Bears Welcome Jackson State Tuesday Night at Hawkins Arena

MACON, Ga. – Mercer will play host to the Jackson State Tigers Tuesday night at Hawkins Arena in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (1-1) vs. Jackson State (1-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
TV: ESPN3
TV Talent: Pete Yanity (play by play), Dean Keener (analyst)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

BEAR NECESSITIES
Red-Hot Start For Ria'n
Senior guard Ria'n Holland is off to a fast start for the Bears. The 6-0 Fayetteville, N.C., product is averaging a team-high 23.5 points per game, while shooting 52% from the field and a red-hot 58.8% from three point land. Through two games, Holland is a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line, with all of those conversions coming in the season opener vs. Central Florida. Holland's 31-point explosion vs. UCF marked the second highest point total in his Mercer career. He went for 32 points vs. The Citadel last season.

Stair Master Off The Bench
Sophomore guard Ethan Stair has been instant offense coming off the bench for the Bears. The 6-5 native of Hazel Green, Ala., is tallying 12 points per outing, second best on the team. He has connected on nine of his 15 field goal attempts and is also leading the team with 4.5 rebounds per contest.

Making A Name
Marcus Cohen is quickly making a name for himself as a true freshman for the Bears. The 6-4 guard from Tampa, Fla., is pacing the club with 5.5 assists per game while scoring at a 7.5 clip per game. Cohen dished out a team-best seven assists in Sunday's win over Toccoa Falls.

Converting On The Other End
Mercer is making the most of its scoring opportunities when its opponent turns the ball over. Through two games the Bears are averaging 31.5 points per game off of turnovers, compared to their opponents 9.5 points off turnovers.

Offensive Outburst
Mercer's 110 points scored Sunday in the win over Toccoa Falls tied the highest point total by a Bear team in Hawkins Arena history. The Bears also went for 110 in its victory over Fisk (110-45) on Nov. 18, 2009.

Bears Held in High Regard
Mercer has been tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference men's championship by the league's head coaches. The Bears were narrow favorites to claim the SoCon crown, tallying four first-place votes and 71 total points with Samford a close runner-up, earning three first-place votes and 70 total points.

Mid-Major Respect
Under Coach Hoffman, the Bears have earned national respect as being one of the premier mid-major programs. Mercer has received preseason recognition in two mid-major power rankings. In NBC Sports' preseason power rankings, Mercer was tabbed as the No.13 mid-major team heading into this season. In CollegeInsider.com's rankings, the Bears were selected as the No. 15 mid-major ball club. With Coach Hoffman at the helm, the Bears have notched 10 NCAA power conference wins, including a thrilling 78-71 victory over No. 6 Duke in the second round of the 2014 NCAA Championship Tournament. Here is a listing of Mercer's NCAA power conference victories during the Coach Hoffman era:

Power Conference Wins
Mercer 69, Arkansas 66 – December 19, 2015 – Fayetteville, Arkansas
Mercer 78, Duke 71 – March 21, 2014 – Raleigh, North Carolina
Mercer 79, Ole Miss 76 – December 22, 2013 – Oxford, Mississippi
Mercer 77, Seton Hall 74 – November 16, 2013 – Macon, Georgia
Mercer 75, Tennessee 67 – March 20, 2013 – Knoxville, Tennessee
Mercer 66, Alabama 59 – December 22, 2012 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Mercer 61, Florida State 56 – December 2, 2012 – Tallahassee, Florida
Mercer 65, Georgia Tech 59 – December 22, 2010 – Atlanta, Georgia
Mercer 78, Auburn 74 – November 19, 2008 – Auburn, Alabama
Mercer 72, Alabama 69 – November 16, 2008 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Holland Earns Preseason Honors
Senior guard Ria'n Holland has received some worthy preseason recognition. The Fayetteville, N.C., native was chosen to the 2017-18 preseason All-Southern Conference team as selected by the league's coaches. The 6-0 Holland has also been named to the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by CollegeInsider.com. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top NCAA Division 1 mid-major player. Holland topped the Bears in scoring (17.2 ppg), three point goals made (77); and minutes played (31.5) last season.

Scouting The Opponent
This will be the first meeting between Mercer and Jackson State. The Tigers are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and are 1-0 on the season, having defeated Millsaps 84-46 in their opener. Jackson State is coached by Wayne Brent, who is in his fifth season at the helm. The Tigers were 14-18 last season and finished third in the SWAC with a 10-8 league mark.

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.

Bears Welcome Jackson State Tuesday Night at Hawkins Arena

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Players Mentioned

Ria'n Holland

Ethan Stair

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