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(03/31/18 3:18pm)
Mercer men’s basketball ran into a freight train in the form of North Texas in 96-67 loss in the second round of the College Basketball Invitational. The Mean Green came out firing on all cylinders, leading Mercer for 38 of the game’s 40 total minutes.
Jordan Strawberry led the Bears with 25 points on 50 percent shooting and senior forward Desmond Ringer scored 16 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.
The Bears won nine of their final 11 toward the end, but finish the 2017-2018 season with a 19-14 record for the third season in a row.
"Our guys competed so hard down the stretch of the season,” head coach Bob Hoffman said. “The way we finished the year was an amazing run. How we fought and got back in so many games and found ways to win.”
The Bears will lose six players who are graduating this semester, including four starters.
Senior guard Strawberry finishes his career with 1,200 points, which ranks him 18th on the Bears all time scoring list, according to Mercer Athletics. Strawberry also finishes third on Mercer’s career assist list with 494. Fellow senior guard Ria’n Holland finishes his career scoring in double figures in 44 of his 50 career games as a Bear, according to Mercer Athletics.
Rylee Kirk
Senior Demetre Rivers’s senior season saw him join the 1,000 point club, and finish 32nd on the school’s all time scoring list. Senior forward Stephon Jelks finishes his career with 1,113 points and 844 rebounds. He is just one of three Mercer players in school history to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 800 rebounds.
The seniors have been so special in who they are and how they carry themselves and represented our program and university,” Hoffman said. “We are blessed that they are graduating and they will do tremendous things as they move on from Mercer with that diploma.”
(03/17/18 9:15pm)
Mercer women’s basketball came into Saturday’s opening round game as a No. 13 seed matched up with No. 4 seed Georgia. The Bulldogs came in as a heavy favorite, but the Bears played with incredible energy and intensity behind a strong Mercer presence in the stands.
The game was a back-and-forth affair the entire way, with both teams exchanging and absorbing each others best shot. Despite fighting hard the entire way through, when the final buzzer rang the Bears had fallen short 68-63.
“They’re a good basketball team,” head coach Susie Gardner said. “Obviously we’re very disappointed, but I’m proud, so proud of this team.”
The opening quarter saw Mercer and Georgia trade the lead several times. UGA asserted themselves in the paint, dominating the glass and getting easy looks inside.
Mercer hung around thanks to strong outside shooting, including two big 3-pointers from Keke Calloway. When the first quarter ended, Mercer found themselves in control of a 19-18 lead, despite UGA shooting 58 percent compared to Mercer’s 42.
The Bears started the second quarter strong, taking an early four point lead, their largest of the game. UGA responded with an 8-2 run to take a 30-28 lead midway through the quarter.
The Dawgs took a five point lead with just under a minute to go until halftime. It was Mercer who went into halftime with the momentum, after a senior guard Sydni Means hit a jump shot at the buzzer to cut UGA’s lead down to 34-31.
UGA dominated the opening minutes of the third period. The Dawgs went on an 11-3 run to start the quarter, extending their lead to 11 with 4:30 to go. Mercer had shot just 34 percent up to that point, and had not hit a 3-pointer since the first quarter.
The Bears and Dawgs exchanged runs down the stretch. Mercer cut the lead down to five with under three minutes to go, but UGA responded with a 6-0 run to go back up by 11.
The Bears were the ones who ended the quarter strong, cutting the UGA lead down to 52-48 after Kahlia Lawrence was fouled on a 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer and made all three free throws.
“We kept fighting,” Gardner said. “We could have just throw in the towel, but we fought back and played hard and gave ourselves a chance
The fourth quarter saw Mercer extend its run from the third quarter to 12-2 midway through the fourth, cutting the lead down to just one point with five minutes to play. However, UGA continued to dominate the interior, responding to each Mercer blow with an inside basket to maintain its lead.
Each time Mercer got within a basket of the Dawgs, the Bears were unable to get stops on the defensive end in order to tie the game. The final minute was highly contested, with upset-minded Mercer fighting hard until the buzzer read all zeros, but when the final buzzer rang the Bears had fallen short.
The Bears finish the season 30-3, concluding what will go down as a “remarkable season and one for the records books”, according to a Mercer Athletics press release.
“We made history this year, and it was very special,” senior guard Sydni Means said.
Saturday’s loss was the first in 113 days for the Mercer Bears. The game saw junior guard KeKe Calloway set a new SoCon single season record for 3-pointers with 99 in the process of setting the Mercer record for 3-pointers in a season. Lawrence finishes the season with 636 points, which places her eighth in single season points in program history.
“What we’ve done this year, a lot of teams haven't and probably will never do,” Lawrence said. “This doesn’t take away from anything my teammates, my coaching staff and the whole Mercer women’s basketball program has done this year.”
(03/15/18 5:59pm)
After an early exit from the SoCon tourney, the Bears were back in action Wednesday for opening round action in the 2018 College Basketball Invitational Tournament.
The first challenge of the tournament came in the form of the Antelopes of Grand Canyon University. As the lower ranked seed in the tournament, Mercer was forced to travel to Phoenix, AZ to face the Antelopes at their arena.
The Bears were plagued by two things in their SoCon tournament loss to Wofford, turnovers and poor shooting. Both of those things needed to be corrected if Mercer was going to keep its season alive.
Mercer corrected both, and also got a return from senior Ria’n Holland after missing every game since Jan. 18 due to a hand injury. Holland finished the game with 10 points in 20 minutes of action off the bench.
“It was fun to see Ria'n (Holland) get another opportunity,” head coach Bob Hoffman said. “He made some big plays for us and gave us one more ball handler which we needed in certain situations.”
The Bears started off the game hot, going up 16-9 after eight minutes of first half action. Just three minutes later, the Bears had taken a 24-15 lead and looked to have all the momentum after a slam dunk from Demetre Rivers.
The Antelopes responded with a quick 7-0 run and just like that the Mercer lead was cut down to two points as the first half began to draw to a close.
Back and forth action continued over the first half’s final minutes, and the halftime score saw Mercer clinging to a 36-33 lead. After shooting a season low field goal percentage in their last game, the Bears came out and shot 52 percent in the first 20 minutes.
After posting 0 points in the Bears’ last outing, sophomore guard Ross Cummings led the Bears with 12 points in the first half of the game. He finished with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including five 3-pointers.
The second half started off the opposite of the first half Mercer. Grand Canyon scored the first four points of the second half to take their first lead of the game in just over a minute into the half.
The Bears and Antelopes exchanged leads and ties over the next several minutes, before GCU went on a small run to take their largest lead of the game 59-53 midway through the final period.
This time it was Mercer who responded. The Bears went on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 61 with seven minutes to go. Tournament basketball at its best.
With 3:32 left, Mercer led by just two points and the shot clock was running down into single digits. Jordan Strawberry faked right several times, before pulling up for a deep 3-pointer and sank it.
The shot put the Bears up five, and was a true dagger into the heart of the Antelopes defensive efforts.
The final few minutes saw the teams trade baskets, but some clutch free throws from the Bears iced the game down the stretch. The Bears triumphed 78-73 over Grand Canyon who was 16-2 at home this season.
“They (GCU) were a great team; they were 16-2 at home and the environment was maybe as good as we've played in on the road,” Hoffman said. “The atmosphere was electric tonight and our guys stuck together and got it done."
Mercer out-shot and out-rebounded Grand Canyon. The Bears shot 51 percent from the field and pulled down 36 rebounds, compared to just 45 percent and 30 rebounds for the Antelopes.
“It was an amazing team effort.The guys were ready from the opening tip,” Hoffman said. “We had an edge all night and we found a way to make plays. They were playing for each other and I love how we competed.”
Senior guard Strawberry played the entire game and finished with 21 points and eight assists with just two turnovers. Senior Demetre Rivers also contributed 13 points and 9 rebounds.
The Bears advance to the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational, and will face the North Texas Mean Green March 19, time TBA.
(03/04/18 9:08pm)
Just under a year ago, the Bears lost a heartbreaker in the SoCon title game to Chattanooga. It was the second year in a row Mercer had come up just short.
“I remember all the emotions, the awful emotions, the angst of losing,” head coach Susie Gardner said.
Bears guard Sydni Means said last year’s championship loss against Chattanooga hurt.
“We had a mission,” the senior point guard said.
Well this year, mission accomplished.
For the first time in school history, the Mercer Bears are SoCon Tournament Champions, besting East Tennessee State 68-53 to take home the crown.
The game’s opening minutes boded well for the Bears, leading 13-8 with 3:30 remaining in the first quarter. Then, ETSU responded with an 8-1 run, to take a 14-13 lead.
It was the first time the Bears trailed in this year’s tournament-- even if it was for just 10 seconds. And at the end of the first period, the game was knotted at 14.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy; they’re a good team,” senior Kahlia Lawrence said. “We just had to keep playing Mercer basketball.”
The Bears dominated the second period, outscoring the Bucs 19-9. Mercer limited them to just 4-of-13 2-point shooting and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc.
“It was critical to go into halftime with momentum, “ Gardner said. “We did a much better job of not relaxing...we were able to finish strong.”
The third quarter also belonged to the Bears, or more specifically, to SoCon Player of the Year Kahlia Lawrence.
The senior guard scored 9 of her team’s 21 points, including 4-of-5 from the free throw line, to lift the Bears to a 13 point lead as the game headed into its final 10 minutes.
The fourth quarter was mostly a back-and-forth affair. Each time the Bucs were able to cut into the Bears lead, Mercer responded.
As the game began to wind down, Mercer found themselves in familiar territory. They held late leads in both of the last two year’s SoCon title games.
This year was different. This year the Bears finished what they started.
And when the final buzzer rang, the emotions set in for the Bears. They had just won the SoCon title and clinched a birth to the NCAA Tournament. Both these accomplishments are firsts for the program.
“I can’t even describe to you all the feelings I was feeling at one time”, Lawrence said.
Lawrence finished the game with 29 points to end the tournament averaging 25 points a game. The senior guard also leaves the tournament with some serious accolades, including First Team All Tournament and the Most Outstanding Player award.
Mercer’s Keke Calloway, who scored 11 points, also finished on the tournament first team, with Means and forward Amanda Thompson earning second team honors.
In just one week’s time, the Bears will discover who they will face in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. You can tune into TBS at 6 pm (ET) to find out for yourself.
“We will approach the NCAA Tournament the same we always do,” Gardner said.
It’s worked pretty well so far. The Bears are 30-2, and riding a 27 game win streak as they enter the “Big Dance”, the NCAA Tournament.
(03/04/18 12:20am)
One of the hardest things to do in all of sports is to beat the same team three times in one season. The Bears found that out the hard way on Saturday afternoon.
Mercer’s SoCon championship hopes came to a halt in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, falling to the fifth seed Wofford Terriers 73-53.
“We got our tails whipped,” head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We weren’t ready like I had hoped we’d be.”
The Bears fell behind early, trailing 19-7 midway through the opening half.
“When you put yourself in a hole like that, it’s really hard,” senior guard Jordan Strawberry said. “We tried to fight our best, but it’s pretty tough when you put yourself in that position.”
At the 5:42 mark, Mercer had shot the ball just 4-of-15 from the floor and trailed 27-12 as the first half came to a close. The Terriers, on the other hand, could not seem to miss and forced Mercer into a first half season-high 13 turnovers.
“They played really good defense, and they got into us pretty good,” Hoffman said. “We didn't respond like you have to in those kinda situations.”
The Terriers were the aggressors in the first half, besting Mercer in categories such as points in the paint, forced turnovers and points off turnovers.
When the first half buzzer finally rang, the Bears trailed 37-21. Mercer would need a near perfect second half to advance into Sunday’s semi-final game with top-seeded UNCG.
The Bears played better in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. Mercer fell behind by 20 in the early moments of the second half but kept fighting to stay in the game.
Each time Mercer found a way to cut the game to single digits in the second half, it was Wofford who would snatch the momentum right back from the Bears.
“You’re playing so hard to come back, then they come down and hit a big three,” Strawberry said. “It’s tough.”
Mercer cut the Terriers lead down to 53-43 with 11:34 to play, as the crowd was hungry for a miracle. Over the next four minutes, Mercer would go 0-of-5 from the floor, allowing the Terriers to stretch their lead back out to 17.
Mercer continued to fight, cutting the lead down to 12 several times before the game’s final buzzer rang. But in the end, the early gap was just too much for the Bears to overcome.
Mercer finished the game shooting just 38 percent, their worst outing since Jan. 18 against VMI, while allowing Wofford to shoot 49 percent, the highest number an offense has posted against Mercer since Furman, Feb. 1.
Three of Mercer’s four seniors combined for 45 of the Bears 53 total points. Senior guard Strawberry posted 18 points to lead the team, with Stephon Jelks posting 16 and Desmond Ringer contributing 11.
After averaging nearly 17 points over the last 10 games, guard Ross Cummings finished with zero points. The sophomore went 0-of-6 from the floor in 35 minutes of action, posting his lowest scoring output since Jan. 18 against VMI when he played just three minutes.
Cummings wasn’t the only Bears player who struggled, with senior Demetre Rivers and junior Cory Kilby combining to go 2-of-7 for just eight total points.
Mercer currently sits at 18-14 with the possibility of playing in a postseason tournament in the coming weeks. The Bears have competed in postseason action in five of the last six seasons after posting similar records to end the year.
(03/02/18 10:19pm)
For the second game in a row, Mercer led from start to finish, won by more than 30 points, and again, Mercer’s Kahlia Lawrence scored 23 points.
Most importantly, Mercer women’s basketball is heading to the SoCon Championship game, after blowing out No. 5 seeded Samford, 81-44.
Mercer’s defense put the clamps down on the Samford offense early, holding them to 0-of-9 from the field through the first five minutes. The Bears led 11-0 with 5:15 to play.
The Bears stretched their lead out to 18-0 before the Bulldogs finally scored with 2:50 left in the opening quarter to make it 18-2.
At the end of the first, Mercer led 22-4 riding 10 early points from Kahlia Lawrence. The Bears didn’t let up in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs again to go into halftime up 40-20.
“Once we got the first quarter lead, and then the halftime lead, we talked about winning every quarter, “ head coach Gardner said, who is now 11-0 versus Samford since taking the helm for the Bears. “I was really proud that we won every quarter, and continued our focus.”
The third quarter was more of the same, with Mercer besting Samford 16-10, and rolling into the fourth quarter up 56-30. The final quarter saw Mercer rest their starters, and give the reserve players some well-earned time in the game’s final moments.
Lawrence said the starters “get really excited” when the younger players get a chance to get into the game.
“[We are] probably more excited than they are when we’re in the game,” Lawrence said.
The Bears’ reserves stepped right in and played well, outscoring the Bulldogs 25-14 over the game’s final 10 minutes. When the buzzer rang, it was the Bears on top 81-44.
Mercer finished the game shooting 59 percent, the team’s highest shooting percentage of the season, while holding Samford to just 33 percent from the floor. Mercer led in nearly every statistical category.
Mercer has earned one day of rest and practice time before the action starts back again.
The SoCon Championship game is set for Sunday at noon. The Bears will face the winner of No. 2 seed East Tennessee and No. 6 seed UNCG. The Bears got the best of both squads earlier this season, beating ETSU 85-65 at home and 63-48 on the road, while topping UNCG 80-57 in Hawkins Arena and most recently 57-54 in Greensboro.
This is familiar territory for the Bears as Sunday will mark their third consecutive year playing for the SoCon’s most coveted prize. They’ve yet to take home the crown.
“It’s not fun to lose”, Lawrence said. “We worked really hard from last year to get back to this point...we have to keep our focus going into Sunday, we can’t relinquish it.”
(03/01/18 11:16pm)
The Mercer Women’s basketball team kicked off the 2018 SoCon Tournament with a 75-44 trouncing of No. 8 seed Western Carolina, tying a SoCon record in the process. The Bears won their 25th consecutive game, which tied Chattanooga for the most consecutive wins in conference history.
The Bears started the game hot from the floor, and finished it that way. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead early, the Bears never looked back, leading from start to finish.
This is a Western Carolina ball club who took these same Bears deep into the fourth quarter just two weeks prior, with Mercer edging out a seven point victory at home. The Catamounts have given several of the conference’s top teams a run for their money on multiple occasions.
Junior guard Keke Calloway got the game started off on the right foot for the Bears, hitting two 3-pointers in the opening minutes of action, as the Bears led 10-4. At the end of the first quarter, Mercer had stretched its lead to 20-11.
The second period was a slow one for both teams, with the Bears outscoring the Catamounts 13-7 to stretch their lead to 33-18 going into halftime. Despite being up 15 points, the Bears showed no signs of being satisfied.
The Bears dominated the third quarter of play, outscoring the Catamounts 22-11. Mercer rolled into the final period of action leading by 26 points, allowing some of its key players to get some rest in preparation for the next round.
Three-time SoCon Player of the Year and Mercer senior guard Kahlia Lawrence lived up to the award, scoring 23 points on an efficient 11-of-17 from the floor. She was one of the players that Mercer was able to relieve in the fourth quarter, allowing the team’s leading scorer to get some well-deserved rest.
The Bears not only started the game strong, but they finished it strong, winning the final quarter by a 20-15 margin. When the final buzzer rang, it was the Bears in command of a 31 point victory.
As a team, the Bears shot the ball 44 percent from the floor. The story of the night was the Bears defense, who held the Catamounts to just 16-of-42 shooting, including just 5-of-17 from beyond the arc. Mercer forced Western Carolina into 24 turnovers and converted them into 28 points, while commiting just two themselves.
Calloway contributed 18 points, including three 3-pointers. After dishing out seven assists on Thursday, Bears point guard Sydni Means moved into second place all-time for assists in SoCon history.
The Bears move on to the Tournament Semifinals, and will face No. 5 seed Samford Friday morning at 11am (ET). The Bears bested Samford twice this year, with the most recent matchup being the Bears closest game of the season, 48-45. The Bulldogs will be ready to give the Bears their best shot, looking to avoid a 3-0 sweep on the year.
The game will air live on WatchESPN (ESPN3), or you can tune in live to Mercer Sports Radio Network for live radio coverage from Mercer’s own Rick Cameron!
(02/25/18 10:59pm)
Wofford guard Trevor Stumpe pulled up for the jump shot with 15 seconds to go and drilled it, sinking the hearts of the Mercer faithful. Coach Hoffman called a timeout, attempting to draw up the perfect play to guide his team to victory.
“We actually changed the play right before we threw the ball in,” Hoffman explained after the game. “We put that play in about a week ago.”
The play was indeed perfect, as Bears guard Jordan Strawberry found himself wide open at the basket and laid in a dagger-like layup to lift the Bears to a 69-68 victory for their first win in Spartanburg, S.C. since joining the SoCon in 2014.
The senior guard finished the game with 21 points to lead all scorers, and also contributed six rebounds and six assists.
Trailing Strawberry’s 21 points was fellow senior Stephon Jelks with 12, as well as seniors Desmond Ringer and Demetre Rivers with 10 points a piece.
The game started off slow for both squads, as Mercer and Wofford were unable to find their rhythms offensively. Mercer went on an 8-0 run late in the first half to secure a 32-25 lead, but Wofford responded with a 5-0 run of their own to cut the Bears lead to 32-30 going into halftime.
The second half started off with the Terriers making a run of their own, outscoring Mercer 15-6 through the opening five minutes to take a 45-38 lead, their largest of the game. This time it was Mercer’s turn to respond, and they did just that.
Mercer stretched out a 12-2 run to take a 50-47 lead with 11 minutes to go, mostly off of nine Jordan Strawberry points early in the second half.
From then on out, the game would go back-and-forth with the two teams swapping momentum at every turn. Despite Mercer leading for nearly 65 percent of the game, the Bears were never able to put the gritty Terriers away on their home floor.
The final minute saw both teams consuming each second of their allotted shot clock. After a Desmond Ringer miss gave the Terriers the ball back with under 30 seconds to go, Wofford called a timeout to try and draw up the winning play. The rest is history.
The Bears finished the game shooting an even 50 percent from the floor, and hitting seven shots from beyond the arc. The Bears hit 14-of-15 free throw attempts compared to just 6-of-9 for the Terriers, providing Mercer with an important cushion throughout the afternoon.
Mercer finishes the season on an eight game win streak, improving their record to 18-13 and 11-7 in the SoCon. The Bears have secured the #4 seed in the SoCon tournament next weekend, and will face a familiar opponent in the quarterfinals matchup.
Yes, that’s right; the Bears and Terriers are now locked in for a matchup in just under one week’s time in the quarterfinals of the SoCon tournament. The Bears swept the season series over the Terriers, but in the SoCon tournament, anything can happen.
“This team just believes in each other and they have consistently maintained their hope even though we might have been struggling during the early part of the conference season,” Hoffman said. “I'm just thankful that these guys are able to experience this now. Our guys are believing at a high level right now.”
The SoCon tournament kicks off on Mar. 2 at 5 p.m. (ET) from Asheville, N.C, but the Mercer Bears will not play until Saturday Mar. 3 at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The games will air live on ESPN3, and as always, you can tune into Mercer Sports Radio Network for live radio coverage.
(02/24/18 6:18pm)
For the third game in a row, it was the Mercer Bears’ offense that guided them to victory, at least in the second half.
The two teams combined to shoot just 2-of-13 in the opening four minutes, with the Citadel clinging to a 4-2 lead. The next three minutes belonged to the Bears, with a 10-2 run to take a 12-6 lead with 13:40 left in the first half.
The Citadel Bulldogs continued to hang around, even taking a 19-18 lead with 9:50 to go, their first lead since the 15:50 mark.
Each time one team would gain a hint of momentum, the other would squash on the opposite end of the floor. Despite leading for 12 of the first half’s 20 minutes, when the halftime buzzer sounded, the Bears were holding on to just a one point lead.
The second half was a different story for the Mercer offense. After a slow first two minutes, the Bears offense caught fire with 17:30 to play, igniting a two minute 10-0 run to gain their largest lead of the game, 46-37. The run forced a Bulldogs timeout, as the Bears looked to be in full control.
For the remaining 15 minutes of action, Mercer was challenged with what is likely one of the tougher tasks in college basketball, maintain a lead on the road. The Bears were up to the task.
With 12:40 to play, Demetre Rivers, playing in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina., knocked down a 3-pointer to put Mercer back ahead by double digits. This was followed up by a Jaylen Stowe layup that put Mercer ahead by 12, their largest lead of the game.
The Citadel wasn’t going to go away easy. As he had done all night, Bulldogs guard Matt Frierson knocked down a 3-pointer, one of his five of the night, and got fouled on the shot, cutting the Mercer lead to just eight with 9:30 left to play.
The action would go back-and-forth over the next three minutes, before Mercer guard Ross Cummings knocked down a deep 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to put the Bears in front by 12 with five minutes to go.
Mercer iced the game late with some clutch free throws, and when all was said and done, the Bears had come out on top 83-70.
Mercer shot the ball at a 60 percent in the second half, nearly 20 percent better than their first half numbers. The Bears were led in scoring by Demetre Rivers with 22 points, who also contributed five rebounds. Jordan Strawberry had another strong performance for the Bears, with 17 points and nine assists.
“Demetre [Rivers] came up big tonight, and Jordan (Strawberry) was such a key,” Coach Hoffman said after the Bears’ win. “We kept competing every possession and that’s what you have continue to do when you are on a run like we are on now.”
The win gives the Bears their seventh consecutive victory, and improves their record to 17-13 on the season and 10-7 in the SoCon. For the Bulldogs, they drop to 10-19 on the season and 5-12 in the SoCon.
Mercer will conclude its regular season this Sunday, traveling to Spartanburg, South Carolina for a match up with the Wofford Terriers. The Bears and Terriers are currently sitting in fourth and fifth place in the SoCon, and are likely heading for a second-round matchup in the SoCon tournament. The Bears got the best of the Terriers Feb. 3 in Macon. The win would be the beginning of Mercer’s current seven game winning streak.
The game is set for tip-off at 2 p.m. (ET), and will air live on ESPN3. You can also catch the game on the Mercer Sports Radio Network, or follow along with live stats at MercerBears.com.
(02/21/18 12:00pm)
For Mercer basketball’s six player senior class, tonight was a bittersweet moment as they played in their final home game as Bears. What better way to go out than by leading their team to victory in front of a packed house in Hawkins Arena?
After the game, each of the seniors echoed the message of senior forward Stephon Jelks, who said, “I’m gonna miss the fans. The best thing I’m gonna miss about Hawkins Arena is just the fan interaction.”
Four of the six seniors played in tonight’s game, with Ria’n Holland and Rashad Lewis not playing due to injury. Despite being just four of the ten players that got action for Mercer, Demetre Rivers, Desmond Ringer, Jordan Strawberry and Stephon Jelks combined for 49 of Mercer’s 81 points, pulled down 19 of the team’s 30 rebounds, dished out 13 of the team’s 19 assists, and all were perfect from the free throw line.
After the game, Coach Hoffman called the seniors’ last game emotional for him. He also expressed his hopes that his players get an opportunity to play more games this season, potentially referencing their final game of the season Friday against The Citadel, and the SoCon tournament that takes place from March 1 to March 5.
Tuesday night’s showdown was quite the up-and-down affair. Both teams were shooting the lights out early, with each shooting above 60 percent through the opening five minutes. It was Demetre Rivers who led the Bears early and often, scoring 10 of Mercer’s first 12 points. After knocking down three free throws late in the first half, Rivers joined the Mercer 1,000 point club for his career. The senior forward finished the game with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and pulled down six rebounds.
“I'm so happy for him; he's an amazing guy,” Hoffman said about the senior forward after the game. “He works hard every day, and I'm excited that he's joined the 1,000-point club. This might be one of his best performances.”
Fellow senior Desmond Ringer also played an impressive game. The senior forward shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds for the night.
Mercer needed these strong performances in a gritty game like Tuesday’s. The Bears trailed 28-27 with 4:42 remaining in the first half before Mercer, led by Rivers, stretched out a 10-0 run to take a nine point lead, 37-28. At halftime, one thing that stood out was how well both teams had sustained their impressive shooting numbers, with Mercer shooting it at a 57 percent and the Catamounts shooting similarly well at an even 50 percent. The halftime score showed Mercer in front 42-33.
The second half box score only shows Mercer out-scoring Western Carolina by nine points. However, after scoring a basket just 13 seconds into the second half, Mercer never led by less than double-digits. The Bears were in full control the rest of the way through.
The closest the Catamounts got after Mercer went up by 13 points within the first minute of the second half was 67-55 with 7:36 to play. Mercer then responded with a 10-2 run to go up by 20, securing it’s largest lead of the evening with 4:05 left.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with Mercer securing another impressive victory in the end. The final score was 81-64, sending the team’s seniors a proper farewell from Hawkins Arena.
“We were fortunate to find a way to win tonight against a very well-coached team,” Hoffman said after the game.
He went on to explain that he believes his team is trending in the right direction, and how important he believes momentum is this late in the season.
“Where we were a few weeks ago, a lot of senior teams would have checked it in,” Hoffman said about his team’s losing streak in early January. “But we had hope and I credit our seniors for keeping that hope alive.”
Outside of the seniors, Ross Cummings made strong contributions to the victory, scoring 19 points on 5-of-10 from the field in 33 minutes of action. It’s the eight consecutive game of double-figure scoring numbers for the sophomore guard as he continues to light up the stat sheet.
Mercer’s record improves to 16-13 on the season, surpassing last season’s total victory mark with several games still left to be played. The Bears also improve to 9-7 in SoCon. For Western Carolina, they fall to 12-17 on the season and 7-9 in the SoCon.
The Bears have now stretched their winning streak to six games as they continue to play well in the final games of the regular season. There is still one more game to be played for Mercer, a road battle in Charleston, S.C. with The Citadel.
The final game of the Bears regular season will be this Friday, with tip-off set for 6 p.m. (ET). The game will air live on ESPN3 for all those not traveling to Charleston to see the game live. The Bulldogs are fresh off a stunning road upset victory over SoCon-leading ETSU on Tuesday evening, and will be riding a fresh wave of momentum heading into the matchup.
“There’s still some great things that can happen for this team,” Hoffman said about his team’s outlook moving forward. “It’s definitely not over yet.”
(02/18/18 2:23am)
“Jordan Strawberry had the best game of his Mercer career tonight,” Coach Hoffman said about the play of his senior guard. “He’s had a lot of great games, but tonight was really special.”
Strawberry scored 27 points, his highest total of the season, and went 11-of-11 from the free throw line, including some absolutely HUGE makes late in the game. In a back-and-forth competition , it was Mercer who found a way to win 77-74.
The game wasn’t always close. The Bears were the aggressor early on, going up 25-9 through the game’s first 12 minutes. However, in what was a first half of runs, it was the Spartans who finished the half strong, outscoring Mercer 20-6 over the final eight minutes to go into the half down just one point, 31-30.
After the game, Hoffman commented on how he handled the rollercoaster that was the first half, and how he kept his team steady through that.
“We just kept talking what we’ve been talking about this whole time, competing,” he said. Compete every possession, no matter if you have a bad one or if you have a good one. Try not to get too high or too low, which was hard tonight, but we had multiple guys make plays for us.”
The second half was a back-and-forth showdown, with both squads taking each other’s best shot. The final 20 minutes started great for University of North Carolina Greensboro, who took their first lead of the ball game a mere 13 seconds into the half.
The game went back and forth through the opening minutes before the Spartans opened up a 49-40 lead with 13:45 to play after a quick 7-0 run. Despite the Spartans silencing the crowd, and Mercer lacking momentum, the Bears didn’t back down. The Bears hung tight, knowing all they needed was a few plays to change the course of the game.
It didn’t take long for that big play to come. With 13 minutes left and the shot clock nearing zero, Ross Cummings launched a DEEP three pointer that looked like nothing more than a prayer. That prayer was answered. The shot connected and Mercer cut the lead down to six, and the crowd at Hawking Arena was back into the game.
“The energy in the building was just amazing,” senior guard Strawberry said. “I think the fans were in it every play in that second half that we made a big play. You could hear the crowd every play. I think we just feed off them and they feed off us. I think it was a great, great crowd today and a great win.”
After several minutes of trading baskets, Strawberry made a play that would change the course of the game. With 7:20 to go, Mercer turned the ball over and UNCG got out on a fastbreak that looked like an easy layup.
Strawberry had other ideas. The senior guard ran the play down, swatted away a Spartan’s dunk, got the rebound, went the length of the court and finished it off a fouled layup that took him to the line. The crowd absolutely ERUPTED, and the Bears had cut the lead down to just one point.
“That block was a big momentum play, and then getting the and-one was even bigger,” Strawberry said after the game.
In what felt like deja vu of earlier in the half, the shot clock was winding down, and the Bears offensive possession looked hopeless. Ross Cummings got the ball, pulled up for a three, and once again, connected. The Bears had taken the lead for the first time in 13 minutes.
Cummings wasn’t done. Just two minutes later, Cummings connected again from three, and the Bears had stretched their lead out to four. The crowd was with them, and Mercer had completely taken the momentum.
“It was one of the better big momentum wins that we’ve had in a while in this building,” Hoffman said about the win. “We had an amazing crowd and our guys fed off that. We got tired, they got tired, and we were able to find a way to finish. That energy helps you make those play, and just kept going the right way. It was truly a blessing to watch, and fun to see our seniors enjoy succes tonight.”
Strawberry led the way for Mercer, scoring 27 points and dishing out five assists. Ross Cummings scored 23 points, 12 of which came from beyond the arc.
The win is the fifth straight for Mercer.
“We’re peeking at the right time,” Strawberry said post game. “This is when everybody wants to be peeking in February and March. I think we’re doing a really good job right now.”
Hoffman said he believes that to see the team continue to succeed they have to continue to be humble but stay hungry.
“We got lots of things still in front of us. This was a great win for us, no doubt about it, but there’s other things we still wanna do as a program and a team for this season. They’re all in front of us.”
The Bears improve to 15-13 on the season, and move to 8-7 in SoCon play. The loss drops the Spartans to 21-7 on the season, and 12-3 in the SoCon.
The action continues at Hawkins Arena on Tuesday when the Bears host the Catamounts of Western Carolina. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (ET), and will air live on ESPN3. The Catamounts come in on the wrong side of a three game skid, and will be looking to get back on track.
The last time these two squads met, it was the Catamounts who edged out a two point victory over the Bears. Mercer looks to reverse that trend.
(02/17/18 6:44pm)
"I love winning like this,” coach Hoffman said after Thursday’s game.
For this first time since January 13, the Bears put together a truly dominate performance on both ends of the floor en route to an 82-58 blowout victory over the Virginia Military Institute Keydets.
Mercer opened the game up firing on all cylinders. With 15:30 to go, Ross Cummings knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Bears a 10-2 lead. It was his first of four three-pointers for the game, and the first of 12 from beyond the arc for the Bears.
“We got off to a quick start and that helps you from the very beginning”, coach Hoffman said regarding the team’s strong opening to the game.
The Bears weren’t done, by any means.
Mercer up a 23-7 lead after another 3-pointer from the ever improving Cummins. He has been huge for the Bears, a team ailed by injuries to leading scorer Ria’n Holland and role player Ethan Stair.
Over the past six games, Cummings has played upwards of 25 minutes per game and averaged 17.1 points per outing, which leads the team over that stretch. Over that same stretch, the sophomore guard has been a laser from the three-point line shooting it an astounding 47-percent clip.
While Mercer’s offense did shoot the ball very well, it was the defense that stole the show. Mercer’s defense held VMI to just 34.6 percent shooting in the first half, including 18.2 percent from the three-point line. The Bears also outrebounded the Keydets 22-11, while forcing six turnovers. The Bears led the entire first half, by as much as 20 at one point, before taking an 18 point lead into halftime.
The second half was only more of the same for Mercer. Ross Cummings opened the final 20 minutes with back-to-back buckets from beyond the arc, extending Mercer’s lead to 24 with 18:37 to play.
It would be wrong not to mention the “special”, in the words of Coach Hoffman, performance of Demetre Rivers for the Bears tonight. The senior forward was as efficient against the Keydets as he had been all year. Rivers shot 7-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-4 from the three-point line. He accounted for 21 points and grabbed four rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
The Bears grabbed their largest lead of the game with 9:33 to go when the Demetre Rivers knocked down a pair of free-throws to extend the Mercer lead to 31 points. The Keydets cut the lead to 22 with 4:55 to go, but the Bears showed no signs of letting up. Even then, it was too little too late for VMI.
When the final buzzer rang, Mercer had secured a resounding 82-58 victory, having never trailed during all 40 minutes of action. Coach Hoffman talked about the importance of the Mercer’s fast start after the game:
“We got off to a quick start and that helps you from the very beginning,” coach Hoffman explained after the game. “It was good to see how we were able to finish this thing off.”
Overall, it was a well-rounded team effort for the Bears, with 11 players getting at least five minutes of game action. As previously stated, senior Demetre Rivers notched 21 points and grabbed four rebounds in his 32 minutes of action. Ross Cummings also contributed 13 points, including four 3-pointers. Jordan Strawberry had another well-rounded stat sheet with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Thursday’s game is the fourth consecutive victory for Mercer, and it could not be happening at a better time. The win moves the Bears record into a winning one for the season at 14-13, and evens their SoCon record at 7-7. For VMI, the loss drops them to 7-18 on the season and 2-12 in the SoCon respectively.
The Bears are back in action on Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. (ET) tip-off, as they welcome the UNC-Greensboro Spartans to Hawkins Arena. The Spartans sit at 21-6 on the season, and are fresh off back-to-back thrasings of The Citadel and SoCon leading ETSU. Earlier this season, the Bears fell just four points short in Greensboro, as the Spartans outlasted the Bears in the end.
(02/14/18 12:00pm)
The Bears are heating up, and it could not be happening at a better time.
“We've come a long way over the past week or so,” Head Coach Bob Hoffman said after the game. “We just need to keep doing the little things that can help us maintain this momentum that we've created.”
The Bears led nearly the entire first half against a gritty Samford team. After taking an early lead in the first half, Mercer looked in control up until about the seven minute mark, when Samford went on a 7-0 run to even the score at 22 a piece.
In his second game back from injury, junior forward Ryan Johnson made a layup with four seconds left to send the Bears into halftime up six points at a score of 34-28.
It was the Bulldogs who came out firing in the second half, making a 8-0 run over the first two and a half minutes to take their first lead of the game, 36-34. This time, it was the Bears who battled back, reeling off nine straight points to take their largest lead of the game, 43-36.
As the second half went on, it was a battle of the guards. Samford guards Triston Chambers and Josh Sharkey combined for 20 points in the second half, including 14-of-14 from the charity stripe. Mercer’s guards one-upped them, combining for 24 points while each played all but one minute of the game’s final 20 minutes.
However, according to his coach, Jordan Strawberry was the true standout of the night.
"Jordan [Strawberry] was just amazing,” Coach Hoffman said. “He is playing with such intensity, and that off balance shot he hit at the end was something else. Their guards are extremely quick and we did all we could to keep them off balance. We needed Jordan for the entire game tonight.”
After dishing out seven more assists on Monday night, Strawberry passed James Florence to move into the No. 3 spot on the school's all-time assists list with 443.
Strawberry was huge down the stretch as he has been each game, and his team was as clutch as they have been this season. The Bears hit 15-of-17 free throws in the second half, seemingly icing the game down the stretch.
After a defensive showdown that saw both teams struggling to make shots, Mercer was able to edge the game out. The final score in the end was 74-69 as the Bears found a way to take the win.
It was a great defensive showing for Mercer, giving up just 69 points to a Samford team that exploded for 116 points just two days prior in a victory versus The Citadel. Coach Hoffman credited his team for their defensive intensity after the game.
“They [Samford] scored 116 points the other night and to hold them to 69 points is a real credit to our assistant coaches and players. We hit some big free throws down the stretch. We made the plays we needed to in order to win a big game on the road.”
The Bears were led in scoring by Ross Cummings with 21 points, who also grabbed four rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Jordan Strawberry stuffed the stat sheet, putting up 18 points, dishing out seven assists and pulling down six rebounds.
After dropping four consecutive SoCon games over a two-week stretch, the Bears have recovered off three victories in a row. The streak has gotten the Bears back into the hunt for a top SoCon tournament seed, and brought their overall season record to 13-13 and SoCon record to 6-7. The loss drops the Bulldogs to 9-19 on the season, and 5-10 in the SoCon respectively.
After a short stunt on the road, the Bears will open up a three-game SoCon home stand on Thursday night against the Keydets of Virginia Military Institute. The Bears fought until the very end to knock off the Keydets in their house, winning 62-56 in the Bears lowest scoring victory to date.
The game is set for tip-off at 7 p.m. (ET).
(02/04/18 1:26am)
Ross Cummings came into Saturday’s matchup averaging just eight minutes per contest for a struggling Mercer team. The sophomore guard’s role has been that of a catch-and-shoot marksman, coming in when the team needs a basket. That all changed on Saturday.
Cummings went berserk, scoring 22 points and landing six 3-pointers. It didn’t matter how good of defense Wofford was playing, Cummings was knocking them down.
“I was just playing my game,” the sophomore guard explained after the game. “It felt good to hit some shots and help my team win.”
Mercer got the victory over Wofford on Saturday in a huge 73-65 outcome. The win ends a four game losing streak for the Bears.
The game didn’t start off too well for the Bears, going down 21-9 after a six minute, 16-0 Wofford. Mercer had gone scoreless for six minutes, and the mood in Hawkins Arena was anything but excited.
Mercer fought back and held Wofford to just five points over the final 10 minutes to go into half time down just two points, 26-24.
“We were battling man, and playing great team defense,” coach Hoffman said. “The ability to grind that out and get it back workable was huge.”
The second half was a completely different story for Mercer. After shooting the ball just 32 percent in the first half, and connecting on just 3-14 from beyond the arc, the Bears seemingly could not miss in the second half.
Ross Cummings hit two huge 3-pointers early on to give the Bears a 39-36 lead. Mercer hit four 3-pointers in the first six minutes, surpassing the three the team hit in the first half.
“We had open looks in the first half, but they just rattled in out like in several game for us,” Hoffman commented after the game. “You just gotta keep trusting, and I told them to keeping shooting man. Keep believing.”
As the second half went on, there was an 11 minute stretch from 14:30 to 3:30 where the game was within three points, with both teams unable to pull away.
With 3:20 to go, senior Demetre Rivers knocked down a 3-pointer and the Bears had stretched their lead to five. Hawkins Arena was roaring.
“The crowd was great, they’ve been great,” coach Hoffman said post game. “I was trying to encourage them to help us a little bit. I hadn’t done that in a while. We had not been in the position that our guys put us in today in awhile, and I’m just very grateful and thankful for everybody that was here today.”
Wofford responded with a quick three pointer to cut the Bears lead back down to three with two minutes to go. However, Ross Cummings off a screen pulled up for a 3-pointer and landed it, sealing the deal for Mercer.
The Bears shot the lights out in the second half, knocking down 16 of its 26 shots, and 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. A complete 180 degree reversal from the first half.
Ross Cummings finished the game with 22 points on 8-10 shooting including six 3-pointers. The guard also contributed 5 rebounds and 2 steals. Senior forward Desmond Ringer was efficient all night, putting up 16 points on 7-11 shooting.
Mercer improves to 11-13 on the season and 4-7 in SoCon play, while the loss drops Wofford to 16-8 and 7-4, respectively. The win was much needed for the Bears, as they stay tied with The Citadel and Samford for fifth place in the Southern Conference.
The Bears will get some much needed rest this week, before traveling to Chattanooga, T.N. for a matchup with the Mocs of Chattanooga on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The Bears got the best of the Mocs earlier this season, inching out a 75-71 victory at Hawkins Arena.
“I’m thankful for the win cause you know how fragile everything is in college basketball,” Hoffman said after the victory. “Every moment you gotta fight with all you got. We’re gonna be real excited about this, but we gotta go back to work and be ready for a really good Chattanooga team and Samford team on the road.”
(02/02/18 11:59pm)
The Furman Paladins (16-7, 7-3) rolled into Thursday’s matchup with Mercer averaging ten 3-pointers per game, good for third in the SoCon, and first in 3-point defense, sitting them atop of the SoCon standings.
Thursday, the Paladins unloaded a barrage of 15 three pointers on 50 percent shooting while holding the Bears to just 5-26 from beyond the arc, easily the team’s worst mark this season.
“They were hitting a lot of threes,” said Mercer coach Hoffman. “They were able to get all the plays they needed. The whole deal on guarding them is if you go for shot fakes, you’re in trouble. You’ve got to be disciplined because when you go for shot fakes and they lift you, they get into the lane, you get into rotations, they’re gonna kick out and hit open threes. That’s why there were 15-30 tonight from three.”
Both teams were hot right out of the game. Bears sophomore guard Ross Cummings, making his first career start in place of injured guard Ethan Stair, knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers to score nine of Mercer’s first 13 points. After scoring nine points in the opening six minutes, Cummings would connect on just one more shot attempt, slowing down as the game went on.
“He got tired...We couldn’t get him out because there was no fouls, nothing to get any subs out,” coach Hoffman said after the game. “Maybe I could have called a timeout a little earlier and subbed him out, but you don't want to use your timeouts that early, especially when the game was back and forth right during that time.”
With 14:09 to go in the first half, Furman guard and reigning SoCon Player of the Year Devin Sibley connected on a three pointer to give Furman a one point lead. The Paladins never looked back.
Furman stretched out its lead to nine with 7:48 left in the second half, but Mercer responded with an 8-0 run to cut the Paladins’ lead back down to one. Down the stretch, the Bears went cold, going scoreless over the final two minutes, allowing Furman to take a six point lead into half-time.
Furman lead for 15:27 of the first half, but the stat sheet would have argued otherwise. Mercer led in nearly every statistical category, except shooting. That made the difference in the end.
The Bears and Paladins battled in the second half, before Furman went on an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 16 with seven minutes to play. Mercer responded with a run of its own, going 7-0 to cut Furman’s lead back to nine with four minutes to play. Ultimately, it was too little too late for the Bears.
With 2:05 left, Mercer was down 10 and had the ball. Freshman guard Marcus Cohen drove and drew a foul, with the opportunity to cut the lead to under nine for the first time since the 9:15 mark in the second half. Cohen missed both free-throws, dealing a gut punch to a robust Hawkins Arena crowd.
The Bears fought hard, but came up short in the end, losing at home for the second consecutive game. The final score was 85-73.
Mercer was led in scoring by senior guard Jordan Strawberry, scoring 18 points along with five rebounds and six assists. Sophomore guard Ross Cummings scored 15 in his first start, with forward Jaylen Stowe coming up just short of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
2017 SoCon Player of the Year Devin Sibley was the guy for the Paladins, scoring 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with 5 rebounds. Sibley is the active scoring leading in the SoCon, and he showed why on Thursday.
The loss drops Mercer to 10-13 overall and 3-7 in SoCon action, while Furman improves to 16-7 and 7-3, respectively.
Mercer returns to action on Saturday, welcoming the Wofford Terriers (16-7, 7-3) to Hawkins Arena. The Terriers, the best 3-point shooting team in the SoCon, are coming off a heartbreaking loss to The Citadel, and will be looking to get back on track.
“They’re gonna come in all guns blazing,” coach Hoffman commented looking ahead to Saturday’s game. “Wofford’s gonna be ready to play and have everything in their arsenal, starting with Fletcher McGee and all the other guys that make plays. They execute at a high, high level...We'll have to be discipled, it’ll a little bit different. We’ll have to be really smart in who we are guarding, what their strengths are, and try to take away a few of those things Saturday.”
(01/28/18 2:28am)
With 18:15 left in the second half, Mercer opened up a 10 point lead, its largest lead of the game. The Bears looked well on their way to a home win over SoCon rival The Citadel.
The Bulldogs had other plans. Over the next seven minutes, they locked the Bears down. Mercer went scoreless for six minutes, leading to a 20-0 Bulldogs run to put them up 50-40 with 12 minutes to play. At the under eight minutes media timeout, The Citadel had stretched its lead to 16 over the course of a 31-5 run.
Mercer fought hard, never giving in, but ran out of time late in a 76-74 loss to the Bulldogs. The loss drops Mercer to 10-12 on the season, and 3-6 in SoCon play, while The Citadel improves to 7-13 on the season, and 2-6 in SoCon action.
Jordan Strawberry was huge for Mercer in the second half, scoring 18 of his 22 points in the final 20 minutes. The senior guard also contributed three assists and four rebounds. In his first start for the Bears, freshman Marcus Cohen scored 10 points, dished out four assists and grabbed five rebounds, but committed a team-high six turnovers.
The Bears shot the ball at a 40.7 percent clip for the game, while the defense struggled to stop The Citadel in the second half. The Bulldogs shot the ball 46.7 percent for the game, but their 60 percent clip in the second half was too much for the Bears to overcome.
Mercer started the game off strong, taking a 10-4 lead with 15 minutes to go. The Bears held The Citadel to 2-11 shooting over the first eight minutes, but five Mercer turnovers kept the Bulldogs in the game.
Both teams struggled to shoot the ball in the first half. The Citadel shot just 8-of-26 from the field, but did knock down five 3-pointers. Mercer didn’t shoot the ball much better, hitting just 11 of its 27 shots, and making 4-12 from beyond the arc.
The Citadel took its first lead of the game with 5:45 to go on a Tariq Simmons three pointer at the end of the shot clock. The Bulldogs lead was brief, ended by a Demetre Rivers layup to put Mercer back in front 23-22. Mercer finished the half on an 7-0 run to go into halftime up 33-25.
The second half started off in a similar way to the first. Mercer came out and opened up a 10-point lead with 18:15 to go. The Citadel was forced to call a timeout. This moment would turn out to be the turning point of the game.
Over the next six minutes, The Citadel went unchallenged to open up a double-digit lead on the Bears. Coach Bob Hoffman called a timeout to regroup his team.
The Bulldogs continued to dominate over the next four minutes, extending its run to 31-5, and going up by 16 points with 8 minutes to go. The Citadel’s press defense forced 17 Mercer turnovers, and the Bears offense seemed to have no answer.
“I thought it was the game we expected. Pressure, trapping, a lot of possessions. We understood that going in playing a Citadel team or VMI team when coach Baucom was at VMI,” said Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman. “They definitely turned us over. In the past we’ve handled the ball a little better against their pressure, and we’ve finished more layups.”
Mercer didn’t throw in the white towel. The Bears cut the lead down to three after a 9-0 run. The crowd in Hawkins Arena was on their feet, and as loud as they had been on all game. The defense played 30 seconds of perfect defense, but it wasn’t enough. Bulldogs guard Frankie Johnson knocked home a fall-away corner three pointer as the shot clock expired to put The Citadel up six with 90 seconds to play. It was the textbook definition of a dagger.
“They hit numerous threes that were big. None bigger than when Frankie hit one over by their bench when we got it back to three,” Hoffman said. “I thought we had a chance to finish it, and get it done if that one didn't go in.”
The Bears continued to fight down the stretch, and nearly stole one in the end. Jordan Strawberry knocked down a three pointer as time expired, but it didn’t matter. The Bears came up just short of tying the game.
Bears coach Bob Hoffman commended his team for their grit all season. His tone on his team’s ‘never quit’ attitude was a little different after his team’s loss tonight.
“That’s always a great attribute, but you know those are the kind that you got to figure out a way to finish them, and we didn't.”
Mercer will return to action next Thursday when it welcomes Furman (15-7, 6-3) to Hawkins Arena. The Paladins are coming off a 100-66 thrashing of Western Carolina on Saturday, and will be looking to go 2-0 against the Bears this season after winning 74-71 earlier in January.
Tip-off for the game is set for 7:30 pm (ET) and will air live on ESPN3. You can also listen live to the Bears on the Mercer Sports radio network.
(01/27/18 12:03am)
The Mercer men’s basketball squad (10-11, 3-5) came into its matchup with the East Tennessee State University Bucs (17-4, 8-0) still ailing after losing its leading scorer Ria’n Holland for at least 2-3 weeks to a hand injury. The Bears dropped their last game against UNCG in overtime just four days before, and the matchup with SoCon-leading ETSU was sure to be a challenge.
The first few minutes of the game looked good for the Bears. They were able to hang around and trade baskets with the Bucs, taking an 8-5 lead with 15:39 to go.
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Mercer and ETSU continued to trade baskets over the next five minutes, with ETSU’s ability to knock down the three-pointer answering each Mercer momentum grab. With 10:18 left in the first half, the Bears trailed 17-16. Over the next three minutes, the Bucs went on a 9-5 run to take a five point lead, its’ largest lead of the first half.
Mercer hung tough, led by a few layups by freshman guard Marcus Cohen, and the Bears got to within one point with 4:22 to go.
The final minutes of the first half were filled with tit-for-tat baskets by the Bears and Mocs before Bucs guard Jalan McCloud knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer. At halftime, the Bears trailed ETSU 39-35.
The Bears were led in points by freshman Marcus Cohen with 10 points, along with one rebound and two assists. Senior forward Stephon Jelks contributed seven points and seven rebounds and Jordan Strawberry contributed eight points himself.
For the Mocs, guards Jalan McCloud and Devontavius Payne combined for 27 of the Bucs 39 points, including 7-of-11 from 3-point range. In comparison, the Bears only managed to knock down three.
The Bears cut the lead down to just two points with 18:46 to go, before the Mocs answered with a 5-0 run to go up 46-39 with 16:37 left. Each time the Bucs would open up a lead, the Bears claw back to keep themselves within striking distance.
Over the next 10 minutes, the margin stayed with five points. Both teams fought hard for every hint of momentum, but the Bucs continued to knock down tough 3-pointers that the Bears could not match.
With 6:31 left in the game, the Bucs took an eight point lead, their largest of the game. A quick answer by the Bears was answered a 5-0 run by the Bucs to take an 11 point lead with five minutes left. The Bears weren’t giving in just yet.
Five straight points from Stephon Jelks brought the Bears to within four points with two minutes left. It was the closest the Bears had been since 7:33 mark in the second half.
The Bears had their chances to win this game, but couldn’t execute on the offensive end when they needed to. With a minute to go, the Bears were forced to foul, and the Bucs made their free throws. When the final buzzer rang, the Bears had come up short in a tough road game, 84-75.
Bears forward Desmond Ringer had a huge game, going 9-of-9 from the field for 21 points, and managed four rebounds in 22 minutes. Stephon Jelks came up just short of another double-double, going for 14 points and nine rebounds. In his best performance of the season, Marcus Cohen scored 16 points and dished out five assists. The Bears went just 6-of-24 from beyond the arc.
While it was a tough loss for the Bears, Coach Hoffman was encouraged by his teams’ intensity and effort. Here’s what he had to say:
"I love my team and I love how they play. Our guys played with great intensity. We gave ourselves an opportunity. We only had four turnovers in the second half. We walked into a good home court advantage and we never backed down. I am proud of their effort tonight. This was a scrap and a fight; we just weren't able to get it done. We're working and while it's not always leading to W's, we're getting better at what we're doing.”
In their next game, the Bears return home to Hawkins Arena to host SoCon foe The Citadel on Saturday January 27 at 4 p.m. (ET). You can watch the game live on ESPN3, or listen live on the Mercer Sports Network radio station.
(01/24/18 4:30pm)
The Mercer Bears (10-10, 3-4) were without injured leading scorer Ria’n Holland in Saturday’s SoCon matchup with the UNCG Spartans (14-5, 5-1), owners of three straight wins over the Bears. It was the best team the Bears had played since their home loss to ETSU on Dec. 31, 2017.
The absence of Holland was evident on the offensive end early for Mercer. His ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court makes the defense focus on him, in turn making it easier for the rest of the team to score.
Both teams struggled in the opening five minutes, with the teams combining for just 6 points stalemated at 3-3. Mercer eventually ran up a 12-5 lead with 12:24 to play.
That run was answered by the Spartans who were able to cut the Mercer lead down to one with 7:33 to play.
Mercer led 16-15 with 4:48 to play, as both teams continued to struggle shooting the ball. Mercer was not helping itself either, turning the ball over eight times in the first half, while the Spartans turned it over just four times.
The final minutes of the first half were more of the same. Both teams struggled to make shots, and the halftime score read 24-23 with the Bears on top.
It was the lowest point total for the Bears on the season. The Bears shot just 8-of-21 from the field, and 2-7 from beyond the arc. Demetre Rivers led the team in scoring with eight points, while Stephon Jelks led in rebounding with five. While Mercer led for most of the first half, it’s largest lead was just seven points early on. The Bears were never able to pull away.
In the second half, both teams’ offenses settled in and began to knock down shots. UNCG opened the half with a 7-0 run to take a 30-24 lead with 18 minutes to play.
Both teams traded baskets over the next four minutes, with UNCG answering each Mercer basket with a basket of their own. Every time Mercer would grab the momentum, the Spartans would grab it right back with a late in the shot clock three pointer, or big stop on defense.
With 9:05 to play, Jelks knocked down a three pointer to cut the Spartans lead down to three at 41-38. Again, the Spartans answered with a three pointer to push the lead back to six with 8:36 left in the second half.
The Spartans defense in the second half was giving the Bears clear problems. Each time the Bears would cross half court, the Spartans would double-team, and it gave the Bears fits. Over the opening 10 minutes, the Bears turned the ball over six times which led to five points for the Spartans.
Junior guard Ethan Stair, thrown into the starting lineup to replace Holland, knocked down a huge three pointer with 7:18 to go. The Bears had once again cut the UNCG lead down to one possession. Could the Bears take advantage?
After a couple of empty possessions by both teams, UNCG’s Alonso hoisted up a prayer of a three pointer, and knocked it down with 4:10 to go. Just 30 seconds later, Alonso striked again, knocking down a jump shot to extend the Spartans lead to seven with 3:39 to go.
This forced a Mercer timeout, as the team looked to regroup for a late push on the road. This was not an unusual predicament for the Bears to be in, as they had played in seven road games decided by less than 10 points already this season, going 1-6 in those games.
Mercer answered out of the timeout with a Stair layup to cut the lead down to five with 3:26 to play. Once again the Spartans answered with a make of their own and the Bears trailed by seven with 3:02 to go.
The Mercer defense got stops down the stretch, but the Bears offense lacked. The Bears were able to cut the lead down to five with 48 seconds to go after guard Marcus Cohen made two free throws.
Mercer opted to foul the Spartans to stop the clock, and they answered with two free throws of their own to put them up 53-46 with 45 seconds left.
The Bears still had some fight in them. Coach Hoffman inserted guard Ross Cummings into the game, and it paid off. He knocked down a big three pointer with 38 seconds left, and the Bears cut the lead to four with 37 seconds left.
Mercer’s defense went into press to get a turnover, and they got it in the form of an offensive foul. Mercer inbounded to Ross Cummings, and he knocked down ANOTHER three pointer. The Bears were within ONE point with 34 seconds left.
Mercer opted to foul again, and the Spartans knocked down two more free throws to put them up three. Cohen brought the ball down the floor for the Bears, kicked it out to Jelks, and he knocked down a three! The game was tied with just 19 seconds to go.
The Spartans held for the final shot, and missed it behind strong defense from Cohen. The Bears were heading to their third overtime game of the year. The Spartans had led this game by seven with 40 seconds left, and Mercer came back to send this game to overtime.
The first two minutes of overtime were slow before UNCG’s Demetrius Troy knocked down a pull up jumper to put them up two with three minutes to go.
A Mercer miss gave the Spartans the ball back, and Troy knocked down a three pointer to put them up 60-55 with two minutes to play. Once again the Bears missed and UNCG drew a foul, went to the line and knocked down two free throws. With 1:36 left in overtime, Mercer trailed UNCG 62-55.
On the next possession, the Bears turned it over and were forced to foul with 1:22 to go. UNCG’s James Dickey knocked down 1-of-2 free throws, and on the next possession the Bears missed a free three pointer. With a minute left, UNCG was up 63-55.
Mercer fouled, but UNCG missed and the Bears had a glimpse of life. On the offensive end, Cummings drew a foul, went to the line, and knocked down two free throws to cut the lead to six with 53 seconds. Mercer fouled again, UNCG made 1-of-2 free throws, and Mercer got on the fast break for a Jordan Strawberry layup. The Bears trailed 64-59 with 40 seconds to go.
After two possessions of Mercer fouling, the Spartans making both free throws, and Mercer followed up with free throws of their own, Mercer trailed by seven with 29 seconds left. Strawberry brought the ball up the floor, dribbled around, and knocked down a three to cut the lead to four with 13 seconds left.
Another trip to the line for the Spartans after a Mercer foul, and they made 1-of-2 to extend the lead to five. The Bears drove the ball up the floor without any timeouts, drew the fall, and Cohen put home two free throws to cut the lead to three with six seconds left.
Mercer fouled, and UNCG made a free throw to seal the deal on the Bears comeback effort. When the buzzer sounded, Mercer had come up short 70-66 on the road.
It was the true definition of a team effort for the Bears on Saturday, as four players scored in double figures. Jelks contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double, while Rivers and Cummings both tallied 11 points on the night. Stair also contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds in place of the injured Holland.
After having won three straight conference games, this is obviously a tough loss for the Bears. While they were without their leading scorer, who clearly makes a difference on the court, they still gave themselves a chance in overtime, but couldn’t pull it out in the end.
The next game for the Bears will be Wednesday, Jan. 24 when they travel to Johnson City, Tennessee for a matchup with SoCon frontrunner ETSU. The Buccaneers defeated the Bears by 19 points at Hawkins Arena earlier this season. The game is set for tip-off at 7 p.m. (ET) and will air live on ESPN3.
(01/20/18 2:12pm)
Mercer men’s basketball’s had the opportunity to turn January 18 into quite the momentous occasion for several reasons.
The Bears went into Thursday’s game on a two-game SoCon winning streak, and beginning to build momentum toward getting their season back on track.
Not only that, the Bears were sitting at 9-9 overall on the season, and had the opportunity to move their record back into a winning record for the first time since December 28, 2017 when they knocked off Kennesaw State.
If that wasn’t enough, head coach Bob Hoffman was sitting on 499 wins in his coaching career. Coach Hoffman was just one victory away from 500 wins.
The only thing standing in the way of these three things coming to fruition was a SoCon road challenge against the Keydets of Virginia Military Institute.
The Bears started hot out of the gate, taking it to the Keydets over the first five minutes. At the 14:46 mark, the Bears were leading 16-6, mostly due to 11 points from leading scorer Ria’n Holland.
Over the next few minutes, Mercer and VMI traded baskets with the Bears holding steady on their 10 point lead with 12:07 to go. The Bears looked ready to pull away from the Keydets.
However, the Keydets answered the Bears’ momentum with their own drive. Over the next three minutes, VMI went on an 11-0 run led by two three pointers from guard Bubba Parham to take a one point lead with 9:07 to play.
The Keydets and Bears went back and forth over the next three minutes before a quick 6-0 run gave the Bears a 30-24 lead with just 4:20 to go. Another opportunity for the Bears to pull away going into halftime.
It was another missed opportunity, as Mercer was unable to pull away before the halftime buzzer rung. After the Keydets cut the lead down to two with 2:21 to go, Mercer answered and stretched the lead to five with 1:12 to go.
Neither team scored over the final 1:12, and Mercer entered halftime on top of VMI, 34-29.
Ria’n Holland led all scorers with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three point range. Jordan Strawberry dished out assists as he as all year, going into halftime with five assists to go along with five points and and two rebounds.
Mercer came out hot in the second half, stretching its’ lead to 10 with 17:30 to go, and were able to maintain a lead of at least eight points through the opening 5 minutes of the second half.
VMI was able to cut the lead down to five with 14 minutes to play before both teams fell into a shooting drought where no points were scored by either team for three minutes.
After several more scoring droughts by both teams, due in part to turnovers by Mercer and missed open shots by VMI, the Bears stretched their lead out to seven with 5:56 to go.
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Just when both coaches thought their team’s offensive might pick up, there was another 3 minute scoring drought until the 2:39 mark. It was finally broken when Bears’ forward Demetre Rivers, as he had done twice before in the half, knocked home a jump shot to put the Bears ahead 59-53 with just 2:39 left to play.
The Bears found themselves in another close SoCon game. It was their fourth Socon contest that was going to come down to the final minutes. The Bears were 0-2 on the road in the Socon, and a win would give the team a much needed confidence boost moving forward.
Over the final 2:39 of the ball game, the Bears defense cracked down. After missing two straight shots, the Keydets knocked down a three pointer with 43 seconds to go to cut the lead down to just three points. Those were the Keydets last points.
VMI opted to foul Mercer guard Jordan Strawberry, who went 1-2 from the free thrown to stretch Mercer’s lead to four points with 36 seconds left.
The Bears defense hung tough, and two Jordan Strawberry free throws sealed the deal in the final stretch for the Bears. They held VMI to just 1-of-6 from the field over the final three minutes of the game, and the Bears made their free throws when they counted.
When it was all said and done, the Bears had come out ahead in a hard fought 62-56 victory.
The Bears were led in scoring by guard Ria’n Holland with 16 points in just 19 minutes of action. Holland has scored in double-figures in each game this season. Senior forward Stephon Jelks turned in his third consecutive double-double and fifth overall on the season, scoring 13 points to go along with a team-high 11 rebounds. Senior guard Jordan Strawberry turned in another well rounded performance with 10 points, a team high six assists and five rebounds on the night.
Thursday’s victory marked the Bears first SoCon road win of the season, while also moving the Bears to 3-3 in SoCon play.
Head coach Bob Hoffman had notched a coaching milestone with this win--career victory number 500. After the game, Coach Hoffman’s focus was on his players. Here’s what he had to say:
“This was a special win tonight. There's nothing like winning on the road and being around a bunch of guys that want to put forth the effort like these guys do. I've been blessed with my family and being around a bunch of great players and coaches over the years. The focus should be on these guys and that's where I want to keep it.”
On Saturday January 20, the Bears will continue their SoCon road swing with a match up against UNCG out of Greensboro, N.C. Tip off for the matchup is set for 5 p.m. (ET) and will air live on WatchESPN.
(01/17/18 5:46pm)
The Mercer Men’s basketball team (9-9, 2-3) entered its match up with the Chattanooga Mocs (6-13, 0-6) riding a wave of momentum coming off its 31-point difference thrashing of rival Samford just two days prior.
In that game against Samford, the bears had secured a much needed conference win to move them to 1-3 on the season. A win against Chattanooga would only propel the Bears farther up into the standings.
Mercer was the aggressor early on, hitting five of its first seven shots, while holding the Mocs to just 2-out-of-7. After five minutes of fast paced action, the Bears led 10-4.
The Bears dominated every facet of the game through the first 10 minutes, but the three point shot was keeping the Mocs in the game early. Holland led the Bears with six points, while Stephon Jelks pulled down seven of the Bears 11 rebounds.
Offense was not an issue early in the game for Mercer, but the inability to stop the Mocs from beyond the arc. Through the opening 15 minutes, the Bears had not connected on one three-pointer while the Mocs knocked down three. At the 5-minute mark, the Bears lead was just four points, 26-22.
The Bears’ offense went cold at the wrong time to end the half. The Bears did not score a single point for nearly seven minutes. That streak was finally broken by a basket from Jordan Strawberry with just 59 seconds to go in the half. The Mocs ended the half on a 12-2 run, and the score at the half was Chattanooga on top 30-28.
Senior guard Jordan Strawberry led the Bears in scoring with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting. Stephon Jelks owned the boards early on, pulling down seven in the first 10 minutes but secured just one over the final 10 to finish with eight. Jelks also led the Bears in assists with two.
Bears forward Demetre Rivers came out firing in the second half, scoring eight of the Bears first 12 points, including each of first two three-pointers of the game. At the under 16-minutes timeout, the Bears had secured a 42-37 lead.
Over the next 5 minutes, the Bears and Mocs traded baskets, but the Bears strength on the interior aided them in stretching their lead to nine at the 11 minute mark.
With 7:45 to play in the second-half, the Bears lead the Mocs 42-8 in points in the paint. It was Chattanooga’s eight three-pointers compared to just two for Mercer that kept the Mocs within striking distance throughout the entire second half.
With 3:25 to play, a Chattanooga three-pointer cut the Mercer lead to just 3 points forcing Coach Hoffman to call a timeout to regroup. The Bears had led nearly the entire game, while the Mocs were in front for just 1:46. It was the closest Chattanooga had been since the 17:18 mark in the second half.
Another Chattanooga three-pointer with 2:30 to play tied the game up at 64. It was crunch time for the Bears. Every possession counted.
The Bears defense came up with a huge stop with 1:04 to go. The game was tied at 64, and the Bears needed points. They got it. Jordan Strawberry drew the foul, connected on two free throws, and the Bears led by two with under a minute to play.
On the next Mocs possession, the Bears defense came up with another stop, but failed to take advantage on the offensive end after a Demetre Rivers miss from three.
Mocs ball with 8 seconds to play. The Mocs misfired from three, but got the rebound, put up a jumper and banked it in. The game was tied at 66, and was going to overtime.
With 5 minutes of extra play, the Mocs got on the board first, but Jordan Strawberry answered with a basket of his own to tie the game at 68.
Demetre Rivers gave Mercer its first lead of overtime with 4:15 to play on a pull up jumper from the free throw line.
A Chattanooga missed layup with 1:45 left in overtime gave the Bears possession 71-69. Coach Hoffman called a timeout to draw up a play to get the Bears a good look on the offensive end.
After a Mercer miss, Chattanooga dove on the loose ball but traveled. It was a massive break for the Bears offensive, and they got the ball with a fresh shot clock. Ria’n Holland took advantage, knocked down a jumper, and the Bears were up four with 1:20 to play.
The Mocs answered on the offensive end with a layup cutting the Bears lead to just two points with one minute to play. A Bears miss on the offensive end meant the Mocs had a chance to tie it, but couldn't take advantage. Jordan Strawberry took a charge, and the Bears had the ball with 24.8 seconds remaining.
The Mocs fouled with 17.7 seconds left and sent Strawberry to the line for two free throws. He made both, and the Bears were up 75-71.
The Bears held on in the end for a 75-71 overtime victory, giving them their second consecutive SoCon victory.
Jelks stuffed the stat sheet as he as done all season, securing his second consecutive double-double and fourth on the season. He finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.
He wasn’t alone in the fun. Desmond Ringer also contributed a double-double with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds.
On the offensive end, the Bears relied heavily on their starters, with each scoring in double figures. The Bears’ bench finished with just four points. Jordan Strawberry led the Bears in scoring with 18, pulling down 6 rebounds and also dishing out 3 assists. Demetre Rivers scored 16 points, and Ria’n Holland scored 13, as well.
The victory moves the Bears to 9-9 on the season, and 2-3 in Southern Conference play.
Next up for the Bears is a road trip to Virginia for a matchup with SoCon foe Virginia Military Institute on January 19th at 7:00 p.m. It will be the first of two matchups between the Bears and Keydets this season. Last season, the Bears beat the Keydets 68-50 at home in the only matchup between the two.
You can follow the game live by tuning into 97.3 The Bull on FM radio, or head over to MercerBears.com for live stats as the action happens.