Thursday, February 9
Lexington, Va.
7:00 PM ET
Mercer University
at
VMI
Mercer Begins Road Swing at VMI on Thursday
2/8/2017 12:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – Mercer begins a three-game road swing this week starting with a contest at VMI that will be broadcast on ESPN3 Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
GAMEDAY DETAILS
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (11-14, 5-7 SoCon) at VMI (5-16, 2-8 SoCon)
Location: Lexington, Va. | Cameron Hall (5,000)
TV: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
TV Talent: Wade Branner (play-by-play), Grafton Young (analyst)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network (97.3 FM The Bull Icons) | 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 | VMI
Series History
Mercer claims a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series after notching a 68-50 win in Macon on Jan. 5. The Bears have a slight 2-1 advantage when playing in Lexington, Virginia.
Scouting VMI
The Keydets are 5-16 overall and have a 2-8 mark in Southern Conference play but have lost five of their last six meetings. But don't count VMI out of any contest. That was proved on Jan. 25 when VMI traveled to Chattanooga and upended the Mocs, 80-64.
Last Time Out - Wofford 65, Mercer 62 on Feb. 4, 2017
Mercer fell prey to ill fortune Saturday afternoon in yet another close contest as a last second 3-pointer lifted Wofford over the Bears, 65-62, in a back-and-forth game that featured 13 lead changes in front of 4,386 at Hawkins Arena in Macon.
Fletcher Magee scored 23 points with four 3-pointers, Eric Garcia's had 10 assists and hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left, and Wofford got a rare win on the road in a series that has seen the home team win over 80 percent of the time.
Ria'n Holland led the Bears (11-14, 5-7) with 23 points. Jelks added 11 with 11 rebounds.
The Last Time vs. VMI - Mercer 68, VMI 50 on Jan. 5, 2017
MACON, Ga. - Demetre Rivers scored 11 points and Ria'n Holland 10 as Mercer dominated inside to defeat VMI 68-50 on Thursday night in Southern Conference play.
Desmond Ringer chipped in nine points while Stephon Jelks and Ryan Johnson added eight each in the balanced attack by Mercer (7-9, 1-2), picking up its first Southern Conference win. Ten players scored for Mercer, which made 28 of 60 field-goal attempts for 47 percent and never trailed.
The Bears outrebounded VMI 44-27, outscored the Keydets 34-24 on points in the paint and 15-8 on points off turnovers.
QJ Peterson scored 18 points to lead the Keydets (3-10, 0-2), his 13th game scoring in double figures. Trey Chapman added 12 points with nine rebounds.
A layup by Jelks sparked an 11-2 run early in the first half that put the Bears ahead 17-6 with 9:21 remaining before the break. Mercer added a 17-0 run after halftime as VMI was scoreless for more than six minutes.
New Hotel for Mercer This Season
This season, Mercer seems to have a new place to dwell. It's located at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel. At least, that is what it feels like as the Bears have played in 11 one-possession games this season, inexplicably falling eight times on last-second shots.
Those wounds are fresh too when you consider five of those losses have come in the last eight games.
Mercer in One-Possession Games (3-8)
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It's Nothing New
Close games seem to be the norm for the Bears. Mercer played in 1 games decided by one possession last season, posting a 7-3 record in those games. That adds to the growing number of close games this season (see above).
Close Games under Bob Hoffman (by season)
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Leading the SoCon
Mercer's 11 one-possession games this season leads all Southern Conference teams. Samford is not far behind Mercer with eight one-possession games. Alas, fate has smiled warmer upon the Bulldogs as Samford is 5-3 in those one-possession games.
The Word is Out
Don't poke the Bears. Or, more appropriately, don't foul the Bears. Mercer ranks 296th in the country and eighth in the Southern Conference in free throw attempts this season with only 416 trips to the line. That is probably because when they do, it is...
...Practically Free Money
Mercer ranks 24th in the nation in free throw percentage 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 third in the Southern Conference behind Wofford (seventh nationally, 77.1 pct.) and The Citadel (21st, 76.3).
How Do They Stay So Close?
But looking closer at this Mercer team, how do the Bears stay so close in so many games? Credit Mercer's defense, led by "defensive coordinator" and associate head coach Doug Esleeck. Mercer is ranked highly nationally in field goal percentage defense (49th) and scoring defense (63rd) and follows up on those opposing teams' missed shots by ranking 30th nationally in rebounding margin and 51st nationally in total rebounds.
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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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GAMEDAY DETAILS
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (11-14, 5-7 SoCon) at VMI (5-16, 2-8 SoCon)
Location: Lexington, Va. | Cameron Hall (5,000)
TV: ESPN3 | Watch ESPN
TV Talent: Wade Branner (play-by-play), Grafton Young (analyst)
Radio: Mercer Sports Network (97.3 FM The Bull Icons) | 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 | VMI
Series History
Mercer claims a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series after notching a 68-50 win in Macon on Jan. 5. The Bears have a slight 2-1 advantage when playing in Lexington, Virginia.
Scouting VMI
The Keydets are 5-16 overall and have a 2-8 mark in Southern Conference play but have lost five of their last six meetings. But don't count VMI out of any contest. That was proved on Jan. 25 when VMI traveled to Chattanooga and upended the Mocs, 80-64.
Last Time Out - Wofford 65, Mercer 62 on Feb. 4, 2017
Mercer fell prey to ill fortune Saturday afternoon in yet another close contest as a last second 3-pointer lifted Wofford over the Bears, 65-62, in a back-and-forth game that featured 13 lead changes in front of 4,386 at Hawkins Arena in Macon.
Fletcher Magee scored 23 points with four 3-pointers, Eric Garcia's had 10 assists and hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left, and Wofford got a rare win on the road in a series that has seen the home team win over 80 percent of the time.
Ria'n Holland led the Bears (11-14, 5-7) with 23 points. Jelks added 11 with 11 rebounds.
The Last Time vs. VMI - Mercer 68, VMI 50 on Jan. 5, 2017
MACON, Ga. - Demetre Rivers scored 11 points and Ria'n Holland 10 as Mercer dominated inside to defeat VMI 68-50 on Thursday night in Southern Conference play.
Desmond Ringer chipped in nine points while Stephon Jelks and Ryan Johnson added eight each in the balanced attack by Mercer (7-9, 1-2), picking up its first Southern Conference win. Ten players scored for Mercer, which made 28 of 60 field-goal attempts for 47 percent and never trailed.
The Bears outrebounded VMI 44-27, outscored the Keydets 34-24 on points in the paint and 15-8 on points off turnovers.
QJ Peterson scored 18 points to lead the Keydets (3-10, 0-2), his 13th game scoring in double figures. Trey Chapman added 12 points with nine rebounds.
A layup by Jelks sparked an 11-2 run early in the first half that put the Bears ahead 17-6 with 9:21 remaining before the break. Mercer added a 17-0 run after halftime as VMI was scoreless for more than six minutes.
New Hotel for Mercer This Season
This season, Mercer seems to have a new place to dwell. It's located at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel. At least, that is what it feels like as the Bears have played in 11 one-possession games this season, inexplicably falling eight times on last-second shots.
Those wounds are fresh too when you consider five of those losses have come in the last eight games.
Mercer in One-Possession Games (3-8)
| Date | Opponent | W/L | Score |
| Nov. 25 | vs. East Carolina | W | 70-66 |
| Nov. 26 | vs. Akron | L | 63-65 |
| Dec. 18 | at Auburn | L | 74-76 |
| Dec. 22 | La Salle | L (3OT) | 96-98 |
| Dec. 28 | at Kennesaw State | W | 80-76 |
| Jan. 2 | at Furman | L | 69-71 |
| Jan. 11 | at Samford | W | 68-65 |
| Jan. 14 | Chattanooga | L | 68-70 |
| Jan. 19 | at UNCG | L | 66-68 |
| Feb. 2 | Furman | L | 68-70 |
| Feb. 4 | Wofford | L | 62-65 |
It's Nothing New
Close games seem to be the norm for the Bears. Mercer played in 1 games decided by one possession last season, posting a 7-3 record in those games. That adds to the growing number of close games this season (see above).
Close Games under Bob Hoffman (by season)
| 2016-17 | 11 (3-8) | 2011-12 | 6 (2-4) |
| 2015-16 | 10 (7-3) | 2010-11 | 8 (5-3) |
| 2014-15 | 11 (5-6) | 2009-10 | 9 (3-6) |
| 2013-14 | 7 (5-2) | 2008-09 | 8 (5-3) |
| 2012-13 | 5 (1-4) |
Leading the SoCon
Mercer's 11 one-possession games this season leads all Southern Conference teams. Samford is not far behind Mercer with eight one-possession games. Alas, fate has smiled warmer upon the Bulldogs as Samford is 5-3 in those one-possession games.
The Word is Out
Don't poke the Bears. Or, more appropriately, don't foul the Bears. Mercer ranks 296th in the country and eighth in the Southern Conference in free throw attempts this season with only 416 trips to the line. That is probably because when they do, it is...
...Practically Free Money
Mercer ranks 24th in the nation in free throw percentage 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 third in the Southern Conference behind Wofford (seventh nationally, 77.1 pct.) and The Citadel (21st, 76.3).
How Do They Stay So Close?
But looking closer at this Mercer team, how do the Bears stay so close in so many games? Credit Mercer's defense, led by "defensive coordinator" and associate head coach Doug Esleeck. Mercer is ranked highly nationally in field goal percentage defense (49th) and scoring defense (63rd) and follows up on those opposing teams' missed shots by ranking 30th nationally in rebounding margin and 51st nationally in total rebounds.
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| Top Defense | Rebounding Success | ||||||
| Category | National | SoCon | Stat | Category | National | SoCon | Stat |
| Field Goal Pct. Defense | 51 | 2 | 40.8 | Rebounding Margin | 30 | 1 | 6.0 |
| Scoring Defense | 65 | 2 | 67.6 | Total Rebounds | 57 | 2 | 929 |
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
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