Sunday, November 26
Macon, Ga.
2 P.M.
Mercer University
5-2
90
vs
53
Hiwassee College
7-4
1
2
F
Hiwassee College
32
21
53
Mercer
51
39
90
Team Stats
HIW
MER
FG%
.333
.580
3FG%
.458
.480
FT%
.400
.645
RB
25
41
TO
20
18
STL
6
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Mercer Rolls Past Hiwassee, 90-53, on Sunday
11/26/2017 5:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga.- Mercer shot a red shot 58 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures as the Bears returned from Thanksgiving break to claim a 90-53 victory over Hiwassee College on Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Arena.
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The Bears, now 5-2 on the season, opened up a 51-32 halftime lead and stretched it out in the second period to win going away. Mercer hit a sizzling 68% of its field goals in the opening half, including eight of 14 behind the three point line.
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Ethan Stair got the starting nod in place of leading scorer Ria'n Holland, who was sidelined with an injury. Stair, a 6-5 sophomore, responded with a solid 15-point, six assist and five rebound effort to pace the Bears in scoring. That 15-point showing equaled his career high.
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Four other Bears hit for double figures, including Cory Kilby, who tallied a career high 14 points. Jordan Strawberry and Desmond Ringer contributed 11 points apiece, while Marcus Cohen scored a career-best 10 points.
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The Bears hit 12 of 25 three point field goals and Stair said the team was feeling it behind the three point line.
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"We knew they were going to play a lot of 2-3 zone," said Stair. "Coach (Hoffman) said if we had a good look, to shoot it. But, we also wanted to make sure we got it inside-out before we took the shot."
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Stair said he knew the team had to step up today with Holland being out. "I try to go into a game with pretty much the same mindset," said Stair. "It's on to the next game now. We know we've got a big challenge ahead of us with these two road games (at Tennessee and at Memphis) coming up."
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Hiwassee falls to 7-4 on the season and was led by Ben Snider's 14 points.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Redshirt sophomore Ethan Stair was the player of the game for the Bears. Stair scored a team-high and tied his career-high of 15 points. Stair also led the team in assists (6) and grabbed five rebounds.
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STAT OF THE GAME
Mercer bench helped provide an extra spark for the Bears, recording 42 points on the game.
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QUOTABLES
"We were very unselfish today; 24 assists on 29 baskets; that was huge. They were playing a tight 2-3 zone. We worked on it for two days; we knew we had to dribble and kick. We didn't execute it as well as we'd like, that's why we had 18 turnovers. I love how we shared the ball and looked for each other and made the extra pass multiple times. We dominated the boards and we were able to get some separation against a team that has played really well against some other Division I teams. We had some bad turnovers; we tried to thread the needle some and make what I call "hero" passes instead of just making simple, fundamental plays. We need to understand that the possession of the ball is the most important thing and if we can get better with that as well as we're shooting the ball, I think we're going to be a tough out. We took a little while to get into rhythm with Ria'n (Holland) out going with different substitution patterns. Cory (Kilby) was big time; it was great to see him get it going. He was a 2,000-point scorer in high school, so he knows how to score the ball. He got some touches and was confident with his shot. The part about Ria'n being out, Jordan (Strawberry) played the 2 some and he hit some big three's early in the game that gave us some separation and gave us a big lead going into halftime. (Status of Ria'n) I hope he'll be able to go; it's kind of day to day. He hurt it against Colorado and he's had it looked at; he just needs some time to get it healed up. We're hopeful that he'll be able to go, but we don't know that for sure yet. We talked about free throws and turnovers at half time. I think my talk worked on the free throws but not on the turnovers. I wasn't very happy at halftime, because I always see the bigger picture. Today's game was about us finding a way to get a W but it was also about getting better defensively and playing good team defense. We have to get more consistent at doing that and that's what I was the most upset about. (On facing Tennessee) "Tennessee beat Purdue, a top 25 team last weekend, we know what they're about. Coach (Rick) Barnes is one of the best men in college basketball period. He's a tremendous coach and they have great athletes. They will be coming at us really fast and that was part of the issue we had with Colorado. We're going to have to get back and we're going to have to be in the right places. I love my team. I love how they compete. I love how they are excited about each other. (On Ethan Stair's play) "He was determined. That's the kind of competitor he is. He has the mentality that he wants to rebound and push the ball, which I'm good with because he's fast. He gives us a completely different dynamic when he's in. I love the way he likes to attack the basket." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
The Bears will hit the road for a two-game trip through the state of Tennessee. Mercer will first meet the Tennessee Volunteers this Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. The Bears will then travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's 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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The Bears, now 5-2 on the season, opened up a 51-32 halftime lead and stretched it out in the second period to win going away. Mercer hit a sizzling 68% of its field goals in the opening half, including eight of 14 behind the three point line.
Â
Ethan Stair got the starting nod in place of leading scorer Ria'n Holland, who was sidelined with an injury. Stair, a 6-5 sophomore, responded with a solid 15-point, six assist and five rebound effort to pace the Bears in scoring. That 15-point showing equaled his career high.
Â
Four other Bears hit for double figures, including Cory Kilby, who tallied a career high 14 points. Jordan Strawberry and Desmond Ringer contributed 11 points apiece, while Marcus Cohen scored a career-best 10 points.
Â
The Bears hit 12 of 25 three point field goals and Stair said the team was feeling it behind the three point line.
Â
"We knew they were going to play a lot of 2-3 zone," said Stair. "Coach (Hoffman) said if we had a good look, to shoot it. But, we also wanted to make sure we got it inside-out before we took the shot."
Â
Stair said he knew the team had to step up today with Holland being out. "I try to go into a game with pretty much the same mindset," said Stair. "It's on to the next game now. We know we've got a big challenge ahead of us with these two road games (at Tennessee and at Memphis) coming up."
Â
Hiwassee falls to 7-4 on the season and was led by Ben Snider's 14 points.
Â
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Redshirt sophomore Ethan Stair was the player of the game for the Bears. Stair scored a team-high and tied his career-high of 15 points. Stair also led the team in assists (6) and grabbed five rebounds.
Â
STAT OF THE GAME
Mercer bench helped provide an extra spark for the Bears, recording 42 points on the game.
Â
QUOTABLES
"We were very unselfish today; 24 assists on 29 baskets; that was huge. They were playing a tight 2-3 zone. We worked on it for two days; we knew we had to dribble and kick. We didn't execute it as well as we'd like, that's why we had 18 turnovers. I love how we shared the ball and looked for each other and made the extra pass multiple times. We dominated the boards and we were able to get some separation against a team that has played really well against some other Division I teams. We had some bad turnovers; we tried to thread the needle some and make what I call "hero" passes instead of just making simple, fundamental plays. We need to understand that the possession of the ball is the most important thing and if we can get better with that as well as we're shooting the ball, I think we're going to be a tough out. We took a little while to get into rhythm with Ria'n (Holland) out going with different substitution patterns. Cory (Kilby) was big time; it was great to see him get it going. He was a 2,000-point scorer in high school, so he knows how to score the ball. He got some touches and was confident with his shot. The part about Ria'n being out, Jordan (Strawberry) played the 2 some and he hit some big three's early in the game that gave us some separation and gave us a big lead going into halftime. (Status of Ria'n) I hope he'll be able to go; it's kind of day to day. He hurt it against Colorado and he's had it looked at; he just needs some time to get it healed up. We're hopeful that he'll be able to go, but we don't know that for sure yet. We talked about free throws and turnovers at half time. I think my talk worked on the free throws but not on the turnovers. I wasn't very happy at halftime, because I always see the bigger picture. Today's game was about us finding a way to get a W but it was also about getting better defensively and playing good team defense. We have to get more consistent at doing that and that's what I was the most upset about. (On facing Tennessee) "Tennessee beat Purdue, a top 25 team last weekend, we know what they're about. Coach (Rick) Barnes is one of the best men in college basketball period. He's a tremendous coach and they have great athletes. They will be coming at us really fast and that was part of the issue we had with Colorado. We're going to have to get back and we're going to have to be in the right places. I love my team. I love how they compete. I love how they are excited about each other. (On Ethan Stair's play) "He was determined. That's the kind of competitor he is. He has the mentality that he wants to rebound and push the ball, which I'm good with because he's fast. He gives us a completely different dynamic when he's in. I love the way he likes to attack the basket." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
- The Bears scored first in the contest and are now 4-1 when scoring the first points in a game. Mercer led from wire to wire.
- Mercer has protected home court this season very effectively as they are now 3-0 at Hawkins Arena with an average margin of victory of 32.
- Ethan Stair earned his first start of the season, tying his career-high of 15 points, while tallying a team-high six assists and five rebounds. Stair went 6 for 9 from the field, including 2 for 3 from behind the arc.
- Cory Kilby recorded a career-high of 14 points, connecting on four three-pointers.
- Freshman Marcus Cohen knocked down a career-high 10 points, as he was a perfect 4 for 4 from the field.
- Jordan Strawberry and Desmond Ringer also scored in the double-figures for the Bears, scoring 11 points apiece.
- Freshman Mason Green earned a team-high and career-high three blocks on the day.
- The Bears dominated the battle inside the blocks, outscoring Hiwassee 34-12 inside the paint.
- Twelve different players saw action for the Bears, as each of them also go on the scoreboard.
- The Bears dished 24 assists on the afternoon.
- Mercer shot a scorching 58% (29-50) from the field, going 48% (12-25) from behind the arc.
- Mercer: 5-2
- Hiwassee: 7-4
The Bears will hit the road for a two-game trip through the state of Tennessee. Mercer will first meet the Tennessee Volunteers this Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. The Bears will then travel to Memphis, Tenn., to face the Tigers on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's 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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