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(02/20/13 3:43pm)
The Mercer baseball team is turning heads as they beat Ohio State, St. Johns and Notre Dame en route to winning the Snowbird Baseball Classic.
In the first game against Ohio State, the Buckeyes took the early lead on an RBI groundout in the first inning to go ahead 1-0.
Ohio State was able to tack on another run in the second inning up to 2-0.
After multiple failed attempts to take advantage of runners on base, the Bears finally got the clutch hit they needed in the top of the sixth inning against Ohio State starter Jaron Long.
With the bases loaded and two outs, junior Austin Barrett pulled a clutch two-RBI single through the left side of the infield to tie things up at 2-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ohio State reclaimed the lead as they scored three runs to extend their lead to 5-2.
Mercer had a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and only one out, but could only push one run across on a walk by junior Nick Backlund to make the score 5-3 in the top of the seventh.
The score remained 5-3 as the game moved into the top of the ninth inning and sophomore Chesny Young single-handedly made sure the Bears didn’t waste any more scoring chances. With runners on first and second, the Atlanta, Ga. product ripped a double to left to score two and tie the game at 5-5.
Mercer’s Michael Massi scored a run in the 10th inning to give Mercer the 6-5 lead. The score would stand and Mercer would improve to 1-0 on the young season.
In the Bears’ second contest of the Snowbird Baseball Classic, Mercer broke out the bats to propel them to an impressive 13-5 victory over St. John’s.
St. John’s took the early lead in the top of the second inning with a run to go ahead of the Bears 1-0.
Mercer swung for the fences in the bottom of the third inning. Junior transfer Michael Massi led off with a solo homerun. Senior Evan Boyd followed a few batters with a three-run hit so the Bears would take the 4-1 lead.
In the fourth inning, the Bears knocked in seven runners to take the 11-1 lead. Sophomore Chesny Young hit a two-run single while junior Derrick Workman hit a two-run homerun.
That was all starting pitcher Brandon Barker needed to earn the win as he only allowed one run on four hits in five innings played.
After the impressive win against St. Johns, the Bears turned their sights to Big East powerhouse Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish took the early lead with an RBI single up the middle in the first inning.
Mercer was able to respond in the third inning as junior Nate Moorhouse started things off with a single homerun. Later in the inning, Chesny Young hit an RBI triple and senior Evan Boyd hit an RBI groundout to put the Bears ahead 3-1.
The Fighting Irish earned a run in the bottom of that inning to make the score closer at 3-2.
Both teams went scoreless for a few innings until Derrick Workman was able to hit an RBI single and a passed ball allowed Michael Massi to head home, moving the lead to 5-2.
With the score at 5-2, Notre Dame was able to earn two more runs to come within striking distance with a 5-4 score.
Sophomore Dimitris Kourtis would do the rest pitching 2.2 innings to close out the game, giving the Bears their third victory of the season.
The Bears are now 3-0 on the young season. The team will travel next to Alabama State on Feb. 19 to take on the Hornets. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. After the tilt against Alabama State, Mercer returns home to take on Bethune-Cookman for a weekend series on Feb. 22-24. After playing Bethune-Cookman, the Bears will have a home mid-week tilt against Florida A&M on Feb. 26 and 27. Later that week, the Bears will be at home once more before heading on the road as they take on Miami (Ohio) on March 1-2.
(02/20/13 3:43pm)
The Mercer women’s golf team has been turning heads of late as they jumped in the national rankings to 78, which is the highest ever ranking for the women’s golf program in school history.
At the Hurricane Invitational hosted by the University of Miami, the Bears were able to propel themselves to a fifth place finish against several national powers.
Mercer sophomore Sara Louie Brown tied for 11th place individually in the Hurricane Invitational, helping lift the Bears to a fifth place finish on the final team leader board at the Deering Back Yacht and Country Club. Brown’s three-round total of 223 helped Mercer outpace 11 other teams at the event.
“The team played well this weekend and I was proud of the way they finished,” Mercer head coach Gary Guyer said. “The 36-hole and 18-hole format makes for long days, so they had to focus and were able to do it. It’s a good start to our spring season and we look forward to the next tournament.”
Brown’s tournament total of 223 was highlighted by a 73 in the opening round and marked her best three-round total of the academic year. Junior Mary Alice Murphy registered Mercer’s low round of the tournament on day two, firing a 72 (+1) to finish in a tie for 16th place individually at 225. Junior Lacey Fears carded a 78 in the final round and came in a tie for 41st place at 235.
Seniors Aurelie Wiriath and Kaitlin Marrin finished tied for 59th and 71st, respectively. Wiriath capped her tournament with a 241 while Marrin used 246 strokes.
On the heels of a fifth place finish at the Hurricane Invitational in Miami, the Bears and head coach Gary Guyer look to improve even further and possibly crack the top-50.
“My goal has always been to build a top 50 program,” said sixth year head coach Gary Guyer. “When I took over the program as head coach, the team was ranked #210 and there were 226 Division 1 women’s golf programs in the country. We were in last place in the A-Sun Conference and almost last in the country. Today we are ranked #78 out of 258 Division 1 women’s golf programs and only ETSU (#56) is ranked ahead of us in the conference. We are getting there.”
Coach Guyer has a positive outlook on what his team can do heading into the future including the possibility of winning the conference tounament.
“We have all five starters returning that competed in the A-Sun conference championship last year”, said Coach Guyer. “In that championship, we posted a school record score of 880 which was the third lowest round in A-Sun history. It averages out to a 73.3 score per player. However, it just so happened that the teams that shot the best and second-best totals did so in the same tournament. Someone asked what I thought our chances are of winning the conference championship. I replied that it will be a tough battle, but like Gary Koch’s famous call, ‘Better than Most.’”
The women’s golf team competes next at the Sir Pizza Terrapin Invitational in Miami on Feb. 25-26.
(02/20/13 3:41pm)
Conference play nears end with important games looming
Heading into the home stretch of the 2012-2013 season, the Mercer men’s basketball team has reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference no the heels of four wins and heads into their final four matches before the conference tournament with the momentum swinging their way.
In a thrilling overtime victory, the Bears defeated the JU Dolphins 67-64 on Feb. 7.
Junior Langston Hall led all scorers with a season-high 23 points while senior Travis Smith booked 14 and junior Jakob Gollon added 11. While Hall made clutch shots all night, it was Smith who dialed up the game’s biggest bucket.
After the Orange and Black and Jacksonville battled to a 58-58 tie in regulation, the teams found themselves in a 64-64 deadlock with under a minute to go in overtime. Hall found Smith on in the corner, who jumped over a rising defender and canned a deep three to put the Bears in front with 30 seconds remaining.
Jacksonville’s head coach Cliff Warren called a timeout and drew up a play, but the shot did not fall for the Dolphins.
After the impressive win against JU, the Bears took to their home court once more taking on the Ospreys of UNF on Feb. 9.
Three Mercer players reached double-figure scoring in the win, led by senior guard Travis Smith’s 13 points. Smith also added three rebounds and an assist in the winning effort.
Juniors Daniel Coursey and Bud Thomas each tallied 12 points, with Coursey collecting four rebounds and a block and Thomas registering six assists, four steals, two rebounds and a block.
Coursey’s classmate and counterpart at center, Monty Brown, also made considerable contributions to the Orange and Black victory. Brown piled up seven points, five blocks and four rebounds in 14 minutes of work.
The Bears came out on fire against the Ospreys out of the gate in the second period, scoring 16 points in the first six minutes to assume a 15-point advantage. North Florida couldn’t get closer than 11 the rest of the way as Mercer scorched the nets to the tune of 56% (14-of-25) shooting from the field in the second half.
After two competitive matches at home, the Bears took to the road where they were once again victorious. Bob Hoffmann and the men’s basketball team took on the USC Upstate Spartans on Feb. 14.
Mercer junior Bud Thomas score 18 points in the win. All of Thomas’ points came from three pointers in the first half.
Junior Jakob Gollon registered the second double-double of his career with 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Junior Langston Hall netted nine, while senior Travis Smith and junior Monty Brown each scored eight.
Coursey got Mercer out to a 4-0 lead with layups on the first two possessions, and Thomas kept the momentum going with an impressive long-range barrage. Thomas canned four three pointers in the opening 10 minutes of play, helping the Orange and Black assume a nine-point lead midway through the half.
After the impressive victory at USC Upstate, Mercer traveled to Johnson City, Tenn. to take on ETSU on Feb 16.
Senior Travis Smith booked a team-high 16 points while juniors Langston Hall and Jakob Gollon contributed 15 and 12, respectively. ETSU saw its two-game winning streak end and fell to 9-19.
“That may have been the most determined victory in the five years I’ve been here,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We had all kinds of guys contribute and it’s fun to coach young men who compete like we did tonight.”
With the win, Mercer senior Chris Smithsecured his spot as the program’s winningest player. In four years with the team, Smith has been a part of 76 victories, more than any other player in the 105-year history of the program.
Mercer returns to their home court on Feb. 21 to take on Lipscomb University at 7.pm. Two days later the Bears take on Northern Kentucky at Hawkins Arena at 4:30 p.m.
(02/20/13 3:40pm)
The Mercer men’s and women’s tennis teams are off to a rough start in the 2013 dual match season as the men are currently sitting at 1-7 and the women are sitting at 2-5.
The men’s tennis team most recently played matches at Charlotte, Wofford, Georgia Tech and Jacksonville St.
The Bears fall to 0-5 on the year, while the 49ers improved to 4-4 on the year. Mercer dropped the early doubles point, with the freshmen brotherly duo of Arsav and Arnav Mohanty picking up a nice 8-5 win at the No. 2 doubles position. The win is the second for the brothers this season, having taken down Georgia Southern earlier in the year.
Mercer’s best chance at a singles victory came at the No. 4 position with Joao Pagan pushing his match to three sets. Pagan faced off against Charlotte’s No. 4 Karnil Khalil and after the two traded the first two sets, 3-6, 6-3 Khalil won the third set tiebreaker, 10-8.
The men’s tennis team came up just short against Wofford losing the match 4-3.
In doubles play, the freshmen twin tandem of Arsav Mohanty and Arnav Mohanty earned the only doubles win for the Bears defeating their opponents Jackson Keith and David Sklar 8-3.
Singles play saw several quality performances on the day which featured four three-set matches.
At the No. 1 singles position Arnav Mohanty defeated Georgia Southern’s Drew Supestein 2-6, 7-6, 6-2.
Playing in the No.2 singles position, freshman Anderson Scarpa defeated his opponent 6-3, 6-2.
Peter Tauchner picked up a victory for the Bears in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.
The last match played for the Bears was against the then No. 65 ranked Georgia Tech.
In singles play, Arnav Mohanty, playing at the No. 1 singles position, took on the No. 32 ranked Juan Spir. Mohanty played close with Spir in the first set losing 6-4, but failed to capitalize in the second losing 6-1.
The team picked up their first win of the year at home against Jacksonville St. 4-3. Individual results were not yet published.
The women’s team most recently played matches against Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith, Georgia Southern and Jacksonville State.
The Charlotte 49ers defeated Mercer by a score of 4-1 as several matches did not finish play due to the results already being determined.
In doubles play, the two teams that finished their matches fell in their respective supersets. The pairing of freshman Isabel Dennis and junior Lucie Payrat fell in a close 8-5 decision while the team comprised of freshmen Roxy Bartz and Natalie Franklin fell 8-3.
In singles play, Franklin picked up the only win for the Bears. She defeated Natsuko Takayanagi 6-3, 6-2. Freshman Kealee Heffner played a close match against her opponent coming up just short 6-4, 6-3.
The Mercer women’s tennis team ousted Johnson C. Smith by a score of 7-0.
All three of Mercer’s doubles teams won convincingly. Payrat and Dennis won 8-3. Freshman Liza Klyachkin and her teammate Heffner dropped their opponents in a convincing 8-0 fashion while the pairing of Franklin and Bartz also won 8-2.
In singles play, the team only dropped a combined total of five games and did not drop a single set to their opponents.
Dennis, Payrat and Bartz each won their matches 6-0, 6-0. Klyackin only won convincingly as well with a 6-0, 6-1 decision. Junior Amanda Bertani slipped early, but quickly regained her poise winning 6-3, 6-2. Heffner also won her match 6-0, 6-2.
The Bears then took on Georgia Southern where they were ousted 6-1.
The women’s tennis team fell to Georgia Southern 6-1.
Roxy Bartz picked up the win at the No. 6 singles position. Kealee Heffner played a close match with her opponent at the No. 5 singles position losing 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
In doubles play, Liza Klyachkin and Kealle Heffner picked up the only win defeating the team of Natalie Maffett and Jordana Klein 8-6.
The team also lost to Jacksonville St. by a score of 5-2. Individual results were not yet published.
(02/20/13 3:13pm)
When talented rappers move from the underground to the mainstream, they are often deemed sellouts in the music industry. Many were worried about Kendrick Lamar.
At 25, Lamar was being called the next great West Coast rapper and he was cutting tracks with Lady Gaga. In other words, he was positioning himself to be swallowed up by the industry like many a rapper before him.
His album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” was Lamar’s way of telling the world he was not going to lose himself because of the money, fame and big record labels.
Kendrick crafted “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” as a reflection of his life path, from his upbringing to his modern state of mind. Meant to play out like a short movie rather than an album, it is has a thematic thread that strings each song together into a cohesive narrative.
The album opens with a group of young men reciting a prayer. The narrative is slowly pieced together with voice messages and recordings from the day’s events. The album eventually returns to that prayer with new, devastating implications that can only be understood if one has followed Kendrick’s story from the outset.
The album starts out with “Sherene a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter”. In this song, we meet Kendrick at 17, a young man with nothing but women on his mind. Kendrick takes his mother’s car to Sherene’s house. All told through his lyricism, Kendrick paints the picture of the typical hormonal teenage boy.
After this song, Lamar’s mom calls asking where he is and where her car is. The voicemail ends with his father telling his mother to cut the oldies back on because she’s killing his vibe.
We venture back to the times of old school hip-hop on top of modern beats mixed with some nuances of old school. One of the greatest songs on the album is none other than “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”. At the end of the slow jam, one of Lamar’s friends yells at him to get in the car because he’s “got a pack of blacks and a freestyle CD.”
By “Backseat Freestyle”, Kendrick is starting to envision success and his ego has taken hold. Over a vicious hit-boy beat, he says “all my life I want money and power, respect my mind or die from lead shower.” One can almost see the puffed-up teenager standing on the hood of a car screaming that line.
His sense of invincibility carries through the first half of “The Art of Peer Pressure”, but it’s clear that his thinking is beginning to adapt. “The Art of Peer Pressure” shows Kendrick at his most visual. One envisions the group of friends in the “white Toyota” driving down Rosecrans smoking blunts and drinking orange soda. It’s a seemingly traditional, albeit extremely lyrically adept, day-in-the-life rap song. It seems that while Kendrick grew up with and has a certain love for that kind of lifestyle, he understands that it is ultimately “circling life” rather than taking responsibility for oneself.
Lamar’s friends tell him they have a possibility to make money from robbing a house. They invite Kendrick along and “Money Trees” begins to play. The song is simply about his struggle between doing what is right and trying to make money. Where he grew up, in Compton, one could not do both.
Lamar’s mother calls him again asking for the car. His father is high in the background trying to seduce his mother. She isn’t having it. In cuts the track “Poetic Justice”. Lamar gives his ideas on how to seduce a woman, saying, “I know just what you want; poetic justice put it in a song.”
After an argument, the most lyrically intense song on the album begins to play. He raps about the struggles of living in his city. In “Good Kid”, Lamar raps about the struggles with police and how they racially profile him: “And you ask ‘lift up your shirt’ cause you wonder if a tattoo of affiliation can make it a pleasure to put me through.” Lamar then raps about how the police find no tattoo, but continue to beat him up because “he’s down.”
Once the song is over, it quickly shifts to his song “m.A.A.d city”. Kendrick’s recent beat-down by the police who are supposed to be protecting him brings back memories from his childhood living in Compton. Lamar recalls how he saw someone get shot in front of a burger stand as a child.
Lamar’s friends come back into the picture. They are drinking and they give Lamar some alcohol to help him numb the pain. “Swimming Pools (Drank)” is Lamar’s way of going somewhat mainstream with his sound while still staying true to his art of storytelling. This song is all about peer pressure. Does Kendrick want to drink? No. But is he being pressured by all his friends? Yes. One cannot simply drink casually where Kendrick is from; instead, they must pour it all down.
After the end of the song, it is revealed that Kendrick has been jumped. Apparently, it was Sherene who set him up. Kendrick and his friends roll by the house of the people who jumped him and shoot it up for revenge.
After the driveby, Kendrick begins his song “Sing About Me, Dying of Thirst”. “Sing About Me” and “Dying of Thirst” are two separate moments, but one song. Kendrick sees his impending death coming up if he stays in this lifestyle. Kendrick hopes that one day his friends will sing about him, a common ritual used when a friend is deceased. The line “I’m dying of thirst” refers to the West Coast tradition of pouring a libation for the deceased. Both singing about a dead friend and pouring out liquor are rituals of eulogy and homage.
Kendrick and his friends are met by an old woman, voiced by the renowned poet Maya Angelou. She tells them they are dying of thirst. Not literal thirst, but a thirst for the Holy Spirit. She then leads Kendrick and his friends through the sinner’s prayer. Kendrick sheds his hood persona, bringing him to where he is today.
After the prayer, Kendrick drops his old mentality; the song “Real” begins to play. The song references an extremely important realization to Kendrick. The whole song alludes to loving yourself and how this action is a necessary component to living life.
At the end of the song, we are met by a voicemail from Kendrick’s mother. Kendrick has left his hometown and gone on to pursue his dreams. She tells him to come back successful and to tell his story to all the kids in his neighborhood.
We then hear the sound of a cassette tape being stopped and fast-forwarded. We are now in the present-day life of Kendrick Lamar. The song “Compton” begins to play: “Compton, Compton. Ain’t no city quite like mine.” Lamar gives homage to the town that turned him into what he is. Lamar is doing what his mother told him to do: telling his story to all of the children from Compton.
The word “classic” will undoubtedly be thrown around in reference to this album. I’d say that’s fair, but it is also premature. It is a varied and dense listening experience that feels more like an emotional outburst than an assured statement of purpose. For now, it is safe to say that “good kid, m.A.A.d city” is the most potent exploration yet of one of the most interesting minds in rap music.
(02/06/13 3:37pm)
The road has not been the friendliest place for the Bears so far this season and as of late it has proven to be even tougher.
On Sat. Jan. 24, the Bears took to the road to face to the Atlantic Sun’s newest conference member, Northern Kentucky. Despite a season-high scoring contest from junior Bud Thomas, the Bears were unable to prevail losing the contest 63-46.
Mercer struggled offensively from the get-go, connecting on just one of its first seven field goals in the opening seven minutes of play. A 12-12 tie was converted into a 26-18 NKU halftime lead as the Bears went the final 6:12 of the period without registering a field goal.
The second half of play was just as devastating for Mercer. The Bears closed the deficit to six points, but the Norse of Northern Kentucky would drop 14 unanswered points and ended up winning the contest 63-46.
After struggling away from home so much this season, Bob Hoffman and the Bears knew they needed to turn things around. Just two days later, Mercer took to the court on the road once again playing the Lipscomb Bison.
This time, Mercer came out on top with a 71-65 win. The win also marked a monumental one for head coach Bob Hoffman. With the win against the Bison, Hoffman reached his 400th win as a collegiate head coach.
“It was an amazing effort,” Hoffman said. “Our guys showed amazing toughness and I’m really proud of them today. They stood up to the test and made play after play.”
Early into the game, Mercer trailed 11-5 before mounting an 11-1 run, ended by a fast-break layup by senior Chris Smith.
After Smith’s score, the Bears would go ahead by as many as five before the Bison closed the half on a 7-2 run to earn the halftime tie.
Out of the break, Bud Thomas found Jakob Gollon for a layup that gave the visitors back the lead.
wThe swift score foreshadowed future events, as the Bears would blitz the Bison for 48 second-half points period.
The red-hot offense helped the Bears go ahead by as many as 15 in the period, but Lipscomb hung around and closed the deficit to seven as the clock dropped below the one minute mark.
With 41 seconds remaining, Lipscomb senior guard Deonte Alexander hit a fade-away three pointer in the corner while being fouled. His ensuing free throw cut the margin to three (68-65).
Following Alexander’s shot, Hoffman elected to put the ball in the hands of the A-Sun’s two best free throw shooters. Langston Hall and Travis Smith, who entered the game ranked first and second among A-Sun players in free-throw shooting percentage, finished the game with three charity tosses down the stretch.
“We didn’t shoot free throws quite as well as we’ve been doing, but it was good enough to get the win,” Hoffman said. “Langston and Travis on the line will win you a lot of games.”
After the monumental win, Mercer took their winning ways back to their home court avenging a previous loss to in-state rival Kennesaw State, this time coming out on top 66-42.
Earlier in the year, the Bears took on the Owls at Kennesaw State and in a game that saw many fouls as well as a head coach Bob Hoffman getting ejected, ended up with a loss. The Bears were not going to let the last result keep them down though.
The Bears extended their home winning streak to 11 and have yet to drop a home contest this season.
Midway through the first half, the Bears were clinging to a slim 11-10 lead when junior Monty Brown scored lay-ups on back-to-back possessions to spark a 12-3 Mercer charge. The surge was capped by an old-fashioned three-point play for Smith that placed the Bears in front 23-13 with 6:35 left in the half.
Late in the half, two blocks on the defensive end led to run-outs for Smith and Gollon, the last of which saw Gollon cram a dunk in front of the student section. His slam brought the crowd to its feet and pushed Mercer’s lead to 12. Another Kennesaw State turnover saw Mercer go up by 14, but the Owls scored the final basket of the period to go into half trailing 29-17.
The Bears opened the second half on an 8-1 charge and never looked back en route to the win. Mercer’s lead would grow to as many as 26 as the team shot 11-of-20 (55%) from the floor in the final 20 minutes.
The men’s basketball returns to action Thurs., Feb. 7 at home against Jacksonville. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
(02/06/13 3:36pm)
The Mercer women’s tennis team most recently took their talents to Birmingham, Ala. to take on Samford and UAB.
In their first match against Samford, the talented Bulldog squad proved to be too much for the Bears as they were upended 7-0.
In doubles play, the Bears were unable to gain any momentum as all three pairings lost their in a convincing fashion. Freshman Isabel Dennis and junior Lucy Payrat paired up for the No. 1 doubles match and lost 8-2.
Freshmen Liza Klyachkin and Kealee Heffner also dropped their doubles match 8-2.
The pairing of Roxy Bartz and Amanda Bertani could not earn a point against their opponents losing 8-0.
Playing at No. 1 singles was freshman Isabel Dennis. The Newnan, Ga. native could not muster up enough power to defeat her opponent Kristin Lewis and dropped the match in two sets.
The No. 2 through No. 6 positions saw extremely similar results as Lucy Payrat, Natalie Franklin, Liza Klyachkin, Kealee Heffner and Roxy Bartz all lost their matches in two sets as well.
Just a day after the losing effort at Samford, the Bears had to turn around and play a round of matches against the UAB Blazers.
Like the Bulldogs, the Blazers were able to defeat Mercer soundly. The Bears yet again lost the match 7-0.
Again, the Bears were beaten soundly in doubles play. Each doubles pairing lost their matches 8-3.
In singles play, the Bears once again were swept. All players in singles play dropped their matches in two sets.
Despite the loss to the Blazers, there were some bright spots for the Bears. Freshman Isabel Dennis continues to grow into her role in the No. 1singles slot, but lost 6-2, 6-2 to UAB’s Isabel Fernandez on Sunday. Mercer’s Natalie Franklin gave the Bears’ their closest match in the singles competition with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to UAB’s Amy Lowther.
The Bears now drop to 1-2 on the year. The team travels next to Charlotte, N.C. to take on the University of Charlotte on Sat., Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. and Johnson C. Smith on Sun., Feb. 10 at 10 a.m.
(02/06/13 3:35pm)
The Mercer men’s tennis team dropped its most recent match to the No. 29 ranked Florida State Seminoles and moved to 0-4 on the young season.
Florida State came into the match on the heels of a loss to the No. 7 ranked Pepperdine Waves, and were looking to come away with a win against the Bears.
The Seminoles did just that, defeating Mercer 7-0.
Despite the loss, there were several positive performances from the Mercer squad. Specifically, freshman Arsav Mohanty stepped into the No. 3 singles position and turned some heads.
Mohanty, playing his first match of the season at the No. 3 position, pushed No. 99 ranked Benjamin Lock to three sets. After dropping the first set 6-2, Mohanty took the second in a tiebreaker 7-6 (8-6). The final set was decided by another tiebreaker with Lock escaping with the 1-0 (10-8) victory.
Arsav’s brother Arnav struggled at the No. 1 position falling 6-0, 6-1 to No. 107 Dominic Coltrone. Arnav and fellow freshman Anderson Scarpa have been trading positions at No. 1 and No. 2 with Scarpa playing the No. 2 position and taking a 6-4, 6-4 loss to FSU’s Jordan Kelly-Houston.
In doubles, the Bears dropped the collective point with the duo of Scarpa and Vincent DeLise leading the way narrowly dropping their proset 8-6 to FSU’s Blake Davis and Benjamin Lock.
Joao Pagan and Peter Tauchner dropped their matches in two sets at the No. 4 and No. 6 positions.
The Bears travel to Charlotte, N.C. for a couple of away tilts next weekend against Charlotte, then head to South Carolina to take on Wofford.
(02/06/13 3:34pm)
Head coach Kyle Hannan looks to improve upon years past
The Mercer men’s lacrosse team enters their third competitive season in 2013. With several new faces, including first-year head coach Kyle Hannan, the team looks to improve upon their losing efforts in years past and move forward in a winning direction.
The team returns several players from last year’s squad that competed well for the Bears in 2012. The two most notable returners in attacking positions are juniors Cole Branch and Zack Ward.
Ward had an outstanding season on the field in his first year as a Bear. Ward led the team in goals with 19 and assists with 12. Ward proved to be a potent attacking player after transferring from Salisbury in his sophomore year.
Cole Branch led the Bears during his freshman year in goals, but took the backseat to Ward in his sophomore season. Despite not scoring as many goals as the year before, Branch proved to be an attacking presence for the Bears on the field. Branch scored 12 goals and registered seven assists placing second in both categories to Ward.
The combination of Branch and Ward should be an exciting one going into the 2013 season as both have experience playing with each other and both are upperclassmen.
The midfield for the Bears looks to be a promising one led by juniors Eoin Collins and Brett Eisenmann.
Collins and Eisenmann were third and fourth respectively in goals and Eisenmann ranked third in assists.
The Bears have a competitive schedule going into the 2013 season.
“After accepting the job in late August, one of my major concerns was the schedule and how it was going to pan out for 2013,” Hannan said. “When I came on board it was half complete, but I’m very excited about what we ended up with.”
Mercer begins the season at home in Mercer’s newest edition, The William H. Anderson II Family Field.
“The ideal way to start this season is in the new stadium, given the commitment that Mercer has made to our program,” Hannan said. “It’s nice to be able to have that first true game at home in front of fans, students and administrators here at Mercer.”
The Bears are playing some of the nation’s top competition during the 2013 season including the likes of Duke University, who is consistently an NCAA tournament team.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to go Duke and compete against one of the top programs in the nation, year-in and year-out,” Hannan said. “I think it’s great for Mercer and the lacrosse program and we’ll become a better team from making that trip.”
Hannan is more than excited for his first season as Mercer’s head coach.
“We were able to work out a schedule that is very balanced with six home games and seven away games,” Hannan said. “We’re going to be able to travel and show Mercer University off in nine different states. The way the schedule works out, we travel a lot early and then play predominantly south-region teams towards the end,” Hannan said. “We’re excited to match up with very good teams in the south and see how we’ll do.”
(02/06/13 3:27pm)
Coming off of an unsuccessful 2012 campaign, the Mercer women’s softball team is looking to make waves this year in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The team, led by junior outfielder McKenzie Woody, is looking to move past year’s past and help head coach James DeFeo have his first winning season at Mercer University.
McKenzie Woody has been turning heads since her arrival at Mercer, but last year she had one of the most impressive years in the Atlantic Sun.
Not only did Woody make the All-Conference team and the NFCA All-Region Second team, but she also broke several Mercer records in her sophomore year. Woody led Mercer in hits in a season, as well as the A-Sun conference.
Woody also led the conference and the team in batting average. Boasting a .430 batting average in the previous season, Woody is surely going to be one of DeFeo’s go-to players in the 2013 season.
Woody is excited for the upcoming season as she feels the team has a lot to offer going into competitive play.
“I’m so excited for this year. Everyone has worked extremely hard to get us where we are now and hopefully we’ll be at the top at the end of the year,” said Woody.
Coach DeFeo spoke of the team’s efforts in spring training. “The team came out and had a pretty good effort, good intensity throughout the practice. I think we started out a little slow with our conditioning. We definitely have to get back in shape, but the defense looked pretty solid.”
“We have a good team of athletes, very versatile athletes, who can play a lot of different positions,” said DeFeo.
DeFeo credited his seniors on the squad pointing out the Sarah Santana and Kelly Redlinger are helping him push the players towards the ultimate goal of winning the conference championship.
The Bears open up the 2013 season with a tournament at home.
“In hosting two tournaments, the Mercer Invitational and the Mercer Bears Classic, we are bringing in some quality teams from all over the country,” DeFeo said.
“We are really excited to open up this season at Sikes Field,” DeFeo said. “Our fans will be happy to know that they will have many opportunities to catch the Bears in action at home this season.”
With several freshman and transfers joining the 2013 edition of the Bears as well as some veteran faces, the team is surely going to give several conference foes a run for their money.
The Bears open up the 2013 season with the Mercer Invitational on Feb. 8. The tournament will continue through Feb. 10 where the Bears will take on IUPUI and Alabama State.
(01/23/13 4:39pm)
The men’s basketball team has been struggling away as of late, but is still dominant at home going 4-2 in their last 6 competitions, with the only two losses coming on the road to conference opponents.
The men’s basketball team took on FGCU in their first conference match-up. FGCU knocked the Bears out of the conference tournament last year so the game was surely going to be a competitive one.
It proved to be just that as the Bears were forced to pull out a result in overtime winning 77-70.
Senior guard Travis Smith paced the Bears with 21 points while juniors Langston Hall and Jakob Gollon also scored in the double-figures with 17 and 12 points respectively.
Hall and Gollon combined for six steals, earning three apiece.
The next game saw Bob Hoffman and the Mercer men’s basketball team lose to in-state rival Kennesaw State 83-75.
Kennesaw State, who was 1-13 prior to playing the Bears, was able to utilize an all-out effort to propel themselves past the Bears.
Travis Smith led Mercer once again in points this time scoring 18. Three other players joined Smith in double-figure scoring. Juniors Bud Thomas, Langston Hall and Jakob Gollon scored 13, 12 and 10 points respectively.
Jakob Gollon pulled down seven boards in the losing effort.
After the disappointing loss in Kennesaw, the Bears were able to take the frustration of the previous loss out on North Florida and won 66-47.
Four Bears were in double figures with Travis Smith once again leading the way with 15 points. Bud Thomas, junior Anthony White Jr. and Langston Hall scored 14, 12 and 10 points respectively.
Jakob Gollon pulled down eight boards in the win and Travis Smith gave out four assists.
The Bears saw themselves struggle once again on the road traveling to Jacksonville. Mercer lost narrowly 49-47 in one of their lowest scoring games of the year.
Langston Hall led the Mercer Bears with 11 points while Anthony White Jr. was not far behind with nine of his own.
Jakob Gollon pulled down seven rebounds in the loss.
The Bears then took to their home court for a pair of games with the first being a 78-59 win against ETSU.
Travis Smith proved to be a dominant scorer once again, putting away 18 points against the Bucs. Three other players also found themselves in double-figures. Junior Daniel Coursey was not far behind Smith scoring 17 points of his own. Langston Hall and Bud Thomas scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Langston Hall collected nine rebounds in the win and Daniel Coursey amassed three blocks in the win.
Next up for the Bears was USC Upstate. After an extremely close contest, the Bears were able to pull out an 84-72 win against the Spartans.
Travis Smith, once again, led the Bears on the court with an impressive 24 points. Bud Thomas and Jakob Gollon scored 12 points each.
Thomas and Gollon also led the team in rebounds with 5 apiece.
Thomas was also credited with two blocks in the win.
Head coach Bob Hoffman and the Bears will travel to Northern Kentucky to take on the Norse on Thursday Jan. 24. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
(01/23/13 4:33pm)
Within the past few months, two Bear athletes have garnered some of the most prestigious honors in their respective sports. Senior midfielder for the Mercer men’s soccer team Will Betts was named a Capital One First Team Academic All-American while junior designated hitter for the Mercer baseball team Nick Backlund was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason First Team All-American as well as a Louisville Slugger Preseason First Team All-American.
Betts is only the fourth Mercer student-athlete in history to receive Academic All-American Honors. The Brenham, Texas native is also the only men’s soccer player from the Atlantic Sun Conference to receive such honors this year.
This isn’t the first academic honor for Betts, who has a 3.98 cumulative GPA as a finance major. Betts was also named the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and was voted a Capital One Academic All-District IV first team member as a junior and senior as well.
The senior captain had a stellar 2012 campaign that saw him earn 11 points on four goals and three assists. He finished his career with 77 games played and tied for the fifth-most games started in A-Sun Conference history, with 74. He had 33 career points on 12 goals and nine assists.
“Will is an outstanding student-athlete and is very deserving of this incredible honor,” head coach Brad Ruzzo said. “He embodies all the characteristics that we want for a player in our program. Four years ago, Will bought into a vision and plan for this program and he has helped accomplish those goals due to his success both on the field and in the classroom.”
The second Mercer athlete to receive high accolades over the past few months is Nick Backlund. Backlund, a designated hitter for the men’s baseball team, first received the honor of being named a NCBWA Preseason First Team All-American prior to the 2013 season.
Backlund was only one of 10 position in the nation to be given the preseason honor and is the only player in the state of Georgia to earn such accolades.
“What an honor it is for Nick to be named one of the top returning position players in the country,” head coach Craig Gibson said. “Nick has worked very hard over the summer and fall to get even better and we expect big things from him once again looking forward to the 2013 season.”
The San Jose, Calif. native had a stellar first year in Macon. Backlund led the A-Sun Conference with a .381 batting average, a .668 slugging percentage, 85 hits and 149 total bases. The Bears designated hitter finished second in the league with a .471 on-base percentage and 58 RBI, tied for second with 16 home runs and third with 51 runs scored.
Backlund was later named a Louisville Slugger Preseason First Team All-American just days after his first award. Backlund was once again the only player from the state of Georgia named a Preseason First Team All-American and was the only player in the Atlantic Sun Conference named to any of the three Louisville Slugger teams.
“Another well-deserved honor for Nick and I am glad people around the country are realizing how talented a player he really is,” head coach Craig Gibson said. “We have had All-Americans here at Mercer before, but to have Nick be named a Preseason First Team All-American by two different national publications in a little over a week is pretty special. We look for big things from Nick and the rest of our upperclassman this upcoming season.”
Nationally, Backlund finished in the top-40 in total bases (8th), slugging percentage (11th), home runs (12th), RBI (32nd), and batting average (36th).
While Mercer men’s soccer player Will Betts hangs up his cleats, junior Nick Backlund is just lacing his up preparing for the baseball team’s 2013 championship season. Backlund and the Bears will travel to Sarasota, Fla. to take on Ohio State as a part of the Snowbird Baseball Classic on Feb. 15.
(01/23/13 4:00pm)
It’s that time of the year again. The men put on their tuxedos and the women adorn themselves in their lavish ballgowns. Yes, it’s awards season.
With this year’s awards season already underway, it is almost time for the most prestigious awards show in film, The Academy Awards.
This year’s awards ceremony is sure to be promising. The field seems to be extremely competitive as there was no set front-runner at The Academy Awards’ warm-up, the Golden Globes.
I’m going to give you a comprehensive look on the nominees, who should win, and who will win.
Best Picture
“Amour”
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Miserables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Who should win? “Argo”. Ben Affleck did a phenomenal job starring in and directing this picture. The story alone is captivating, but through Affleck’s directing, the film turns into a cinematic masterpiece that is sure to entice crowds for years to come.
Who will win? “Lincoln”. Although a phenomenal movie in and of itself, it is not as well done as “Argo”. “Lincoln” will most likely take home Best Picture because of the historical context, the subject matter and flawless acting from Daniel Day-Lewis, even though “Argo” took the prize away from “Lincoln” at the Golden Globes.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”
Who should win? Hugh Jackman. Jean Valjean is the role Hugh Jackman was born to play. While being a part of the first movie musical to not utilize pre-recorded tracks, Jackman was able to play the part flawlessly, taking his character from the slums, to a lavish life, to hiding, to death. If this movie was made in another year, Hugh Jackman would be taking the prize.
Who will win? Daniel Day-Lewis. Daniel Day-Lewis also flawlessly played historical figure Abraham Lincoln. Like Jackman, Day-Lewis was born to play this role. He is worthy of winning the prize, but I think there was a better actor this year.
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Rivera, “Amour”
Quevenzhane Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Who should win? Quevenzhane Wallis. Just six years old when they started filming “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, Wallis proved that she is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. Portraying Hushpuppy, a Louisiana girl who lives below the levee, Wallis gives a real performance at an age at which it is hard to achieve perfection. Wallis did just that and was perfect in the role.
Who will win? Jennifer Lawrence. Stepping out of the role of Katniss, Lawrence plays the foul-mouthed and crazy Tiffany who has some serious issues. Her portrayal was also a great one, but this year the grown Lawrence was out-acted by a child.
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Robert DeNiro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained”
Who should win and who will win? Christoph Waltz. The German actor has done it yet again, playing a German. Waltz previously won for playing a Nazi general in Quentin Tarentino’s “Inglorious Bastards” and will win again in another Tarentino film, this time playing King Schultz, a German dentist turned bounty hunter. Waltz gave an indescribably phenomenal performance that will have people talking for years to come.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “The Master”
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Who should win and who will win? Anne Hathaway. Hathaway and only Anne Hathaway should be nominated for this award. While only on screen for maybe 30 minutes combined, Hathaway gave the performance of a lifetime as Fantine, the seamstress who turns to prostitution to pay for her daughter’s care. Hathaway probably gave the best performance of anyone nominated for anything this year.
(11/28/12 11:00pm)
After two three-set wins against Kennesaw State and USC Upstate and some help in other conference match-ups, the Mercer women’s volleyball team claimed a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament as the number six seed under first year head coach, Damian Elder.
The Bears traveled to host Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. to face the number three seeded Buccaneers from East Tennessee State University. Previously in the season, the Orange and Black split their two matches against the Bucs picking up a 3-0 win at home in Hawkins Arena while dropping the away match 1-3 at ETSU.
With both teams picking up wins against each other during the season, either team could end up on the victorious end to face the regular season conference champions, Florida Gulf Coast University, in the semifinal round.
Prior to the tournament, the Bears garnered two All-Conference selections. Junior Emily Rochefort earned a second team spot in her libero position. Rochefort led the conference in digs per set (5.33), collecting 554 in 104 sets of play.
The second player to earn All-Conference recognition and named to the All-Freshman team was freshman star, Molly Locke. Locke, an outside hitter, paced the team in kills with 343 on the season. During the regular season, she posted 14 double-doubles as well as garnering 15 kills in nine matches.
This was the first time since 2008 that more than one Bear had gained All-Conference recognition, and the team looked poised to make a run at the title.
The Mercer women’s volleyball team dropped their match in the first round of the tournament 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-19) pushing them out of contention for a conference championship title.
In the first set, Mercer trailed 20-19 before the ETSU ripped off three-straight points to take control. In the second set, Mercer led 2-0 before the Lady Bucs went on 7-1 and never looked back en route to the set victory. In the third set, the teams were tied 10-10 when ETSU posted a 9-3 run to create separation.
Freshman Molly Locke and sophomore Caroline Carlton combined for 22 kills on the night, knocking down 11 each in the losing effort.
Junior Emily Rochefort led the team with 15 digs while Locke and senior Jamie Duffy each added eight apiece.
Senior setter, Monica Sanchez dished out 30 assists in the match.
Senior Charlayna Braxton posted six blocks on the night while Caroline Carlton added four of her own.
With the loss, the Bears say goodbye to six seniors. Charlayna Braxton, Jamie Duffy, Jennifer Katona, Madison Petsos, Monica Sanchez and Codi Schepp all played in their final indoor volleyball matches in Mercer uniform.
Head coach Damian Elder and the rest of the squad will now set their sights on the program’s second sand volleyball season set to be played this spring.
(11/28/12 11:00pm)
With a lavish Homecoming celebration, Mercer men’s basketball opened up the 2012-2013 season against Sewanee at Hawkins Arena. Predicted to finish first in the conference this season, the Bears have their sights set on the ultimate prize, a trip to the NCAA tournament and a chance to experience March Madness at its craziest.
In front of 3,497 fans, the Bears controlled the pace of the game and dominated Sewanee from the opening tip-off, defeating their opponent 65-36.
Mercer’s win marked the seventh-straight year the Orange and Black have won their season opener. The win also extended Mercer’s winning streak to six, dating back to last season’s championship run in the College Insider Tournament.
The Bears got on the board 10 seconds into the game as junior Bud Thomas found fellow junior Jakob Gollon on the baseline for a wide open layup. Sewanee scored on its first possession to tie matters briefly, but Smith canned a three on the Bears’ next time down to give the hosts the advantage.
Mercer would hold that lead for the rest of the game, extending the lead to as many as 31 points before settling for the 65-36 win.
Senior Travis Smith led all players with 15 points in the victory. Smith’s 15 points came on the strength of 6-of-10 shooting from the field and marked his fourth-straight game in double-figure scoring. His 15 points came in conjunction with four rebounds and four assists.
Ten total Mercer players ended up with their names in the scoring column for the win. Bud Thomas and sophomore T.J. Hallice each had nine points, while juniors Jakob Gollon and Darious Moten chipped in eight and six points, respectively.
Hallice’s nine points were earned on perfect four-of-four shooting from the field, while Thomas’ nine points reflected four-of-six shooting.
After the emphatic win against Sewanee, the Bears then moved their focus to Oglethorpe. With just two days turn around, the Bears were looking to take their momentum from their win against Sewanee into the match against Oglethorpe.
The Bears did just this, holding their opponent to 25 points in a big 70-25 win to put the Orange and Black at 2-0 on the season.
Mercer held Oglethorpe scoreless for 9:25 pushing them towards an early 12-0 advantage. By halftime, the Stormy Petrels had only registered 12 points, marking Mercer’s best defensive half since limiting USC Upstate to 11 points in the first half on February 4, 2012.
Mercer’s 25 points allowed on Monday night established the team’s best defensive performance since defeating Lander 47-23 on Jan. 25, 1972.
Sophomore Jibri Bryan paced the Bears with 12 points in the victory. Bryan’s 12 points were fueled by four-of-six shooting from three-point range in 20 minutes of work. Junior guard Kevin Canevari also cracked double-figures, scoring a career-high 10 points in the win.
Ten Mercer players reached the scoring column in the victory. Senior Travis Smith poured in eight points in 19 minutes of action, while freshman Lawrence Brown added eight of his own on three-of-four shooting in 12 minutes of play.
The Bears then headed to the Paradise Jam tournament in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. It was here where the mighty would fall, dropping three straight games in as many days to George Mason University, the University of Illinois-Chicago and Wake Forest.
The first match of the Paradise Jam saw Mercer drop a tough 49-52 decision to George Mason.
“We had some guys make some big plays, but we didn’t handle the ball well enough to win the game,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “There were things we did well, but we didn’t really deserve to win the game the way we played defense. We knew going into the game that they were a really good catch-and-shoot team, and that if we didn’t guard them we’d be in trouble.”
Mercer led by as many as six at multiple times in the second half, but the Patriots scored seven-straight points to take a 44-43 lead with 2:19 remaining. That lead marked the Patriots first advantage in nearly 13 minutes of game time.
Senior Travis Smith led all scorers with 17 points in the losing effort. Smith’s 17 points came on five-of-12 shooting and paired with two rebounds, two steals and one assist. Junior Daniel Coursey led the team in rebounding with five boards while also booking seven points and two blocks in 21 minutes.
Mercer junior Anthony White, Jr. provided a spark off the bench, scoring five points and tallying a rebound and an assist in 10 minutes of action. His efforts helped the Orange and Black hold a 16-13 edge in bench scoring.
Despite a career-high scoring effort from junior forward Darious Moten, the Mercer men’s basketball team suffered a 62-36 loss to Illinois-Chicago in the second game of the tournament.
“They played really well,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “They had the most energy, which is unusual for us. Right now we’ve got to figure ourselves out.”
Moten’s career-high eight points came on three-of-five shooting from the floor, including a thunderous driving two-hand slam in the first half. His eight-point output tied senior guard Travis Smith for the team’s high point total.
Travis Smith’s eight points came in conjunction with five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Moten also added a rebound in his 12 minutes of court time.
In the third day of play, Mercer dropped yet another game to ACC opponent Wake Forest. The Bears lost by a narrow score of 71-74.
“It is what it is,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We had opportunities to close them out, but we didn’t get it done. I just feel sorry for our guys because they deserved to win.”
Sophomore Jibri Bryan led the Bears with 14 points. Bryan’s 14 points were fueled by perfect four-of-four shooting from three-point range. Gollon and Thomas also broke into double-figure scoring with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Gollon also produced six rebounds, five assists and four steals while Thomas collected three rebounds and notched a pair of assists.
Sophomore T.J. Hallice tied a career-high scoring effort with nine points while also chipping in six points, one assist and a block in the loss.
Nine Mercer players reached the scoring column in the loss as the Bears’ bench outscored the opponent’s reserves 32-22.
After three straight losses, the Bears needed a win in order to even out their record. They returned to Hawkins Arena to take on the Paladins from Furman University. The Bears moved back to their winning ways, picking up a dominant 73-46 win.
Junior center, Monty Brown scored a career-high 14 points to lead four Mercer players in double-figure scoring. Brown’s 14 points were earned on the strength of four-of-six shooting from the field and six-of-eight free throw shooting.
Junior Jakob Gollon added 11 points in the win while junior Daniel Coursey and senior Travis Smith each chipped in 10 points of their own. The game marked the first time this season the Bears have placed four players in double-digit scoring.
Junior Langston Hall returned to the court and was phenomenal in his season debut, returning from injury with eight points, seven assists, two steals and two rebounds in 21 minutes of work.
The next match for the Bears is Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the University of New Mexico.
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
The Mercer women’s volleyball team has dropped four of their last five matches, pitting them in a race against three other teams for a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.
In the first match, the Bears lost a thrilling match in four sets (17-25, 25-23, 18-25, 19-25) to conference rival Jacksonville.
Freshman Molly Locke and sophomore Caroline Carlton paced the Bears and knocked down 12 kills apiece in the match. Senior middle blockers, Jenn Katona and Charlayna Braxton each contributed seven kills against the Dolphins.
Senior Jamie Duffy led the team with 17 digs while junior libero Emily Rochefort was not far behind contributing 15 digs of her own. Molly Locke chipped in 11 herself, adding yet another double-double to her tally this season. Senior Codi Schepp contributed 10 digs in the losing effort.
Senior setter Monica Sanchez dished out 42 assists in the match.
After the disappointing loss, the Bears set their sights on another conference foe. The Ospreys from the University of North Florida traveled to Hawkins Arena to take on the Orange and Black. Unfortunately, the Bears dropped the match in three straight sets (20-25, 23-25, 21-25).
Sophomore Carolina Carlton led the team in kills with 13. Freshman Molly Locke knocked down 12 kills in the match.
Junior Emily Rochefort led the team with 30 digs while seniors Jamie Duffy and Monica Sanchez contributed 15 and 11 respectively.
Monica Sanchez dished out 30 assists against the University of North Florida.
The match against North Florida also served as senior night to honor Charlayna Braxton, Jamie Duffy, Monica Sanchez, Codi Schepp, Jenn Katona, and Madison Petsos for their service to Mercer University prior to the game.
The Bears then traveled to the state of Kentucky to take on the Norse of Northern Kentucky University. Again the Orange and Black lost the match in three sets (21-25, 16-25, 21-25).
Offensively, the Bears were quite quiet with not a single player reaching double-digit kills against the Norse.
Senior Codi Schepp led the team with nine kills while sophomore Caroline Carlton added eight kills.
Defensively, the Bears were not able to keep much from hitting the floor. Not a single player reached double-digit digs for the first time all season. Emily Rochefort led the team with eight.
Monica Sanchez contributed 27 assists in the match.
After two straight three set losses, the Bears hoped to turn things around, but they could not find any fire power against powerhouse Lipscomb. The Bears lost once again in three straight sets (11-25, 17-25, 18-25).
Once again the Bears did not contribute much offensively and defensively as not a single player reached double-digit kills, digs, or assists.
After three losses, the Bears were finally able to dish out what they had been receiving against USC Upstate by defeating them in three straight sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-17).
Molly Locke stepped her game up and knocked down 11 kills while Caroline Carlton contributed 8 in the match.
Emily Rochefort was able to contribute 25 digs in the win while Jamie Duffy and Monica Sanchez contributed 12 and 11 respectively.
Sanchez was also able to dish out 35 assists in the match.
The Bears now see themselves in a must win situation going into their final match of the season. The team faces off against in-state rival Kennesaw State on Thursday Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Hawkins Arena.
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
In front of a crowded room, Mercer University Athletic Director Jim Cole announced the inception of Mercer’s Women’s Lacrosse program under the direction of newly hired Head Coach Eve Levinson on Oct. 30.
The women’s lacrosse program will play its first season in the spring of 2015. Until then, Levinson will be responsible for recruiting. The recruiting process has already begun, as Levinson plans to have the first members of the women’s lacrosse program on campus next year to begin training.
“The opportunity to start a team from the ground floor, in a region where the sport that I really love is gathering momentum is a true gift,” said Levinson.
“We will be taking the next two seasons to build a base and prepare for competition,” Levinson said. “This gives me the chance to really get out into the lacrosse world to find the right young women who will put us on the path toward a championship program and add to the complete picture of Mercer University, as well.”
After she gains her second recruiting class, the team will compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“This is a fantastic, and unique, opportunity for all of us to make our own mark in lacrosse,” Levinson said.
Levinson brings eight years of coaching experience to Mercer after serving in various positions at the high school, club and collegiate levels.
Most recently, Levinson served as head coach at Penn. State Abington, a Division III member of the North Eastern Athletic Conference.
Being a former collegiate player herself, Levinson brings a wealth of knowledge to the inaugural women’s lacrosse program. Levinson spent two seasons at the starting goalie for the Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Penn.), where she earned Defensive MVP honors and Academic All-American status in her senior year. After graduation, she joined the University of Pennsylvania women’s lacrosse team where she was a goalie and team manager.
Before taking on head coaching responsibilities at Penn State Abington, Levinson was an assistant coach and eventually interim head coach at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. In that capacity, she provided direct position coaching to goalies, including the 2010 Most Improved Player, and prepared field players to execute plays while developing tactical knowledge. Her efforts at Bryn Mawr also extended beyond the field, as she played a key role in player recruitment.
While at Bryn Mawr, Levinson also spent time as Head Girl’s Lacrosse Coach of the Philadelphia Delegation at the JCC Maccabi Games, an Olympic style event held annually for Jewish teens between the ages of 13 and 16. Her involvement included promoting the tournament to local lacrosse coaches, holding tryouts and planning practices. At the JCC Maccabi games, her squads captured the bronze medal in 2010 and the silver medal in 2011.
Levinson looks forward to her opportunity to head the university’s Division I women’s lacrosse program, and strives to find athletes that will be successful on and off of the field. Levinson promises success with her at the helm of the program.
“Mercer is a top academic and athletic institution in the Southern region, and has made a clear commitment to furthering its strength in both of these areas,” Levinson said.
“As seen in the beautiful new complex that is the home for lacrosse and football and the demonstrated passion for all of the athletic programs from Director of Athletics Jim Cole all the way through the student population, this is a wonderful place to grow a women’s lacrosse team. It will be a joy to work and play in facilities that are constant reminders of how much your own efforts mean to the entirety of the community. We are fortunate to have many pieces in place to push for success, and I have plenty of excitement and desire to get us on a winning track soon.”
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
With their hearts set on a Championship, after defeating the University of North Florida, the Mercer women’s soccer team came up just short against a talented team from Florida Gulf Coast University in the championship match for the second year in a row.
In the first match for the Bears of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship Tournament, the Bears defeated the Ospreys of North Florida 3-0, placing themselves in the Championship match for the fifth time in six years.
Mercer got off to a quick start by scoring a goal in the first 10 minutes. For the seventh time this season, the Bears recorded a goal in the first 10 minutes of play. Junior defender Kristen Hagaman launched a through ball in the third minute of the game that was misread by several Osprey defenders and ended up finding the back of the net. It was Hagaman’s first goal in her three-year career.
The Bears used this goal to help their momentum and outshot their opponent 7-3 before entering into halftime.
Mercer came out of halftime ablaze. Again, the team captured the early momentum in the second half as senior midfielder Danielle Hesse tallied her sixth goal of the season in the 48th minute of play. Hesse settled a feed pass from sophomore Lauren Gassie and beat UNF’s goalkeeper with a rocket of a shot from the 18 yard line. Junior Nadja Kolliesuah started the play in the box and picked up an assist as well.
Junior forward, Casey Barrett put the game out of reach for the Ospreys in the 72nd minute off a nice individual effort. Barrett finished off a long run through a couple of UNF defenders and slid a soft shot to the near post to give the Bears the decisive 3-0 lead.
With this win, the Bears earned a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship match against a formidable opponent in the tournament host’s and regular season conference champions, FGCU. The Bear’s faced FGCU just two weeks prior in a match that was won by FGCU and earned the Eagles hosting rights of the conference tournament.
This would be the second year in a row that FGCU would be the Mercer Bears’ kryptonite. Once again, the Bears lost to FGCU in overtime in a match that was extremely competitive. FGCU got a goal in the 93rd minute to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bears came out hesitant in the opening half which allowed FGCU to take the upper hand early in the first half. After an offensive onslaught from the FGCU Eagles, the nation’s leader in goals against average, freshman goalkeeper Maggie Cropp was forced to make four difficult saves in the first half as the Bears midfield and defense settled into the match.
After fending off the early FGCU threat, the Bears defense tightened up, but couldn’t find the open feet to counter offensively and the teams headed into the break tied at 0-0.
A controversial decision from the referee at the end of the first half resulted in the sending off of both head coach Tony Economopoulos and assistant coach Brenton Saylor, which left the team without a coach for the entire second half of play and into the first overtime period. Former player and current student assistant, Sara Elliot had to assume coaching responsibilities going into the second half.
During the second half, Mercer found a little of its offensive rhythm and was able to get FGCU on its heels as the game went on. Perhaps the Bears best chance came in the 82nd minute when sophomore Tess Patton guided an open shot just high from eight yards out.
Mercer had three players named to the A-Sun All Tournament team at the conclusion of Sunday’s match. Defender Rachel Buffalo, midfielder P.A. Upson and goalkeeper Maggie Cropp were all recognized for their play.
The loss ends a historic season for the Bears and first-year head coach Tony Economopoulos. Mercer set the program record for wins with 13 and reached the double-digit win plateau for the fifth time in the last six seasons, finishing 13-5-3.
(11/07/12 11:00pm)
In their first preseason exhibition, the Mercer women’s basketball team took on Francis Marion University and came up victorious on Nov. 1 in Hawkins Arena.
At halftime the Bears were leading the visitors from Francis Marion 31-17. But the visitors came out from the locker room hot and began the second stanza by scoring 20 points to the Bears’ nine coming within three points, 40-37, with 12:22 on the clock.
Susie Gardner’s squad did not lay down using lay-ups on back-to-back possessions from sophomores Alicia Williams and Teanna Robinson to give the Bears some room for error at 44-37, with 11:30 remaining in the second half.
From that point forward, the Orange and Black would retain a double-figure lead for the majority of the game, with their advantage growing to as large as 17 points, at 61-44, after a lay-up by junior Kate Alemann with 2:50 to go in the contest.
Sophomore Precious Bridges led all scores on the night with 14 points. She also picked up nine rebounds and one steal in the contest. Redshirt junior Kendra Grant was not far behind in points with 10 points in her first season of play since her latest knee injury. Grant also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
Robinson finished with seven points and eight rebounds while Williams had a solid all-around performance recording nine points, eight rebounds and four assists.
“Teanna barely played last year, but she played well in major minutes for us tonight and Alicia Williams did an exceptional job of coming in off the bench and running the floor which is what we want her to do,” Gardner said when asked about Robinson’s and Williams’ play.
Head Coach Susie Gardner was impressed with her team’s overall play and happy with the victory of the night, but still believes they have a lot of work to do in order to help lead the team towards a successful 2012-13 campaign.
“There were some positives that came out of tonight, specifically being one of our goals is to score easy baskets and we had quite a few transition lay-ups tonight,” head coach Susie Gardner said. “We weren’t as sharp as I would like us to be in the half court, but we will look at the film of tonight’s game, because I am a big proponent of studying film, and go from there. It wasn’t very pretty, but we learned a lot of things tonight as a program that we can use and build on moving forward,” she added.
The Bears return to action on Nov. 9 when they take on Brevard in the official 2012-13 season home-opener. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Hawkins Arena. The game will serve as the kick-off event for Homecoming 2012.
(10/24/12 9:01pm)
In the 2012-13 season, the Mercer women’s basketball team is looking to prove their doubters wrong. Head coach Susie Gardner enters her third season at the helm for the Bears, and she assures it’s going to be a great year for the team.
“We’ve been practicing for a long time. Women’s basketball allows us to start the season rather early. We started on Oct. 4 and we were able to have a great fall break where we could have two-a-days, so we’ve gotten a lot of things accomplished,” said Gardner. “Our program’s growing, we’re still building. We’re not there yet but we are taking steps in the right direction.”
For the first time under Susie Gardner’s direction, the Bears will have a veteran squad hitting the court. Consisting of three seniors, four juniors, five sophomores and one freshman, the Mercer women’s basketball team is going to be looking for veteran leadership on and off the court.
“We only have two new players on the team, so I have a majority of people who can run a drill rather than our coaches running a drill. So you can feel the flow of practice going a lot better,” mentioned Gardner.
Unfortunately for the Bears, their leading point earner from last year is not available during this season. Junior guard Briana Williams is out for the 2012-13 season, with a tear in her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Last year, the star guard averaged 17.5 points per game. Her presence will be missed on the court.
“With Briana getting hurt, we had a game plan in place as a coaching staff and that had to be tweaked overnight, but I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Gardner said.
With Williams out, the Bears are going to have to look for other sources to make baskets for the team. One of those sources is senior forward Ry’van Buchanan. Last season, Buchanan averaged 10.8 points per game as well as 5.3 rebounds per game. Her efforts last season were enough to get her named to the Atlantic Sun’s Preseason All-Conference Team.
Another player the Bears are looking forward to having back is redshirt junior, Kendra Grant. Grant has had to sit out due to several knee injuries, but she is back this year and ready to perform at the best of her ability.
“It was very difficult. Going from being able to play out there to just sitting out on the sidelines was difficult. But I’m ready now to get back out there and pick up where I left off,” Grant said.
Last season, the women’s basketball team was within 10 points of the opposing squad in several games. Unfortunately, they were unable to close out the majority of those games.
“You can try to simulate time and score situations in practice,” Gardner said. “Hopefully with the experience of going through those games in the past we can come out on the correct end of those this year.”
The women’s basketball team hits the court for the first time this season on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Hawkins Arena for an exhibition match versus Francis Marion.