Mercer Returns Home to Host UNCG

MACON, Ga. – After a three-game road swing Mercer is returning home to Hawkins Arena Wednesday evening as the Bears welcome UNCG to Macon.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (13-15, 7-8 SoCon) vs. UNCG (20-8, 11-4 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena (3,200)
TV: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
TV Talent: Todd Wilson (play-by-play), Dean Keener (analyst), Kristin Banks (sideline)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network | iHeartRadio
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron (play-by-play)
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Tickets: Click Here to Purchase
Game Notes: Mercer | SoCon | UNCG

Series History
Almost perfect. In a nutshell, that is what describles Mercer's history against UNCG. The Bears are 6-2 all-time and both of UNCG's wins - which have come in the last two meetings against Mercer - have been by one possession (four points or less).

Last Time Out – Mercer 89, The Citadel 78 on Feb. 18 in Charleston, S.c.
Rian Holland hit five 3-pointers and scored a career-high 32 points to help lead Mercer to an 89-78 win over The Citadel on Saturday, giving the Bears the season sweep over the Bulldogs.

Desmond Ringer finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Demetre Rivers added 14 points for Mercer (13-15, 7-8 Southern Conference). The Bears shot 57 percent in the first half, and 51 percent overall while holding a 41-30 edge on the glass. Preston Parks led The Citadel (9-19, 2-13) with 24 points and Zane Najdawi added 17.

Mercer held a 50-36 halftime lead and kept The Citadel at arm's length for much of the second half. A Najdawi 3-pointer, however, moved the Bulldogs to 79-76 with 3:43 left. After two scoreless minutes, Ringer answered with a layup, sparking an 8-0 Bears run to ice it.

Last Time vs. UNCG – UNCG 68, Mercer 66 on Jan. 19 in Greensboro, N.C.
Jordan Strawberry scored 20 points and Ria'n Holland added 14 points - all of them in the second half - but Mercer fell prey to a game-winning 3-pointer as the Bears dropped a heartbreaker at UNCG, 68-66, Thursday night.

Diante Baldwin's 3-pointer with four seconds remaining lifted UNCG (15-5, 6-1 SoCon) to the win and a half-game up over second-place Chattanooga (5-1).

Marvin Smith hit a 3-pointer and after Mercer's Stephon Jelks missed two free throws, Baldwin drove to the hoop and tied the game at 64-all with 46 seconds left. Mercer lost the ball out of bounds and Baldwin hit his step-back 3-pointer from straightaway. Mercer's Demetre Rivers made two free throws and UNCG's Francis Alonso one for the final score.

Baldwin finished with 13 points. Alonso led the Spartans with 26 points, making 4 of 6 3-point attempts and 8 of 9 free throws.

A 9-0 run had left the Bears (8-12, 2-5) up nine with six minutes left and they stayed in front until the pivotal nine straight points from Smith and Baldwin.

Hot Streak
Beware the hot Bears! Entering Wednesday's game against UNCG, Mercer has registered three consecutive games where the Bears have shot over 50.0 percent from the field. Even more impressively, all three of those games have come on the road. Can Mercer keep the hot hand going at home?

Date	Opponent	Mercer FG%
Feb. 9	at VMI	52.8
Feb. 11	at ETSU	51.1
Feb. 18	at The Citadel	50.8

Holland Honored
Mercer guard Ria'n Holland has been named the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week following his career-high 32-point performance at The Citadel Saturday.

His outstanding performance came in Mercer's only game last week, an 89-78 win on the road. That victory extended Mercer's winning streak over the Bulldogs to 13 consecutive games.

Holland connected on 9-of-15 shots (.600) from the field, hit a personal-best nine free throws (9-of-10) and tied his season high with eight rebounds against the Bulldogs. The junior went 5-of-7 from 3-point range and added a blocked shot in 36 minutes.

Bears Own the Boards
For the second consecutive year, Mercer has been leading the Southern Conference in rebounding margin. Mercer enters this game ranked second in the conference (and 34th in the nation) in rebounding margin with a +5.7 differential after leading the SoCon last season with a +8.8 margin. Should that mark hold Mercer could be the first team since Appalachian State (2008-09 and 2009-10) to lead the SoCon in rebounding margin in back-to-back years.

Leading the SoCon
Mercer's 11 one-possession games this season leads all Southern Conference teams. Samford is not far behind Mercer with nine one-possession games. Alas, fate has smiled warmer upon the Bulldogs as Samford is 5-4 in those one-possession games.

The Word is Out
Don't poke the Bears. Or, more appropriately, don't foul the Bears. Mercer ranks 288th in the country and seventh in the Southern Conference in free throw attempts this season with only 484 trips to the line. That is probably because when they do, it is...

...Practically Free Money
Mercer ranks 17th in the nation in free throw pct. with a 76.2 success rate at the line. More impressively, the Southern Conference itself is a quality free throw shooting league as while the Bears are in the top 25 in free throw shooting, Mercer ranks only second in the Southern Conference behind Wofford (fifth nationally, 78.4 pct.) while The Citadel ranks 28th (75.7).

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.

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Players Mentioned

Ria'n Holland

Stephon Jelks

Desmond Ringer

Demetre Rivers

Jordan Strawberry

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