With Valentine's Day right around the corner, a romantic's thoughts turn to Cupid, flowers and chocolate. But did you know that the gift of chocolate can also be the gift of good health? Dr. Brian Tobin, chair of basic medical sciences and professor of nutrition, biochemistry and pediatrics at Mercer University School of Medicine, says that there are health benefits to certain chocolates, and by choosing wisely, Casanova consumers can reap those benefits for their sweeties.
MACON, Ga.- The Mercer men's basketball team opens a two-game Atlantic Sun Conference homestand playing host to league-newcomer Kennesaw State Thursday night in the University. Tip off is at 7 p.m.
The contest is the first meeting on the hardwood between the two schools, with Kennesaw State (9-8, 7-1 A-Sun) sitting atop the conference standings along with Florida Atlantic. Mercer, riding a five-game home winning streak dating back to last season, is looking to snap a three-game losing streak.
"It'll be an interesting matchup," said Mercer head coach Mark Slonaker. "Coach Ingle and I have been friends for 25 years, and it's the first time we've ever competed against each other."
The Owls come to Macon as one of the A-Sun's hottest teams, having reeled off five consecutive wins after dropping a 73-67 decision to Florida Atlantic on Jan. 6. KSU sophomore Ronnell Wooten is the lone returning starter from last season's squad that captured a...
MACON, Ga. - After extending its winning streak to four games with an overtime victory over Belmont last Saturday, the Mercer women's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways in 2006 when it travels to Jacksonville, Fla., for a two-game A-Sun set against Jacksonville and North Florida. Game Notes (pdf)
Mercer (7-6, 4-2 A-Sun) has thrived off defense during its four-game winning streak as the Bears have held opponents to 31.6 percent shooting. The Bears have also executed at the free throw line, shooting 75.5 percent during the four-game stretch.
Sarah Russell, who had a career-high 20 points against Belmont, leads Mercer in scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). Bench play has also been vital during the stretch, as the Bears have averaged 26.3 points off the pine during the four-game winning streak.
"Our defense has saved us in a lot of games. I've been telling the players that, if you play good...
