Mercer Heads to Philadelphia for Showdown with La Salle Sunday

MACON, Ga. – Mercer's men's basketball team returns to action with a pair of non-conference road games against highly regarded opponents. The Bears will begin their two-game road swing as they travel to The City of Brotherly Love to face the La Salle Explorers, this Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Tom Gola Arena. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Sunday, Dec. 16, 2017 | 4:30 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (6-4) vs. La Salle (5-6)
Location: Philadelphia, Penn. | Tom Gola Arena
TV: A-10 Network
Live Stats: GoExplorers.com/LiveStats
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: La Salle leads 1-0
• In Philadelphia: N/A
• In Macon: La Salle leads 1-0
• Neutral Sites: N/A
• Current Streak: L1
• Last Meeting: L (3OT), 96-98 at Mercer (12/22/16)

BEAR NECESSITIES
About The Explorers
La Salle is 5-6 on the season and is coming off a hard-fought 77-68 loss at No. 1 ranked Villanova. The Explorers are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference and are coached by Dr. John Giannini, who is in his 14^th season. Coach Giannini is La Salle's all-time winningest coach in A-10 play. The Explorers are led in scoring and rebounding by senior swingman B.J. Johnson, who is averaging 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest. Johnson scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in last year's victory over Mercer. Junior Pookie Powell, who tallied 20 points in the win over Mercer, is averaging 15.4 points per outing.

Bears Rank High in Southern Conference Team Statistics
Here's a look at where the Bears rank near the top of this week's SoCon men's basketball statistics:
Team Statistics

1^st in assist/turnover ratio (1.3)
1^st in rebounding defense (29.5)
2^nd in scoring offense (79.9)
2^nd in scoring margin (+14.0)
2^nd in field goal% (47.7%)
2^nd in field goal% defense (41.4%)
2^nd in 3-pt. field goal% (43.3%) – 7th in NCAA
2^nd in rebounding margin (+5.7)
T2^nd in assists (16.3)
3^rd in scoring defense (65.9)

Individual Statistics (player must appear in at least 75% of team's games)

Stephon Jelks – 1^st in 3-pt. field goal% (60.1%)
Stephon Jelks – 3^rd in defensive rebounds (5.7)
Stephon Jelks – 4^th in rebounding (7.1)
Jordan Strawberry – 1st in assist/turnover ratio (2.6)
Jordan Strawberry – 3rd in assists (4.2)
Ethan Stair – 4th in field goal% (58.2%)
Demetre Rivers – T4th in free throw% (87.5%)

Holland Offensive Extraordinaire
Ria'n Holland is rated the #1 player in the nation in Offensive Efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy, a nationally acclaimed basketball statistician who produces the website Kenpom.com. Holland's Offensive Efficiency rating of 152.2 is based upon a formula that examines total offensive possessions and individual points produced. The four components that make up the total offensive possessions include scoring possessions, missed field goal possessions, missed free throw possessions and turnovers.

Holland Back on Track

Holland returned from a three-game absence due to injury with a vengeance in his last outing vs. Florida A&M. The 6-0 senior went for 24 points on seven of 10 shooting from the field, including six of eight behind the three point arc. In the seven games that he has played, he leads the team in scoring (20.7) and free throw shooting (32-35 for 91.46%). Holland was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the team's opening two games. 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 34 of the 39 career games he has played at Mercer.

This and That
Mercer continues to excel with its three-point marksmanship. The Bears are 2^nd in the SoCon in three-point shooting percentage (43.3%), which ranks 7th in the NCAA … Stephon Jelks flirted with a triple-double in his last game, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out seven assists in the victory over Florida A&M. The 6-7 senior leads the club in rebounding (7.1), which ranks 4^th in the SoCon and is the Bears' 3^rd leading scorer (9.4). He also has been extremely accurate behind the three-point line, connecting on 15 of his 25 attempts for 60% which leads the Southern Conference … Jordan Strawberry continues to pace the SoCon in assist/turnover ratio (2.6). The senior guard has dished out 42 assists (3^rd in the league) while committing just 16 turnovers. He is also Mercer's 2^nd leading scorer with a 10.4 per game average … Demetre Rivers is tied for 4^th in the SoCon in free throw shooting percentage, connecting on 87.5% of his attempts … Senior Desmond Ringer has upped his scoring average to 7.1 points per game and is shooting 80.8% from the free throw line … The Bears are receiving strong contributions off the bench. Ethan Stair is the league's 4^th most accurate field goal shooter (58.2%) and is averaging 8.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per outing. Freshman Marcus Cohen (5.3 ppg), Cory Kilby (4.8 ppg), and Jaylen Stowe (3.1 ppg) are all averaging 14 or more minutes of playing time per contest.

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.

Speaking of Seniors
Mercer is one of only two teams in the nation to start five seniors this season, with Texas Tech being the other. The Bears are currently 6-4 on the year and have been rated in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major poll for the majority of the season, while the Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference sport an 8-1 record and are currently ranked No. 24 in this week's Associated Press poll.

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.

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.

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.

Coach Hoffman-Led Bears Own 10 Power Conference Wins
Under Head Coach Bob Hoffman's leadership, Mercer has posted some impressive victories over power conference programs. The Bears' most celebrated power conference victory came against No. 6 Duke in the NCAA Championship Tournament, when Mercer knocked off the Blue Devils 78-71 on March 21, 2014 in Raleigh, N.C. Most recently on this win list, Mercer defeated Arkansas 69-66 on Dec. 19, 2015 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Here's a complete list of Mercer's power conference wins under Coach Hoffman:

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

Coach Hoffman Closing In On 500 Victories
Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman has certainly achieved a great deal of success during his coaching career and he is closing in on a milestone that will only add to his list of superlative accomplishments. Coach Hoffman heads into Sunday's game at La Salle with 496 victories at the collegiate men's level, just four shy of 500. Coach Hoffman accumulated 243 wins as the head coach at Oklahoma Baptist from 1990-99; 68 victories while at Texas Pan-American (1999-2004); and he has won 185 games as Mercer's head coach (2008-present). Coach Hoffman has led Mercer to unprecedented success during his tenure with the Bears. The two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year has directed Mercer to 18 post-season victories and 10 power conference wins. Twice the Bears have won a school-record 27 games (2011-12 and 2013-14) under his leadership.

Series History
Sunday's game will be the second meeting all-time between Mercer and La Salle. Mercer dropped a hard-fought 98-96 triple overtime decision to the Explorers Dec. 22, 2016 in Macon. In that game, Jordan Strawberry went for 31 points, including five three pointers, and Ria'n Holland hit for 27, but it wasn't enough to provide the Bears with the win. There were 11 ties and 16 lead changes during the course of the game. Holland logged a career-high 52 minutes, while Demetre Rivers and Strawberry each played 47 minutes. La Salle had three players eclipse the 20-point scoring mark, led by Jordan Price's 26 points.

What's Next
Following Sunday's game, Mercer heads southward to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide Tuesday, Dec. 19 in Huntsville, Ala. Tipoff time is set for 9 p.m. (ET).

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 Heads to Philadelphia for Showdown with La Salle Sunday

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Players Mentioned

Marcus Cohen

Ria'n Holland

Stephon Jelks

Cory Kilby

Rashad Lewis

Desmond Ringer

Demetre Rivers

Ethan Stair

Jaylen Stowe

Jordan Strawberry

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Mercer University Athletics

Mercer Heads to Philadelphia for Showdown with La Salle Sunday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marcus Cohen

Ria'n Holland

Stephon Jelks

Cory Kilby

Rashad Lewis

Desmond Ringer

Demetre Rivers

Ethan Stair

Jaylen Stowe

Jordan Strawberry

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