Bears Host Hiwassee College Sunday at Hawkins Arena

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's basketball team will return to the hardwood this Sunday, Nov. 26, when they play host to the Hiwassee Tigers at Hawkins Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (4-2) vs. Hiwassee (7-3)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
TV: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
TV Talent: Frank Malloy (play by play), Dean Keener (analyst), Kristin Banks (sideline reporter)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

BEAR NECESSITIES
Last Time Out
Mercer's bid to win the 2017 Paradise Jam came up short last Sunday night as the Bears dropped a 79-70 decision to Pac-12 Conference foe Colorado at the Vines Center on the campus of host school Liberty University.

Mercer Maintains Mid-Major Ranking
For the second consecutive week, Mercer is ranked No. 16 in the latest edition of the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

The Bears, currently 4-2 on the season, are coming off a runner-up finish at the 2017 Paradise Jam Tournament, a three-day tournament held on the campus of Liberty University. Mercer posted impressive wins over Liberty and Drexel before falling in the championship game to Pac-12 Conference foe Colorado.

Mercer continues to be the highest ranked Southern Conference team in this week's poll. SoCon rival Furman (2-1) is ranked No. 19.

This and That
Jordan Strawberry pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds in the win over Liberty … Stephon Jelks went for a double-double in the victory over Drexel, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds … Demetre Rivers is averaging 11.3 points per contest while shooting 52% from the floor and 93% from the charity stripe.

Senior Leadership
Six seniors return from last year's team. Those senior leaders include: Desmond Ringer, Jordan Strawberry, Ria'n Holland, Demetre Rivers, Rashad Lewis, and Stephon Jelks. Holland is the team's leading returning scorer at 17.2 points per game; Jelks paced the club with 6.7 rebounds per outing; while Strawberry dished out a team-best 4.3 assists per contest.

Returning Firepower
Mercer returns all five starters from last season's club. Those five starters – Ria'n Holland, Jordan Strawberry, Demetre Rivers, Desmond Ringer, and Stephon Jelks – combined to score a total of 1,744 of the team's 2,269 points on the season. That translates to nearly 77% of the Bears' offensive output from last year. In total, nine players are back from the 2016-17 team.

Holland Continues Hot Start
Senior guard Ria'n Holland is off to a fast start for the Bears. Through six games, he leads the team in scoring (20.2); three point shooting (21-37 for 56%) and free throw shooting (28-29 for 96%). Holland was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the team's opening two games. Holland is the second leading scorer in the Southern Conference (20.2); fourth in free throw shooting percentage (96.6%); third in three point shooting percentage (56.8%) and second in three point shots made per game (3.5). He went for 31 points in the 88-79 loss at Central Florida and then came back with a 16-point effort in the victory over Toccoa Falls. That 31-point effort vs. UCF was the second-highest output in his Mercer career. The 6-0 product of Fayetteville, N.C., scored a career-best 32 points last season vs. The Citadel. Holland was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament team as he averaged 18.3 points during the three-game stretch, including a 29-point effort in the victory over Drexel. Holland has scored in double figures in 33 of the 38 career games he has played at Mercer.

Bears Rank High in SoCon Stats

Mercer ranks in the top three in multiple Southern Conference team statistical categories, including:

2^nd in scoring offense (81.0)
2^nd in scoring defense (62.5)
2^nd in scoring margin (+18.5)
2^nd in free throw % (75.5%)
2^nd in field goal % (47.5%)
3^rd in field goal % defense (41.3%)
3^rd in 3-pt. field goal % (41.4%)
3^rd in 3-pt. field goal % defense (31%)
2^nd in rebounding defense (30.8)
3^rd in rebounding margin (+3.0)
3^rd in assists (16.0)
1^st in turnover margin (+5.5)
1^st in assist/turnover ratio (1.6)

Other Bears Rank Among SoCon Stat Leaders

Stephon Jelks – 3^rd in rebounding (7.5)
Stephon Jelks – 5^th in field goal % (60.6%)
Stephon Jelks – 2nd in 3-pt. % (57.1%)
Jordan Strawberry – 3^rd in assists (4.7)
Jordan Strawberry – 2^nd in assist/turnover ratio (3.5)
Ria'n Holland – 3^rd in 3-pt. % (56.8%)
Ria'n Holland – 3^rd in 3-pt. per game (3.5)

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.

Preseason Watch List
Holland was named to the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List, as announced by CollegeInsider.com earlier this month. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top NCAA Division I mid-major player. Holland is one of 51 mid-major players included on the preseason watch list. The award is named after Lou Henson, who coached college basketball for 41 years and was sixth all-time in career Division I wins (779) when he left the game in 2005. Holland is one of four players from SoCon teams included on the watch list. Players on teams from the following conferences are eligible for the award: America East, ASUN, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro-Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt and West Coast. The winner of the 2017-18 Lou Henson Award will be announced on March 31, 2018 at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Event in San Antonio, Texas, the site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.

Holland was also named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team as selected by the league's coaches prior to the start of this year.

Scouting The Opponent
This will be the first meeting between Mercer and Hiwassee College. The Tigers are members of the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) and are 7-3 on the season, most recently defeating Bryan College 67-65. Hiwassee is coached by Will Raby, who is in his fourth season at the helm.

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 Host Hiwassee College Sunday at Hawkins Arena

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Players Mentioned

Ria'n Holland

Stephon Jelks

Rashad Lewis

Desmond Ringer

Demetre Rivers

Jordan Strawberry

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Mercer University Athletics

Bears Host Hiwassee College Sunday at Hawkins Arena

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Players Mentioned

Ria'n Holland

Stephon Jelks

Rashad Lewis

Desmond Ringer

Demetre Rivers

Jordan Strawberry

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