Tuesday, November 22
Macon, Ga.
7:00 PM ET
Mercer University
vs
Radford
Mercer Hosts Radford Tuesday in First Meeting Between Two Schools
11/21/2016 6:17:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – In a quick turnaround following a Sunday, Mercer hits the hardwood again on Tuesday as the Bears host Radford at 7 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the American Sports Network (ASN). Tuesday's contest will mark the first time the two schools will face each other and is part of the opening round of the Savannah Invitational.
GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (2-1) vs. Radford (1-2)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Broadcast: ASN | Broadcast Coverage | Watch ESPN (Blackouts may apply)
Broadcast Talent: Todd Wilson (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 | Radford
Tickets: Purchase Here
Series History
Tuesday's game will mark the first meeting between Mercer and Raford. The two schools, located 440 miles apart, have never met before on the hardwood.
Last Time Out
Mercer had all five starters score in double figures – including Ria'n Holland's 18 points – and the Bears ended the game on a 25-4 run as Mercer came from behind to defeat Georgia Southern, 80-67, in front of a sellout crowd of 3,508 at Hawkins Arena Sunday afternoon in an opening round game of the Savannah Invitational.
Mercer's five starters alone outscored Georgia Southern, 73-67, while Andrew Fishler added seven points for the Bears (2-1). Georgia Southern (1-2), led by Ike Smith's 19 points, was held to just 36.8 percent shooting from the floor.
A New Face
Mercer will get a fresh look at an opponent Tuesday when the Bears host Radford at Hawkins Arena. The game will mark the first meeting between the two schools despite the regional proximity. But even if they had met before, it would still seem like new as Radford recently relaunched a new (and, dare we say, improved?) set of logos and branding marks for the school.
Coach Hoffman's Comments:
On the quick turnaround:
"That's the way conference play is, you play a game and then two nights later you play another really good team. You can celebrate a little bit but you have to get right back at it, which we will do. We'll practice Monday and then be ready to play Tuesday."
On Radford:
"They are a guard-oriented team. They've got some bigs and they've had some success the last few years so we will have to be ready."
Ria'n Channels his Inner Petula Clark
In just three games in a Mercer uniform, Ria'n Holland has already established himself as a dangerous threat from downtown. He enters this game ranked 10th in the nation in 3pt field goals made per game (4.00) and 45th in 3pt field goals made overall (12).
Ria'n Holland from Downtown
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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 ranking among the top players 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.
Lock Down D...
Mercer's defense has already made quite a statement early this season. The Bears enter this week's game ranked 20th in the nation (and first in the Southern Conference) in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to only a 34.6 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...
...Included a Deja Vu...
Had we seen that before? Mercer's defense went into lock down mode over the final seven minutes of the Bears' Nov. 20 game against Georgia Southern at Hawkins Arena, allowing only four points out of the opponents as Mercer ended the game on a 25-4 run. If that seems like a deja vu, maybe that's because it was...
...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: Tuesday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (2-1) vs. Radford (1-2)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Broadcast: ASN | Broadcast Coverage | Watch ESPN (Blackouts may apply)
Broadcast Talent: Todd Wilson (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 | Radford
Tickets: Purchase Here
Series History
Tuesday's game will mark the first meeting between Mercer and Raford. The two schools, located 440 miles apart, have never met before on the hardwood.
Last Time Out
Mercer had all five starters score in double figures – including Ria'n Holland's 18 points – and the Bears ended the game on a 25-4 run as Mercer came from behind to defeat Georgia Southern, 80-67, in front of a sellout crowd of 3,508 at Hawkins Arena Sunday afternoon in an opening round game of the Savannah Invitational.
Mercer's five starters alone outscored Georgia Southern, 73-67, while Andrew Fishler added seven points for the Bears (2-1). Georgia Southern (1-2), led by Ike Smith's 19 points, was held to just 36.8 percent shooting from the floor.
A New Face
Mercer will get a fresh look at an opponent Tuesday when the Bears host Radford at Hawkins Arena. The game will mark the first meeting between the two schools despite the regional proximity. But even if they had met before, it would still seem like new as Radford recently relaunched a new (and, dare we say, improved?) set of logos and branding marks for the school.
Coach Hoffman's Comments:
On the quick turnaround:
"That's the way conference play is, you play a game and then two nights later you play another really good team. You can celebrate a little bit but you have to get right back at it, which we will do. We'll practice Monday and then be ready to play Tuesday."
On Radford:
"They are a guard-oriented team. They've got some bigs and they've had some success the last few years so we will have to be ready."
Ria'n Channels his Inner Petula Clark
In just three games in a Mercer uniform, Ria'n Holland has already established himself as a dangerous threat from downtown. He enters this game ranked 10th in the nation in 3pt field goals made per game (4.00) and 45th in 3pt field goals made overall (12).
Ria'n Holland from Downtown
| Category | National Rank | SoCon Rank | Stat |
| 3pt FG per game | 10 | 1 | 4.00 |
| 3pt FG overall | 45 | 4 | 12 |
| 3pt FG attempted | 68 | 9 | 28 |
| Points Per Game | 67 | 3 | 21.0 |
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 ranking among the top players this week in both total assists and assists per game.
| Category | National Rank | SoCon Rank | Stat |
| Total Assists | 157 | 7 | 15 |
| Assists per game | 77 | 2 | 5.0 |
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.
Lock Down D...
Mercer's defense has already made quite a statement early this season. The Bears enter this week's game ranked 20th in the nation (and first in the Southern Conference) in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to only a 34.6 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...
...Included a Deja Vu...
Had we seen that before? Mercer's defense went into lock down mode over the final seven minutes of the Bears' Nov. 20 game against Georgia Southern at Hawkins Arena, allowing only four points out of the opponents as Mercer ended the game on a 25-4 run. If that seems like a deja vu, maybe that's because it was...
...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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