Sunday, November 20
Macon, Ga.
2:00 PM ET
Mercer University
vs
Georgia Southern
Mercer Hosts Rival Georgia Southern Sunday in Macon
11/18/2016 4:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – After a week off Mercer returns to Macon and the rowdy crowd at Hawkins Arena as the Bears will host Georgia Southern on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. in the opening game of the Savannah Invitational.
GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Sunday, Nov. 20 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (1-1) vs. Georgia Southern (1-1)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Broadcast: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
Broadcast Talent: Pete Yanity (play-by-play), Dean Keener (analyst), Megan Trammell (sideline)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network (Flagship: 97.3 FM The Bull Icons) | iHeartRadio
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (play-by-play)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer | SoCon | Georgia Southern
Opening Tipoff
After a week off, Mercer begins the opening rounds of the Savannah Invitational by hosting Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
Savannah Invitational
An eight team, two bracket set up, Mercer will play Georgia Southern and Radford on campus in Macon before heading to Savannah on Nov. 25-26 for a four-team bracketed challenge. The Bears will face East Carolina on Friday, Nov. 25 then will play either Air Force or Akron on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Series History
Sunday's contest will mark 114th meeting overall but just the first contest between Mercer and Georgia Southern since 2007. The former conference rivals will meet in Macon as part of the Savannah Invitational which will see Mercer also face Radford, East Carolina and either Air Force or Akron. Since Mercer Basketball began in the 1906-07 season, the Bears have not faced any other team more than Georgia Southern (113 times).
Scouting Georgia Southern
Entering today's game with a record of 1-1, Georgia Southern returns all five starters and 11 lettermen this season. Ninety-four percent of the Eagles' scoring and rebounding is back in uniform, and Georgia Southern is still young. Georgia Southern is coming off a 92-43 home-opening win over Coastal Georgia Monday. The Eagles were picked fourth in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll, and Tookie Brown and Mike Hughes were named preseason all-conference.
Last Time Out
Ria'n Holland scored a game-high 21 points but Mercer could not overcome a slow start in a 76-54 loss to Florida at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville Sunday evening. The Bears (1-1) and Gators (2-0) were even in second half scoring as each team put up 40 but a 22-point deficit at halftime kept Mercer spending most of the game trying to climb back into contention.
Ria'n Channels His Inner Petula Clark
In just two games in a Mercer uniform, Ria'n Holland has already established himself as a dangerous threat from downtown. He enters Sunday's game ranked sixth in the nation in 3pt field goals made per game (5.00) and 3pt field goals made overall (10).
Ria'n Holland from Downtown
Strawberry Dish
Prior to the 2016-17 season, Mercer guard Jordan Strawberry expressed his desire to lead the nation in assists. The junior guard is well on his way to doing so as he ranks in the mid-30s this week in both total assists and assists per game.
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Ria'n Makes it Rai(')n
What a Mercer debut for Ria'n Holland. The redshirt junior that previously played at Wichita State by way of Indian Hills CC made his inaugural game in a Bears uniform a memorial one as he scored a game-high 24 points and was 5-for-11 from behind the arc.
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Lock Down D...
Mercer's defense has already made quite a statement early this season. The Bears enter this week's game ranked 31st in the nation (and first in the Southern Conference) in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to only a 33.6 success rate in shooting the ball. That includes holding Florida - a perennial power house that averaged 42.6 percent shooting last year - to only 36.1 percent from the field on Nov. 13 against Mercer.
...Started at the Beginning...
Mercer's defense made an impressive showing in the second half of the season opener against Brewton-Parker on Friday, Nov. 11. The Bears made 22 consecutive defensive stops and held BPC scoreless over the final 12:25 in the game. Not a surprising performance, considering its numbers last year...
...Continued from Last Year
The Bears held opponents to a combined shooting percentage of .402 from the field last season, the best mark in the SoCon. The Bears held 14 opponents to shooting under .400 percent from the floor. Mercer's defense has held four teams to 50 points or less last season (Alabama State, Alcorn State, Hiwassee and Samford).
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Sunday, Nov. 20 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (1-1) vs. Georgia Southern (1-1)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Broadcast: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
Broadcast Talent: Pete Yanity (play-by-play), Dean Keener (analyst), Megan Trammell (sideline)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network (Flagship: 97.3 FM The Bull Icons) | iHeartRadio
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (play-by-play)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer | SoCon | Georgia Southern
Opening Tipoff
After a week off, Mercer begins the opening rounds of the Savannah Invitational by hosting Georgia Southern Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
Savannah Invitational
An eight team, two bracket set up, Mercer will play Georgia Southern and Radford on campus in Macon before heading to Savannah on Nov. 25-26 for a four-team bracketed challenge. The Bears will face East Carolina on Friday, Nov. 25 then will play either Air Force or Akron on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Series History
Sunday's contest will mark 114th meeting overall but just the first contest between Mercer and Georgia Southern since 2007. The former conference rivals will meet in Macon as part of the Savannah Invitational which will see Mercer also face Radford, East Carolina and either Air Force or Akron. Since Mercer Basketball began in the 1906-07 season, the Bears have not faced any other team more than Georgia Southern (113 times).
Scouting Georgia Southern
Entering today's game with a record of 1-1, Georgia Southern returns all five starters and 11 lettermen this season. Ninety-four percent of the Eagles' scoring and rebounding is back in uniform, and Georgia Southern is still young. Georgia Southern is coming off a 92-43 home-opening win over Coastal Georgia Monday. The Eagles were picked fourth in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll, and Tookie Brown and Mike Hughes were named preseason all-conference.
Last Time Out
Ria'n Holland scored a game-high 21 points but Mercer could not overcome a slow start in a 76-54 loss to Florida at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville Sunday evening. The Bears (1-1) and Gators (2-0) were even in second half scoring as each team put up 40 but a 22-point deficit at halftime kept Mercer spending most of the game trying to climb back into contention.
Ria'n Channels His Inner Petula Clark
In just two games in a Mercer uniform, Ria'n Holland has already established himself as a dangerous threat from downtown. He enters Sunday's game ranked sixth in the nation in 3pt field goals made per game (5.00) and 3pt field goals made overall (10).
Ria'n Holland from Downtown
| Category | National Rank | SoCon Rank | Stat |
| 3pt FG per game | 6 | 2 | 5.00 |
| 3pt FG overall | 6 | 3 | 10 |
| 3pt FG attempted | 19 | 3 | 21 |
| Points Per Game | 57 | 2 | 22.5 |
Strawberry Dish
Prior to the 2016-17 season, Mercer guard Jordan Strawberry expressed his desire to lead the nation in assists. The junior guard is well on his way to doing so as he ranks in the mid-30s this week in both total assists and assists per game.
| Category | National Rank | SoCon Rank | Stat |
| Total Assists | 33 | 3 | 13 |
| Assists per game | 36 | 3 | 6.5 |
Ria'n Makes it Rai(')n
What a Mercer debut for Ria'n Holland. The redshirt junior that previously played at Wichita State by way of Indian Hills CC made his inaugural game in a Bears uniform a memorial one as he scored a game-high 24 points and was 5-for-11 from behind the arc.
Â
Lock Down D...
Mercer's defense has already made quite a statement early this season. The Bears enter this week's game ranked 31st in the nation (and first in the Southern Conference) in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to only a 33.6 success rate in shooting the ball. That includes holding Florida - a perennial power house that averaged 42.6 percent shooting last year - to only 36.1 percent from the field on Nov. 13 against Mercer.
...Started at the Beginning...
Mercer's defense made an impressive showing in the second half of the season opener against Brewton-Parker on Friday, Nov. 11. The Bears made 22 consecutive defensive stops and held BPC scoreless over the final 12:25 in the game. Not a surprising performance, considering its numbers last year...
...Continued from Last Year
The Bears held opponents to a combined shooting percentage of .402 from the field last season, the best mark in the SoCon. The Bears held 14 opponents to shooting under .400 percent from the floor. Mercer's defense has held four teams to 50 points or less last season (Alabama State, Alcorn State, Hiwassee and Samford).
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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