Bears Take on Lady Toppers in GSU Thanksgiving Classic

Friday, November 24

Atlanta, Ga.

6 P.M.

Mercer University

Western Kentucky

Bears Take on Lady Toppers in GSU Thanksgiving Classic

11/23/2017 9:53:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Game Notes

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will compete in the Georgia State Thanksgiving Classic tomorrow at 6 p.m. against the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers in Atlanta, Ga. Tomorrow's contest will be one of two games that Mercer will partake in at the GSU Thanksgiving Classic, squaring off with VCU on Sunday at 4 p.m.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 | 6 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (3-1) vs. Western Kentucky (1-3)
Location: Atlanta, Ga. | GSU Sports Arena
Live Stats: georgiastatesports.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | Western Kentucky

On the Road Again
Mercer will take to the road for a three-game road swing starting on Friday. Following the road trip, the Bears will have competed in just two home games in seven outings. Mercer will take on Western Kentucky (Friday at 6 p.m.) and VCU (Sunday at 4 p.m.) in Atlanta, Ga., before traveling to Buies Creek, N.C. to battle Campbell on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.

Climbing the Ladder
Kahlia Lawrence continues her impressive start to the season, notching 19 points against Georgia on Sunday night in Hawkins Arena. Lawrence needs just 30 points to pass Briana Williams to move into 8th all-time in Mercer history. Lawrence is currently 286 points away from the 2,000-point milestone.

Doing the Usual Thing
Mercer has grown accustomed to knocking down three after three each game. The Bears have netted at least one from downtown in six consecutive games dating back to last season. Mercer failed to hit at least one three in one game last season, doing so against Samford on March 3, 2017, snapping a 69-game streak that began on Feb. 23, 2015 against Chattanooga.

Veteran Dependence
There are six players averaging over 20 minutes per game, including three averaging over 30 minutes. The Bears rely heavily on their veteran leaders: Calloway, Lawrence and Means. Means leads the team in minutes per game at 33.3, while Lawrence averages 32.8 and Calloway currently ranks third with 30.3. Amanda Thompson and Rachel Selph have each started four games, averaging 27 minutes per contest.

Last Time Out
The Bears dropped a tough 72-54 decision to Georgia on Sunday afternoon in Hawkins Arena. Mercer held the 12-7 advantage after the first break before the Lady Bulldogs claimed the eight-point lead at halftime. Georgia never relinquished the advantage despite Mercer trimming the deficit to single digits with 3:53 remaining in the game. Lawrence ended the contest with a game-high 19 points, netting six points from the charity stripe. Sydni Means ended the game with seven points and seven assists, while Alex Williams finished with nine points and six boards.

Series History
This will be the first-ever game between Mercer and Western Kentucky.

Topping the Lady Toppers
Western Kentucky enters Friday's tilt with a 1-3 overall record. The Lady Toppers have dropped three nailbiters thus far, slipping against Iowa in overtime (104-97), Notre Dame (78-65) and Indiana (73-71). Western Kentucky opened the season with a 79-76 victory over Missouri in the 2017 Hawkeye Challenge. Much like Mercer, Western Kentucky has competed mostly on the road. The Lady Toppers have played one game in Bowling Green, Ky.

Western Kentucky returns two of five starts from last season's squad that finished 27-7, falling to Ohio State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, 70- 63. The Lady Toppers' top returning scorer is Tashia Brown, averaging 21.3 points and 5.3 rebounds thus far in the season. Ivy Brown paces the squad in rebounds with 7.8, while also chipping in 12.0 points per game.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB(Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.