Bears Travel North to Battle Bulldogs

Sunday, December 10

Asheville, N.C.

1 P.M.

Mercer University

UNC Asheville

12/9/2017 10:37:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Listen Game Notes

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will go dashing through the snow on its way to Asheville, N.C. to take on the UNC Asheville Bulldogs. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. inside Kimmel Arena.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017 | 1 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (7-2) at UNC Asheville (1-6)
Location: Asheville, N.C. | Kimmel Arena
TV: Big South Network
TV Talent: Jason Patterson (Play-by-Play) / Doug Maurer (Analyst)
Radio: Rewind 100.3
Radio Talent: Mike Gore
Live Stats: uncabulldogs.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | UNC Asheville

Undefeated
Mercer is currently 3-0 in true away games this season, winning at UCF, FAU and Campbell. The Bears are 4-1 in contests played away from Hawkins Arena, splitting two neutral-site games in Atlanta, Ga. Mercer finished 11-4 in true road games last season. The Bears' 3-0 road start this season is the first time starting 3-0 in true road games since the 1979-80 season.

Creeping on Milestones
The Bears are nearing several milestones, most notably Coach Gardner inching towards 300 career wins. Sydni Means is just 15 assists shy of 500 career assists, while Kahlia Lawrence is 208 points away from the 2,000-point plateau. Rachel Selph rounds out the milestone watch, needing 27 more blocks to reach 100 career blocks.

Defensive Intensity
The Bears are holding opponents to less than 57 points per game on .368 percent shooting from the field. The most points that Mercer surrendered in the previous four games was 57 to Campbell in a 58-57 victory. The Bears are coming off a dominant performance on Wednesday in which they yielded a season-low 44 points to George Washington. Mercer is allowing just 52.25 points on average in the last four games, attributing to Mercer's four-game winning streak. The Bears are also forcing 18 turnovers per game during the current win streak, while also holding opponents to .330 percent shooting, including .200 from beyond the arc.

Lucky 13
Mercer is on a four-game winning streak for the 13th time under current head coach Susie Gardner. Mercer registered three four-or-more-game winning streaks last season, including a seasonbest eight game winning streak.

Last Time Out
The Bears notched their fourth consecutive win on Wednesday, this time cruising to a 17-point victory over George Washington. Mercer raced ahead to a 16-0 advantage before the Colonials netted their first basket of the contest. The Bears did not let off the gas, claiming a 35-17 advantage at the conclusion of the first half. Mercer led by as many as 33 points before emptying the bench in the blow-out victory.

Sydni Means notched her second double-double of the season on 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Means finished the game with seven points, just three points shy of the third triple-double in program history. Amanda Thompson chipped in a careerhigh 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, while also pulling down seven rebounds. KeKe Calloway rounded out double-figure scorers with a game-high 15 points.

Series History
Mercer trails UNC Asheville in the all-time series, 4-3. The Bears won the first three meetings before dropping four consecutive games. Most recently, the Bulldogs bested Mercer by the final score of 76-75 on Dec. 21, 2011 in Asheville, N.C.

Battling the Bulldogs
Asheville enters the game with a 1-6 overall record winning its most recent game against Warren Wilson by the final score of 100-53. The Bulldogs' victory on Monday snapped a six-game losing skid to open the season. Asheville is 0-2 against Southern Conference opponents this season, falling to Western Carolina (62-52) and Wofford (70-68).

Asheville is led in scoring by Khaila Webb with 12.6 points per game. Webb is knocking down .397 percent of her shots and has buried .852 percent from the charity stripe. Bronaza Fitzgerald ranks second on the squad in scoring with 11.8 points, while also pulling down a team-best 7.8 rebounds. As a team, the Bulldogs are averaging 6.3 points per game, yielding 64.7 to opponents. Asheville knocks down .300 percent of its threes, knocking down 3.9 threes per contest. The Bulldogs are outrebounding their opponents, 35.7 to 32.9.

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.