NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Mercer men's basketball team closes out a two-game conference road swing Monday night with Belmont at the Curb Event Center with tip off at 8 p.m. (EST). Game Notes (pdf)
Mercer (3-9, 2-4 A-Sun), which has played nine of its 12 games on the road, is coming off an 83-66 loss Saturday at Lipscomb that saw the Bears break from the gate slowly and never recover, falling behind by as many as 17 points midway through the opening half. The Bisons eventually built a 35-point cushion and coasted throughout the remainder of the game.
The Bears will be bucking a trend if they are to win Monday night. Mercer is winless in five attempts against Belmont in Nashville. Belmont leads the all-time series 7-3, having won four in a row, and five of the last six meetings in a series that dates back to 1956. The two teams met in back-to-back seasons in the mid-50s, but had not faced one another again until Belmont joined the Atlantic Sun and...
NASHVILLE, Tenn.- In the first game of a two-game Atlantic Sun road swing, the Mercer men's basketball team fell to the Lipscomb Bisons, 83-66, Saturday afternoon in Allen Arena.
Both teams struggled on offense to open the game, with Mercer (3-9, 2-4 A-Sun) going nearly four minutes before guard Jacob Skogen dropped in a driving layup to cut the early Lipscomb lead to 7-2. The Bears were shooting 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from the field midway through the opening frame, while the Bisons were not much hotter, shooting 33.3 percent on 5-of 15 from the field but were out-rebounding Mercer 14-4 at that point.
Lipscomb (9-6, 5-2 A-Sun), which has won three in a row and four of its last five games, heated up while the Bears' shooting woes continued. The Bisons closed out the first half hitting 65 percent from the field on 13-of-20 shooting and pushing their lead out to 25 points on a first-half buzzer-beating 3-pointer by junior Brian Fisk.
The...
MACON, Ga. - Despite trailing by as much as 13 in the first half, the Mercer women's basketball team clawed its way back into the game and force overtime. Sarah Russell and Sally Skeldon combined to score seven of Mercer's nine points in overtime as the Bears defeated Belmont, 64-62.
Belmont (8-5, 4-2 A-Sun) started slowly, but built a 10-point lead midway through the first half behind Alysha Clark's strong free throw shooting. The freshman recorded seven of her 13 points from the free throw line during the first half.
The Bears battled back, but could never find an offensive groove during the opening stanza. Mercer trailed 32-20 at the half. The second half was the different story, however.
Mercer (7-6, 4-2 A-Sun) quickly cut the Belmont lead down to two with 15:34 remaining in the game. "The team played with a lot of heart and determination in the second half," said Mercer head coach Brenda Welch-Nichols. "We played...
MACON - Mercer University President and CEO R. Kirby Godsey will be signing his two new books beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Tom Hill Sr. Boulevard in Macon. The books were published by Mercer University Press.
Centering Our Souls: Devotional Reflections of a College President is a collection of more than 25 years of Dr. Godsey's sermons given during Chapel Services at Mercer University. The sermons reveal a vision for the Christian living out one's faith in the world.
The Courage Factor: A Collection of Presidential Essays is a collection of essays that spans Dr. Godsey's 27-year tenure as university president. They form a corpus of thought by a university president who believes that the university can and does have a role in shaping culture and society and is a leading factor in the architecture of the future.
MACON, Ga. - With strong defense and good free throw shooting, the Mercer women's basketball team extended its winning streak to three Thursday night. The Bears defeated Atlantic Sun preseason favorite Lipscomb, 50-46, Thursday night at the University Center.
Lipscomb (3-9, 2-3 A-Sun) opened the game with a 12-2 run over the first 5:32, taking advantage of its size in the post and executed an inside-outside game plan. Catie Woods hit two 3-pointers and Rachel Viehmann hit a pair of jumpers, while Penny Jones added a pair of free throws.
The Bears (6-6, 3-2 A-Sun) clawed their way into the game and cut the Lady Bisons' lead down to five, 16-11, midway through the first half after TaShera Lewis converted the back end of a classic 3-point play. The team swapped buckets afterwards, but Lipscomb was never able to pull away and Mercer was unable to tie things up.
"With 3:38 left in the first half, I told the players we needed to...
At times, Venessa Mayes-Duke doesn't know whether to count blessings or tally teardrops. Often, she does both.
MACON, Ga. - After winning four of its last five games, the Mercer women's basketball team opens a two-game Atlantic Sun homestand against Lipscomb Thursday night. Game Notes (pdf)
Mercer (5-6, 2-2 A-Sun) opened 2006 in winning fashion with a pair of A-Sun victories: at home against Florida Atlantic (70-60, Jan. 2) and on the road against Stetson (53-44, Jan. 5). The Bears have won four of their last five going back to a 52-49 win over Southern Miss in December.
Sarah Russell leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Erin Keller has picked up the pace since moving into the starting lineup against Southern Miss. The Louisiana native is now averaging 7.0 points per game.
Lipscomb (3-8, 2-2 A-Sun) has played much of the season without two of its top players: Catie Woods and Katie Beth Pate. The duo returned to action last weekend, helping the Lady Bisons sweep Campbell and...
MACON - A service to celebrate the life of Dr. Guerry C. Backer, associate dean of the School of Engineering and associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, will be held at 4 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2006, in the Fickling Hall of the McCorkle Music Building. Faculty, students, alumni and friends will join members of Dr. Backer's family to remember his contributions and the legacy he leaves the Mercer family.
BOCA RATON, Fla.- The Mercer men's basketball team fell, 91-80, to Florida Atlantic in Atlantic Sun Conference action Saturday afternoon in FAU Arena.
Florida Atlantic spurted out to an early 5-0 lead on senior Fred Marshall's jumper and a Kevin Green 3-pointer, but the Bears quickly answered, taking the lead at 7-5 on the strength of a Brian Pfohl put-back off a Will Emerson miss, a layup by guard Andrew Brown and a long trey by Jacob Skogen.
Another basket by Marshall knotted the game at 7-7, before Mercer (4-7, 2-3 A-Sun) ran off five straight points on a basket by Emerson and Skogen's driving baseline jumper and ensuing free throw.
Florida Atlantic (5-7, 4-1 A-Sun) responded with a 13-4 run, taking a 25-21 edge, with the Owls eventually pushing out to take their largest lead of the opening half on forward Rodney Webb's 3-pointer, putting FAU up, 34-27. The Bears battled back, cutting the deficit to only one shortly before the break. Back-to-back...
DeLAND, Fla. - In a defensive battle against the defending Atlantic Sun Tournament champions, the Mercer women's basketball team came out victorious over Stetson. The Bears made some clutch free throws in the final minute, securing a 53-44 win.
Mercer (5-6, 2-2 A-Sun) jumped out early with a 16-2 run, holding an 18-5 lead midway through the first half. The Bears' tenacious defense kept the Hatters at bay, as Stetson shot 14.8 percent from the floor and made just four field goals in the first half.
Stetson (2-8, 0-3 A-Sun) battled back in the opening half, cutting the lead down to seven with 2:28 left in the half. A Sarah Russell lay-up with seven seconds left put the Bears up 24-11 heading into halftime.
Down as many as 16 in the second half, the Hatters slowly battled back behind Nefertiti Walker. She had five points in a two-minute span late in the game, bringing Stetson within six with 2:01 remaining.
On three...
