Mercer Faces Drexel in Semifinals of Paradise Jam Saturday

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Mercer men's basketball team will face the Drexel Dragons in the semifinals of the 2017 Paradise Jam this Saturday, Nov. 18. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. at the Vines Center.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017 | 6 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (3-1) vs. Drexel (2-1)
Location: Lynchburg, Va. | Vines Center
TV: FloHoops.com
Live Stats: LibertyFlames.com/LiveStats
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

TOURNAMENT BRACKET

BEAR NECESSITIES
Last Time Out
The Bears took down the host school Liberty in the opening round of the Paradise Jam Friday, with a 63-48 win over the Flames. Mercer shot an impressive 45.8% from the field while limiting their opponent to 34.7% and only 26.9% behind the arc. The Bears won the battle on the boards 37-23, with senior guard Jordan Strawberry corralling a career-high 13 rebounds. Senior guard Ria'n Holland led the way on offense with 13 points on four of seven from the field, including three of six behind the three point line. Fellow senior Demetre Rivers turned in a big second half, scoring all 10 of his points after the break. Mercer led nearly the entire game, only trailing for 33 seconds.

It's Paradise Jam Time
Mercer competes in the 2017 Paradise Jam this weekend, an eight-team tournament that features a solid field of participants. The tournament, originally scheduled to be held in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was relocated to the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., due to the damage inflicted upon the islands from Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. The Bears will square off in the opening game of the tournament against host Liberty. Other teams competing include: Drexel, Houston, Quinnipiac, Wake Forest, Colorado, and Drake. Each team is guaranteed to play three games in three days, with the championship game slated for Sunday, Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m. All games will be played on Liberty's home court at the Vines Center. Liberty and the Paradise Jam will donate all gate receipts to the humanitarian relief in the U.S. Virgin Islands in order to assist with the recovery due to the hurricane destruction.

Scouting The Opponent
This will be the first meeting between Mercer and Drexel. The Dragons are members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and are 2-1 on the season, after upsetting Houston 84-80 Friday. Drexel is coached by Zach Spiker, who is in his second season at the helm. The Dragons are led in scoring by Tramaine Isabell, averaging 22 points per game. Four other players average in double figures for Drexel.

Up Next
The winner of Saturday's matchup will get a chance to play for the championship on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 8:30 p.m. The loser will play for third place at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The opponents are to be determined depending on outcomes in Friday's night session and Saturday's matchups.

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.

Mercer Faces Drexel in Semifinals of Paradise Jam Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Jordan Strawberry

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