69 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/15/18 7:56pm)
The Mercer Bears (8-9, 1-3) came into Saturday’s matchup with rival Samford looking for answers. After a tough 2-point road loss to Western Carolina, the Bears had fallen to 0-3 in Southern Conference play, putting them tied for last in the standings and the wrong side of a 3 game skid.
It was a crossroads for the Bears. Fight and secure its first conference win of the season, or dig itself an even deeper hole to climb out of.
The fans in Hawkins Arena knew right out of the gate of the game what road the Bears were taking. Stifling defense and strong finishes at the rim had the Bears up 10-0 early and the fans roaring.
Mercer’s defense held the Bulldogs without a single point for the first 5 minutes of the game, and the offense did what they weren't able to do in their last matchup versus Western Carolina -- took advantage.
As the first half went on, Samford settled down on the offensive end and began to make shots, but the Bears answered them at every turn.
Over the first 10 minutes of the first half, the Bears shot 9-16 from the field, good for 56%, while holding Samford to just 18 percent, or 2-11. They also outrebounded the Bulldogs 11 to 5, and forced 7 turnovers.
With 3:45 to play, the Bears had secured a 34-12 lead, their largest lead of the first half, forcing the Bulldogs coaching staff to burn a timeout.
Most teams likely would have been satisfied going into the half up by 22, but the Bears were not. They continued their suffocating defense, allowing just four points over the final five minutes.
When the first half came to a close, the Bears were on top 44-16. It was Mercer’s best defensive performance of the season. It held Samford to just 24 percent shooting, outrebounded the Bulldogs 21 to 12, forced 12 turnovers, allowed just six paint points, and just two assists.
Senior guard Ria’n Holland led the Bears in scoring with 18 points, while Desmond Ringer led the team in rebounds with seven, and Strawberry led in assists with three.
The second half was more of the same for Mercer. If Samford was going to get back into this game, it was going to have to come out early and string together some baskets.
It was clear over the first few minutes that the Bears were not having it. The Bears matched each basket the Bulldogs would make, and forced a few turnovers that led to easy transition baskets.
With 14 minutes to play, a Strawberry-to-Jelks alley oop dunk ignited the crowd in Hawkins Arena. The Bears had stretched out their lead to 36, and showed no signs of letting up.
Halfway through the second half, the Bears led 65-31. They shot 50 percent from the field, while holding Samford to just 28 percent, and outrebounded Samford 35-19.
At the under-8 minutes timeout, the Bears were on top 67 to 35. Desmond Ringer was closing in on his second double-double of the season with 8 points and 11 rebounds, while Stephon Jelks had secured his third of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
With 5 minutes to play, the Bears sent their starters to the bench, and the reserves were tasked with maintaining the Bears lead over the final minutes of the game.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Bears had roared to an 81 to 50 victory. It gave the Bears a much needed confidence boost as they look to get back on track in Southern Conference play.
Ria’n Holland led all scorers with 23 points, including five three pointers. Stephon Jelks had notched his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Desmond Ringer contributed 8 points and led the team in rebounds with 12.
On January 15, the Bears welcome the Mocs of Chattanooga(6-12, 0-5) to Hawkins Arena for a SoCon matchup. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be aired live on watchstadium.com
*Editor's note: this article originally stated that the game would air on ESPN3. The game will actually air on watchstadium.com
(01/15/18 6:22pm)
The Mercer Bears (7-9, 0-3) could not buy a basket in a close 58-56 road loss to SoCon rival Western Carolina (7-9, 3-1), 01/10.
Stingy defense allowed the Bears to hang around until the very end. It was lack of offensive execution down the stretch that doomed the Bears, scoring just 10 points over the final 7 minutes of the game.
Across the board, it was a rough shooting night for the Bears. They posted their worst performance of the season from the field at just 35.3 percent, and were unable to convert much from beyond the arc, hitting on just 5-of-21 attempts.
The Bears fought hard the entire game. When a team struggles to shoot like the Bears did, it can be easy to throw in the towel and blown out.
That’s not what happened Wednesday night. The entire game was a nail biter, and the Bears hung with the Catamounts until the final seconds.
Western Carolina’s largest lead of the game was just four points. When you consider that the final score had the Bears down by just 2 points, that attests to the Bears grit from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Performances like this one should not come around all too often. The Bears typically shoot the ball much better, and will need to in order to get back in the race for a Southern Conference crown, and potential NCAA tournament berth in March.
If the Bears can find a way to combine the stingy, team defense that they played against Western Carolina with their usual offensive prowess, they will be a dangerous team as the season goes on.
The Bears have the makings of a team that can compete come tournament time. They have a dynamic scorer in Holland, a good post presence in Ringer, as well as good three point shooting and strong defense.
The challenge the Bears face is putting all of those attributes together, night after night, game after game. They have done it several times this year in some of their bigger games this season, but will need to find consistency in order to correct the course of the season.
This loss stings for the Bears as it drops them 0-3 in Southern Conference play. In the preseason, the Bears were predicted to win the conference.
(12/12/17 5:41pm)
It was gut check time for the Mercer Bears.
Mercer came in riding a two-game skid, and fresh off a heartbreaking double-overtime loss against the Memphis Tigers. How would they respond against the Rattlers of Florida A&M?
At the break, the Bears led in virtually every statistical category, including field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, forced turnovers, rebounds, bench points, and points in the paint. Pretty good for a day’s work.
The Bears were in control of the lead for over 75 percent of the first half. They rode a barrage of nine first half 3-pointers, including four from guard Ria’n Holland, to go into halftime up 47 to 31.
The Bears were able to weather a quick second half start by the Rattlers, and take a 23 point lead halfway through the second half.
It was more of the same down the stretch for the Bears. The Bears led the game for 35 out of 40 minutes, and grabbed their largest lead of 27 points with just 5:39 to play. Mercer put their reserves to finish out the game and by the final buzzer, Mercer had coasted to an 82 to 64 victory.
STARS OF THE GAME
Ria’n Holland: In his return from injury, leading scorer Ria’n Holland did not miss a beat. He scored 14 first half points, including 4-4 from beyond the arc. Holland did not stop there. He went on to put together 24 points, with six total three pointers at the end of the game. What a return for the senior guard.
Stephon Jelks: The senior forward did a little bit of everything Saturday afternoon. Jelks scored 12 points, grabbed 10 boards, and assisted on 7 of the Bears’ shots. He led the Bears in assists and rebounds in the game.
STATS THAT POP
Beyond the Arc: The Bears were on fire from beyond the arc, knocking down an all time school record 14 three pointers in Saturday’s game. The Rattlers weren't far behind. They put home of 12-of-23 from deep, good for 52 percent. The game’s first 24 points were scored from the three point line, as well.
Owning the Boards: The Bears dominated the glass, out- rebounding the Rattlers by 15 total boards, 37 to 22. On the defensive backboard, the Bears outmatched the Rattlers 26 to 16. On the offensive glass, the Bears also had the advantage, 11 to 6.
Sharing is Caring: “We got into the lane and we found each other”, said coach Bob Hoffman. The Mercer Bears were playing unselfish basketball the entire game. They assisted on 17 baskets, some of which lead to some open three pointers early on. So far this season, the Bears are undefeated when they out-assist their opponents.
WHAT MATTERED
The Return of Holland: The Bears have looked like a different team the past three weeks. In part because of the absence of leading scorer and senior leader Ria’n Holland. He returned in tonight’s game and the impact was felt early and often. The guard did not miss a beat, and finished as the game’s leading scorer, picking up right where he left off. In his absence, the team went 1-2, including a two-game skid coming into Saturday.
Start to Finish: The Bears trailed in Saturday’s game for just 1 minute and 55 seconds out of 40 total minutes, and were tied for just 2 minutes and 50 seconds. That amounts to the Bears being in the lead for 35 minutes and 15 seconds, good for 87 percent of the total game.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Hoffman on his team’s effort: “I love how our guys competed tonight against a really athletic team that fought for the full 40 minutes tonight.”
Hoffman on Holland’s return to action: “It was great to have Ria'n back. He was feeling it from the very beginning and he helped us get some separation. I think Ria'n being out for a few games really stretched our team and it will help us in the long run.”
Jelks on getting back on track: “It gives us our momentum and confidence back. We lost to Tennessee and Memphis, two really good teams. It just felt good to come back and get a win at home with a really good crowd.”
Holland on return: “It felt really good to be back out on the court. I sat on the sidelines for three games, and it was killing me not being able to be out there battling and fighting with my team.”
UP NEXT
On December 17, the Mercer Bears will travel to Pennsylvania to do battle with the La Salle Explorers. Tip is off set for 4:30 p.m. on ESPN3. The last time these two teams matched up was last year when the Explorers came to Macon and handed the Bears a heartbreaking 96 to 98 triple-overtime loss. The Bears will look to return the favor in Philadelphia.
(12/04/17 12:50am)
The Mercer Bears(5-4) concluded their Tennessee road trip Saturday afternoon in a tilt against the Memphis Tigers(4-2). The Bears fought hard from start to finish, but came up just short in double-overtime, losing 83 to 81 after two late Tigers’ free throws sealed the deal.
The game could not have started better for the Bears, who were without leading scorer Ria’n Holland. Holland is nursing a high-ankle sprain for the third consecutive game.
The game was back-and-forth in the opening minutes. The Tigers jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, before the Ethan Stair knocked in a 3-pointer to put the Bears on the board.
[related title="Related Stories" stories="22849,22928" align="left" background="off" border="none" shadow="on"][related title="Related Stories" stories="" align="left" background="off" border="none" shadow="on"]
The Tigers lead the entire first 10 minutes of the first half, with their largest lead being 6 points two separate times inside the first 4 minutes of the ball game.
At around the 9-minute mark, something sparked in the Bears offense. The score was knotted up at 13 a piece, before the Bears connected on three big time three-pointers to go along with a few jumpers to stretch out their lead to 11 points. This was the Bears’ largest lead of the game.
When the Bears and Tigers went into their locker rooms at halftime, the Bears were in command of a 31 to 22 lead, thanks to a last second three-pointer by junior guard Ryan Johnson.
The first-half was all Bears, outperforming the Tigers in virtually every statistical category, including field-goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, total rebounds and assists. All in all, the Bears could not have asked for a better start to a big game.
Through the opening minutes of the second half, the Bears and Tigers traded baskets. At the 16-minute media timeout, the Bears led 36 to 31.
Mercer continued shooting the three pointer well in the opening minutes of the second half, connecting all three of their second half makes in the first 6 minutes. The issue for the Bears is that they missed the next 6 attempts to come after.
At the 11-minute mark, Memphis cut the Bears’ lead down to just 2 points. The Bears appeared to be losing control of the game to the home team, until a quick 8-0 run stretched the Bears lead back out to double digits with just 7-minutes to play.
Just when the Bears thought they were in control, the Tigers used a 9-0 run of their own to slice Mercer’s lead down to just a single point with just 4-minutes to play.
Later with just over 2-minutes left, forward Stephon Jelks put together a quick 3-point play to extend Mercer’s lead to 5 points, 62 to 57.
It was the Tigers who got the last run of regulation, outscoring Mercer 6-1 down the stretch to tie the game, topped off by a bomb from way beyond the arc from guard Jamal Johnson to knot the game up at 63 with just 27 seconds left on the clock.
Mercer held the ball for the final shot, but Jordan Strawberry’s three-pointer came up short. The Bears and Tigers were going into overtime.
At the 3-minute mark in the first overtime, Mercer lost its leading scorer Stephon Jelks to fouls. The Bears seemed unfazed, securing a 73 to 68 lead with just 90 seconds to play, thanks in part to a couple three-pointers from guard Jordan Strawberry.
However, it was the Tigers who finished the first overtime strong. Memphis outscored Mercer 7-0 over the next 88 seconds to take a 2-point lead.
Mercer held the ball for the final shot, in the hands of guard Jordan Strawberry for the second time. This time, Strawberry drove hard to the basket, and it paid dividends. Strawberry drew a tough foul, sunk two free throws, and the Bears and Tigers were heading to a second overtime knotted up at 75.
The second overtime was more of the same. The Tigers jumped out early, with the Bears doing the responding this time. Desmond Ringer tied the game at 81 a piece with just 13 seconds left in the second overtime.
This time it was Memphis who had the opportunity to hold for the final shot. Tigers guard Jeremiah Martin drove hard to the basket, drew a foul, and knocked in 2 free throws with under 3 seconds to play to seal the deal.
At the final buzzer, the Tigers were on top 83 to 81, and the Bears upset bid had fallen just short in double-overtime.
After the game, Coach Hoffman credited the effort of his team, and acknowledged his team’s inability to make plays late.
“Our team gave amazing effort. The willingness to want to win and do the things you needed to do to win was exceptional tonight,” Hoffman said. “I love how they are growing together. We just needed to make a couple more plays.”
The Bears get a well-deserved week off to rest before welcoming the Rattlers of Florida A&M for a mid-afternoon 4 p.m. bout in Hawkins Arena this Saturday.
(11/30/17 7:41pm)
The Mercer Bears (5-2) hit the road on Wednesday to face their toughest opponent of the 2017 season to date, the Tennessee Volunteers(4-1). The Bears went into this game as big time underdogs and being without leading scorer Ria’n Holland surely did not help things. When all was said and done, the Bears came up short, losing 84 to 60.
Through the opening minutes, the Bears did a great job of hanging around. At the 16-minute timeout, the Bears trailed 6 to 2. You could tell that this Bears team was struggling on offense without their leading scorer.
It’s important to note that the Vols were the ninth-ranked offensive rebounding team in the country going into today’s matchup. This posed a problem for the Bears, a team that struggles on the glass against bigger teams. They were going to have to hang tough with Tennessee on the boards to stay competitive in the ballgame.
[related title="Related Stories" stories="22928,22849,22833" align="right" background="off" border="none" shadow="on"]
As the first half went on, the Bears offense just could not find the bottom of the net, starting the game just 1-of-8 from the field. At the 10-minute mark, the Bears found themselves down 14 points, 18 to 4.
Over the next 3 minutes, the Vols went on a 10-to-3 run to extend their lead 8 to 21 points, 28 to 7. Coach Hoffman quickly called a timeout to regroup his squad, as the Vols were beginning to take over the ball game.
Out of the timeout, Mercer answered with a quick bucket, only to be answered by a 3-pointer from the Vols. Each time the Bears found a hint of momentum, the Vols answered.
At the under 4-minute timeout, the Bears had scratched and clawed their way to within 16 points.
After cutting the Vols lead to just 13 points with about 3-minutes to play in the first half, the Vols quickly extended that lead back out to 20, piggybacking off of several 3-pointers.
At the half, the Bears trailed the Vols by 19. The Bears shot just 31-percent from the field, while allowing the red-hot Vols to shoot 65-percent from the floor. Perhaps even more astonishing, the Vols shot 8-of-12 from beyond the arc, good for 67 percent, compared to Mercer shooting just 3-of-8 for just 38 percent.
In the opening minutes of the second-half, Mercer and Tennessee traded buckets back and forth. However, foul trouble plagued some of the Bears most reliable players, including Ethan Stair and Demetre Rivers. They had to each exit the game early in the second half with three fouls.
With 15-minutes to play, Tennessee had extended its lead to 23 behind a lockdown defensive effort that was suffocating the Bears on the offensive end. Add that with 21 assists on the other end and the Vols were starting to hit on all cylinders.
The Bears never stopped fighting to get into the game. Junior guard Jordan Strawberry had his strongest performance of the season in the absence of fellow guard Ria’n Holland. Each time the Vols put a couple baskets together, Strawberry would answer with a score of his own.
As the second half continued, the Vols began to exert their dominance on the Bears. Tennessee continued to shoot the three pointer extremely well, and the Vols defense did not let up the pressure.
With 9-minutes left to play, the Bears had fallen into their largest deficit of the game, 73 to 43. Even with the Vols up by such a large margin, they continued to pressure the Bears on the defensive end and pushed the ball on fast breaks as if the game were close.
As the second-half began to wind down, the Bears continued to play tough, physical basketball. At one point, forward Stephon Jelks went airborne into the baseline seats for a rebound--and apologized to the fan he landed on with a polite hug goodbye.
Over the final few minutes, the Bears and Vols traded baskets, with both team’s reserves in the game. The Bears offense shot the ball better down the stretch, allowing them to close the 30 point lead the Vols once had.
When the buzzer sounded, the Bears were on the losing end of a 24 point loss, 84 to 60. The Vols led the entire game, and were in control on both ends of the floor throughout. However, it was a valiant effort from a short-handed Bears team, and a game the team can certainly learn from.
Jordan Strawberry led Mercer with 20 points, as well as adding 4 rebounds and an assist to his statsheet. Fellow guard Ethan Stair chipped in 11 points and a number of other Bears got into the scoring column as well, with 11 different Mercer players getting game action and 9 scoring baskets.
From here, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Bears. Next up, Mercer hits the road again to travel to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the Memphis Tigers this Saturday at 5 p.m. It will be another tough test for a promising Bears basketball team preparing for SoCon action.
(11/29/17 12:51pm)
Coming off a tough loss in the Paradise Jam Championship, the Mercer Bears(4-2, 0-0) looked to rebound against the Hiwassee College Tigers. By the end of the game, they had. The Bears used a strong second half to run away with it, 90 to 53.
Early on, the Bears could not put the Tigers away, as they have done to so many teams this year. Sloppy play from each team kept both offenses from finding their respective rhythms, with 11 total turnovers staining each team's stat sheet.
With approximately six minutes to go in the first half, Mercer had stretched out their lead to 17 points, 34 to 17. The Bears’ relied heavily on the 3-pointer early on, which accounted for over 60 percent of the Bears’ points during the first 14 minutes.
[related title="Related Stories" stories="22928,22849,22893" align="left" background="off" border="none" shadow="on"]
After struggling to find their rhythm early in the absence of leading scorer Ria’n Holland, the Mercer offense began to hit their stride to finish the first half, shooting 68-percent from the field, including 57 percent from beyond the arc at the finish.
When the first-half buzzer rang, the Bears found themselves in complete control of a 19-point lead, 51 to 32.
Through the opening minutes of the second half, the Bears maintained their lead. It wasn’t until after the first few minutes that the Mercer offense found its rhythm and began to stretch its lead.
When the Bears’ offense finally found their footing, they never looked back. They used a 29-5 run to expand their lead to 40 with approximately seven minutes to go.
From start to finish in the second half, Mercer found itself in complete control. The Bears were dominant on both offense and defense, outscoring Hiwassee 39 to 21 in the second half.
With just under 3-minutes to play, forward Jaylen Stowe slammed home an emphatic dunk to cap off a dominant second half, and stretch the Bears lead to 43.
When the game’s buzzer finally sounded, the Bears had run away with a 90 to 53 victory, improving their record to 5-2 on the season.
Next up, the Mercer Bears will face their toughest challenge of the 2017 season to date. Wednesday, the Bears will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to take on the SEC-powerhouse Tennessee Volunteers at 7 p.m.
The game is the first of back-to-back road games for the Bears, as they continue to prepare for SoCon action in the new year. The Bears will return home to Hawkins Arena on December 9, when they welcome the Rattlers of Florida A&M.
(11/29/17 12:46pm)
“No one will want to play the Mercer Bears in March if it earns a bid. Bob Hoffman’s crew can ball,” said Andy Katz, basketball insider for NCAA.com.
To say the least, the Bears (4-2, 0-0) were impressive in the Paradise Jam, and people, outside of the small town of Macon, noticed.
In the opening round, the Bears traveled to face the Liberty University Flames. The Basketball Power Index gave the Bears about a 40 percent chance to win leading up to the game.
The Bears’ defense held the Flames’ offense in check, giving up just 34 percent shooting and out-rebounding Liberty 37 to 23.
After a very close first half, the Bears defense cracked down. They outscored the Flames 12 points in the second half, en route to an impressive 63-48 victory.
Next up for the Bears was a bout with the Drexel Dragons in the second round. The Bears built up an 11-point first half lead and never looked back from there. When the buzzer sounded, the Bears had run away with a resounding 78-59 victory.
Senior guard Ria’n Holland lead the way for the Bears, scoring 29 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Add that to another strong team performance on defense and the Bears were on their way to the Paradise Jam Championship.
On Sunday night, the Bears faced off against the undefeated Colorado Buffaloes(5-0). From the opening tip, this game seemed bound to be a nail biter.
At halftime, it was Bears trailing by 2. This was the first game of the season that the Bears found themselves trailing at the half.
It was Buffaloes senior guard George King that took over in the second half, scoring 16 of his 25 points in the final 20 minutes. The Bears had seemingly no answer to his scoring barrage and ultimately fell short 79-70.
Looking back at each of the Bears contests this season, there is one statistic that stands out among the others. In every game the Bears outrebounded their opponents, they won, and when they didn’t, they lost.
The Bears are a team that will rely on their defense to help them win ball games, and the inability to rebound on the defensive end will allow opposing teams to get second chance opportunities, and wear down that stingy Bears defense.
Each and every one of the Bears’ goals for the season are still in front of them. With SoCon conference play upcoming, the Bears appear to be in a good position to contend for the crown at the end of the year.
The Bears will face their toughest challenge yet when they travel to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
(11/15/17 3:03pm)
The Mercer men’s basketball team improved to 2-1 in season play, 0-0 in conference, pulling away from the Tigers of Jackson State for an 86-58 victory.
From the opening tip, both the Bears(1-1, 0-0) and Tigers(1-0, 0-0) came out aggressive. For the Bears, it was drawing fouls on the inside and playing tough man-to-man defense. On the Tigers side, it was offensive rebounds and boxing out on both ends of the floor.
It was Jackson State’s guard Maurice Rivers that kept them in the game at the beginning, scoring 14 of the Tigers’ first 22 points. The Bears were able to maintain a small lead due to strong inside play, with nearly 50% of Mercer’s points coming from inside the paint.
[video credit="Hayes Rule" align="left"][/video]
With approximately 8-minutes to play, Bears’ forward Stephon Jelks slammed home an emphatic dunk that blew the roof off of Hawkins Arena. This sparked a 9-0 run for the Bears to extend its lead to 11.
At halftime, the Bears led 43 to 38. It was Jackson State’s efficient jump shooting and seven offensive rebounds that allowed them to hang around in the first half. Jump shots accounted for 71 percent of the Tiger’s scoring in the first half, including 40 percent of its points coming from 3-pointers.
The Bears’ found themselves locked in a tit-for-tat battle for the early part of the second half. It was a quick 10-2 Mercer run that forced a Jackson State timeout as the Bears extended their lead into double-digits, 53-43.
With just over 14-minutes to play, the Bears’ found themselves upby 9 and trying desperately to pull away from Jackson State and their scrappy play. It was the Mercer’s ability to get to the foul line that allowed them to put together a 5-minute, 19-4 run that stretched their lead out to 23.
The Bears never looked back. They played smart basketball down the stretch to maintain their lead and not allow the Tigers any chance of getting back into the ballgame.
For the second game in a row, the Bears were able to get nearly their entire roster game action, with 12 players on Mercer’s roster getting playing time.
When the buzzer finally sounded, it was the Bears on top 86-58, earning them their second convincing win of the year.
Next up, the Bears will hit the road to participate in the 2017 U.S. Virgin Island Paradise Jam. The Bears will take on Liberty University in the opening round Fridayat 12 p.m.
(11/14/17 11:57pm)
Mercer men’s basketball earned its first victory of the year Sunday, running past the Toccoa Falls Eagles 110-43.
It was the Bears’ (1-1, 0-0) defense that set the tone early when the offense struggled out of the gate. Through the first 10 minutes, the Bears forced eight turnovers but were only able to turn them into 11 points.
Combine that with botched dunks and easy missed layups at the rim, and Mercer’s sloppy play allowed the Eagles to hang around early. As the first half went on, the Bears’ motion, high pick-and-roll offense created opportunities for open 3-pointers.
The Bears took advantage, converting 7-for-11, good for 64 percent. Combine that with a stifling defense that forced 16 turnovers, the Bears were hitting on all cylinders. With approximately 13 minutes remaining until halftime, something clicked for Mercer’s offense.
The Bears dominated the Eagles the final 13 minutes of the first half to the tune of a 48 to 11 run, taking the Bears into halftime up 57 to 19.
The second half was only more of the same for the Bears. Mercer and Toccoa Falls traded baskets for the first six minutes, but the Mercer offense took over during a four-minute run, stretching its 38-point lead to 51 mid-way through the second half.
As the half went on, the 3-pointer continued to be the shot of choice for the Bears, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Bears’ points through 33 minutes of action. At the five-minute mark, the Bears hit the 100-point milestone and saw their lead stretch to 60 points.
With just 38 seconds to play, freshman Mason Green slammed home a dunk to cap off a resounding victory for the Bears. When the buzzer sounded, the Bears were on top 110 to 43, giving head coach Bob Hoffman his largest margin of victory since taking the reigns as head coach in 2008.
It just so happens that Sunday was senior guard Ria’n Holland’s birthday and he gave himself quite the birthday present. For the first time in his collegiate career, Ria’n Holland dunked in a game.
After the game, Holland said his teammates had been “ragging” him about it, so he finally decided to put one down. It was Holland who led all scorers with 16 points, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Freshman guard Marcus Cohen also had a standout performance with eight points, seven assists, and six steals to go along with a single turnover. Add that with 12 points a piece from forwards Demetre Rivers and Ethan Stair and you can see just how balanced the Bear’s offensive attack was Sunday.
The Bears are now 10-0 in season openers under head coach Bob Hoffman and 2-0 all-time against the Eagles with their last win coming in 1999. Looking ahead, the Bears will host the Tigers of Jackson State University Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Hawkins Arena.