Bears To Take On Terriers Thursday

MACON, Ga. – The Bears are on the road for the final three games of the season, starting at Wofford on Thursday evening. Mercer will take on Wofford at 7 p.m. at Benjamin Johnson Arena in Spartanburg.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Saturday, February 16 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (20-5, 9-2 SoCon) vs. Wofford (12-13, 2-8 SoCon)
Location: Spartanburg, S.C. | Benjamin Johnson Arena
Game Notes: Mercer
Live Stats: WoffordTerriers.com | Video: ESPN3
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB

TERRIFIC TWENTY
With Mercer's win over UNCG last week, the Bears solidified their third consecutive 20-win season. This is the second time in program history that Mercer has had three straight 20-win seasons and the first time in the NCAA era.

Head Coach Susie Gardner has led Mercer to four 20-win campaigns in five seasons. This also marks the second time that Mercer has won 20 or more games in the regular season as a NCAA DI program.

STELLAR START
Mercer has started the season with a 20-5 record, the best under Coach Gardner. It is also the best start for the program since Mercer went 20-5 to start the 1979-80 season. The Bears recorded the program's best non-conference record (11-3) in regular season play in the NCAA era.

ROAD WARRIORS
Mercer is 8-3 on the road this season. Additionally, Mercer is 14-4 in SoCon road games since joining the league.

MARKING A MILESTONE
In last week's win over Western Carolina, Kahlia Lawrence hit her 1,500th career point, making her just the ninth player in program history to reach 1,500 points. Lawrence is the third player at Mercer under Coach Gardner to reach 1,500 points and the first to do so in less than three seasons.

With 1,516 points, Lawrence is second among active scorers in the SoCon. Sitting just behind Furman's Whitney Bunn, whose career was cut short earlier this month, Lawrence needs 23 more points to become the league's active career leader in points scored.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSE
This season, Mercer has continued to put on a show offensively. The Bears are atop the SoCon rankings in scoring offense (66.2 ppg) and scoring margin (9.5). Mercer also ranks second in assists per game (14.4), just behind Wofford (14.5).

In SoCon games, Mercer is first in scoring offense (65.1 ppg) and assists per game (14.5), while ranking second in scoring margin (9.1).

IT'S FOR FREE
As a team, the Bears have connected on 72.1 percent of their attempts from the free throw line this season. Mercer ranks third in the league and 91st nationally in free throw percentage. Mercer has hit over 80 percent of its free throws in eight games this season. Additionally, Mercer has connected on 70+ percent of free throw attempts in nine of 11 SoCon games. In the win over UNCG, the Bears connected on 84.6 percent of their attempts from the charity stripe, a season high in league play.

Kahlia Lawrence ranks second in the SoCon with a 79.1 free throw percentage, having connected on 68 of 86 attempts. Sydni Means is 69-of-92 from the charity stripe, putting her fourth in the league with a 75.0 percentage.

LAWRENCE LEADING THE WAY
Kahlia Lawrence is leading Mercer and ranks second in the SoCon with 18.1 points per game. The junior also ranks 49th nationally in ppg. She has reached double figures in scoring 21 times this season, including 15 of the last 16 games, and topped 20 points in 10 games.

Lawrence has scored 20+ points in six of 11 SoCon games, putting her atop the league standings with 19.2 ppg in SoCon play.

DUBS ON DUBS ON DUBS
Mercer is outscoring its opponents by 9.5 ppg this season, which is buoyed by three players averaging double figures in scoring. Kahlia Lawrence (18.1 ppg), KeKe Calloway (12.6 ppg) and Sydni Means (10.4 ppg) are leading the Bears offensively this season.

The Bears also have two players -- Lawrence (19.2 ppg), Means (11.4 ppg) -- averaging double figures in SoCon games. KeKe Calloway (9.1 ppg) is just below the double-figure mark.

SHARING IS CARING
After finishing last season leading the SoCon in total assists and assists per game, Sydni Means is still on top. Means has dished out 163 assists and is averaging 6.5 apg, both of which lead the conference. She is ranked 13th and 14th nationally in both total assists and apg. Means also leads the conference with a 3.33 assist/ turnover ratio and ranks third nationally.

In SoCon play, Means is averaging 6.9 apg and has dished out a total of 76 assists, once again leading the league in both categories.

ALL ABOUT THE GIVE AND TAKE
In addition to leading the SoCon in assists and assists per game, Sydni Means has notched 68 steals and 2.72 steals per game and leads the conference in both categories. She ranks 26th nationally in total steals and 30th in steals per game. The junior point guard has recorded the SoCon's single-game highs for both assists (14) and steals (7). Means dished out 14 assists in the win over Furman last month, besting her previous career high (13) set at the end of December.

DEFENSE STANDING OUT
Mercer has focused more on defense this season and it has paid off. The Bears lead the SoCon and 28th nationally in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score just 56.7 points per game. Mercer has held its opponents to less than 60 points in 15 games and less than 50 points in seven games this season.

In league action, Mercer's opponents are averaging 56.0 ppg. The Bears have held SoCon opponents to less than 60 points in eight of the 11 games so far. In last week's wins, Mercer held Western Carolina to just 15 first half points and UNCG to 16.

BEARS ON THE BOARDS
Amanda Thompson leads Mercer on the boards with 6.6 rebounds per game this season and ranks seventh among SoCon players in the category. Thompson is closely trailed by Alex Williams, who has tallied 6.4 rpg and ranks eighth in the league.

Williams is leading the Bears in SoCon play with 7.3 rpg, followed by Thompson (5.1) and Kahlia Lawrence (5.0). Williams is sixth in the league in rebounding against SoCon opponents.

SMOOTH CRIMINALS
As a team, Mercer has grabbed 243 steals and is averaging 9.7 steals per game, leading the league in both categories. Additionally, Mercer ranks 51st nationally in total steals and 55th in steals per game.

Mercer has also recorded three of the SoCon's top five single-game steals performances, which includes the Bears' season-high 19 against Georgia Southern. Mercer's 14 steals against Western Carolina last week was a season-high against SoCon opponents for the Bears.

HOLDING ONTO THE BALL
The Bears are protecting the rock well this year and are second in the nation with 10.3 turnovers per game. Mercer is also fifth in the nation in turnover margin, as the Bears have recorded a +7.64 turnover margin thus far. Mercer is forcing 17.92 turnovers per game, ranking second in the SoCon and 82nd nationally.

Mercer has committed just 9.5 turnovers a game in SoCon play and has a turnover margin of 4.91, leading the conference in both categories.

KEKE FOR THREE
KeKe Calloway leads Mercer, ranks fifth in the conference and 131st nationally from outside the arc with 52 made three-pointers. She is also second in the SoCon and 25th nationally with 193 attempted treys. Calloway is averaging 2.08 three-pointers a game, putting her fifth in the conference and 149th in the nation.

Earlier this season, Calloway earned a spot on the Bears' career made three-pointers leaderboard. She currently sits in eighth place with 104 made three-pointers.

SERIES HISTORY
Mercer owns a 7-1 record in the series with Wofford, which includes a 6-0 mark since the Bears joined the SoCon. Last month, Mercer and Wofford engaged in a defensive battle in Macon as the Bears held the Terriers to the lowest offensive output in SoCon play this season.

SCOUTING WOFFORD
After starting the SoCon at 2-0, the Terriers have lost their last eight league games to drop to seventh place in the standings with a 2-8 record.

Chloe Wanink leads Wofford with 15.6 ppg, followed by Kentra Washington and Maria Corella with 11.9 and 10.3 ppg, respectively. Wanink is averaging 15.8 ppg in SoCon play and Corella has scored 12.4 ppg in conference games.

Grayson Pinholster leads the Terriers on the boards with 7.3 rpg on the season and in SoCon action. Pinholster is also averaging 8.9 ppg in league play.

Corella, Pinholster and Wanink are the only three Terriers to have started in all 10 SoCon games, while Marissa Bayer and Kelsey Lambdin join the trio as the only players to have played in all 10 conference games.

How to 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.

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Players Mentioned

KeKe Calloway

Kahlia Lawrence

Sydni Means

Amanda Thompson

Alex Williams

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