Bears Continue Home Stand Facing Chattanooga Monday Night

MACON, Ga. – Mercer's men's basketball team continues home conference play by hosting the Chattanooga Mocs Monday, Jan. 15. Tipoff time at Hawkins Arena is 7 p.m. (ET).

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Monday, Jan. 14, 2018 | 7 p.m. (ET)
Teams: Mercer (8-9, 1-3 SoCon) vs. Chattanooga (6-12, 0-5 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
TV: WatchStadium.com
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: Mercer leads 35-32 in the series
• In Macon: Mercer leads 23-11
• In Chattanooga: Mocs lead 4-2
• Current Streak: W1
• Last Meeting: W, 64-54 in Chattanooga (2/25/17)

BEAR NECESSITIES
About The Mocs
UTC heads into the contest with an overall 6-12 record and 0-5 SoCon mark. The Mocs are coming off a tough 110-101 overtime loss at The Citadel this past Saturday … UTC features four players scoring in double figures, led by swingman Nat Dixon's 13.8 per game average. Junior forward Makinde London, a transfer from Xavier, is scoring at a 13.5 clip and leads the club in rebounding with a 7.5 average, which is 3^rd best in the SoCon … Rodney Chatman (12.0) and Joshua Phillips (10.0) are also double digit scorers … Dixon (35.4) and guard Makale Foreman (34.3) rank 1-2 in the SoCon in minutes played per game … Chattanooga is one of the SoCon's best defenders of the three-point shot, as opponents are hitting only 34.3% of their shots behind the arc (4^th in the SoCon) … Lamont Paris, a former Wisconsin assistant, is Chattanooga's first year head coach. Coach Paris played an integral role in the success of the Badger program, as UW averaged 27 wins per year during the seven-year period that he was in Madison.

Series History
In a series that dates back to the 1920-21 season, Mercer leads 35-32 in games played against Chattanooga. At Macon, Mercer leads the series 23-11. The Bears trail 2-4 vs. the Mocs in Southern Conference play. UTC has won four of the last five meetings. The two clubs split the games last season, with Chattanooga winning 70-68 on 1/14/17 in Macon and Mercer won 64-54 on 2/25/17 in Chattanooga.

Bears Held in High Regard
Mercer was 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.

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

1^st in rebounding defense (30.1)
2^nd in rebounding margin (+4.5)
2nd in 3-pt. field goal% (40.7%) – 23rd in NCAA
2nd in free throw% (74.2%)
2nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.2)
3^rd in field goal% defense (43.1%)
3^rd in field goal% (47.6%)
3^rd in scoring defense (67.4)
4th in scoring margin (+9.9)

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

Ria'n Holland – 2^nd in scoring (19.6)
Ria'n Holland – 3rd in 3-pt. field goal% (49.4%) – 7th in NCAA
Ria'n Holland – 4^th in 3-pt. field goals made per game (3.1)
Stephon Jelks – 1^st in 3-pt. field goal% (52.1%)
Stephon Jelks – 2nd in defensive rebounds (5.5)
Stephon Jelks – 4th in field goal% (59.6%)
Stephon Jelks – 4^th in rebounding (7.2)
Jordan Strawberry – 1st in assist/turnover ratio (2.4)
Demetre Rivers – 3rd in free throw% (86.3%)

Jelks Ranks High Nationally in Offensive Efficiency
In games played through Jan. 13, Stephon Jelks is rated #12 in the nation in Offensive Efficiency according to Ken Pomeroy, a nationally acclaimed basketball statistician who produces the website Kenpom.com. Jelks has an Offensive Efficiency rating of 134.6. The Offensive Efficiency rating 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 Ranks as one of the SoCon's Best Performers
Despite missing three games earlier this season due to injury, Holland has exhibited the type of play indicative of an all-conference performer. 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 at the time, the second-highest output in his Mercer career. The 6-0 product of Fayetteville, N.C., had scored a career-best 32 points last season vs. The Citadel, before eclipsing that mark with a 33-point career-high effort Dec. 17 at La Salle, a game in which he drained 10 of 19 field goal attempts, including six of nine from three point range … 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 … 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 victory over Florida A&M … Holland played superbly in an 80-79 nail biting loss at Alabama Dec. 19, tallying 21 points. His 20 points led all scorers in the Dec. 28 triumph over Kennesaw State … In the 14 games that he has played, he leads the team in scoring (19.6), which ranks 2^nd in the SoCon and is the league's fourth three-point field goal shooter at 49.4%, which ranks 7th in the NCAA. Holland broke out of his shooting slump in fine fashion in Saturday's victory over Samford by leading all scorers with 23 points on eight of 14 shooting, including five of nine from three point range. Prior to the Samford game, the senior guard had missed his last 13 three point attempts … Holland has scored in double figures in 41 of the 46 career games he has played at Mercer, including all 14 games this season.

This and That
Mercer is coming off its best all-around performance in Saturday's 81-50 victory over Samford. The Bears led from start to finish and had the game well in hand by halftime, posting a 44-16 lead. Mercer held Samford to just 32.1% shooting and outrebounded the Bulldogs 43-26 … Mercer is 2^nd in the SoCon in three-point shooting % (40.7%), which ranks 23rd in the NCAA … Mercer is 2^nd in the conference in free throw shooting, making 74.2% of its charity tosses … Stephon Jelks is coming off a double-double showing vs. Samford (13/11), his second of the season. Jelks turned in a season-high 22 point effort vs. La Salle. In that contest, the 6-7 senior was seven of eight from the floor, including three of four behind the arc, and a perfect five for five from the charity stripe. Jelks flirted with a triple-double in the win over Florida A&M, scoring 12 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out seven assists in that contest. Jelks leads the club in rebounding (7.2), which ranks 4^th in the SoCon and is the Bears' 2nd leading scorer (10.5). Jelks was one of the few bright spots in the hard-fought loss at Western Carolina. He sank six of seven shots from the field, including four of five from three point land to lead the Bears in scoring with 16 points. He also has been extremely accurate scoring the basketball, hitting 59.6% of his field goal attempts (best on the team and 4th best in the SoCon) and hitting 82.1% of his charity tosses. Jelks is knocking down 52.1% of his three point tries, which leads the Southern Conference … Demetre Rivers leads Mercer in free throw shooting (86.3%), 3^rd best in the SoCon and is the team's 3^rd leading scorer (10.2). Rivers tallied a season-high 24 points vs. Alabama. In that contest, the senior connected on six of eight field goal attempts, including three of four behind the arc, and nailed nine of 10 free throw attempts. Rivers helped ignite a furious rally for the Bears down the stretch, scoring five points in the closing seconds to almost lead Mercer to the upset win over the Crimson Tide. Rivers tallied 11 points in the victory vs. Kennesaw State and his spectacular shot block that landed up in the stands earned the #2 rating on the Dec. 28 edition of ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day … Senior Desmond Ringer pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds in the win over Samford. In conference games only, Ringer is averaging 10.3 boards per contest, which leads the league. Ringer is averaging 8.1 points per game and is shooting 84.1% from the free throw line. Ringer delivered a double-double showing vs. ETSU, a game in which he tallied 10 points and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds. Against Furman, Ringer equaled his career-high with 22 points on seven of eight shooting from the field and a perfect eight for eight at the free throw line. Ringer led the Bears with 10 rebounds vs. WCU. … Jordan Strawberry continues to rank among the SoCon leaders in assist/turnover ratio (2.4), which ranks 1st in the league. Strawberry dished out seven assists in the win over Samford. The senior guard has 66 assists on the season (3.9 per game/6th in the league) while committing just 27 turnovers (1.6 per game). Strawberry played an extremely efficient floor game in the win over Kennesaw State, handing out seven assists with no turnovers. Strawberry only played four minutes against Furman due to an illness … Freshman Marcus Cohen came off the bench for the ailing Strawberry against Furman and turned in a career-best 14-point performance … The Bears are receiving other strong contributions off the bench. Ethan Stair is averaging 6.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per outing. Cohen (5.1 ppg), Cory Kilby (4.0 ppg), and Jaylen Stowe (3.4 ppg) are all averaging 13 or more minutes of playing time per contest. Kilby came off the bench to contribute 11 points vs. Kennesaw State … Mercer has four players hitting 80% or better from the free throw line, including Rivers (86.3%); Ringer (84.1%); Holland (83.3%); and Jelks (82.1%).

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 8-9 on the year and were rated in the CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major poll for the majority of the early portion of the season, while the Red Raiders of the Big 12 Conference sport a 15-2 record and are currently ranked No. 8 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 season. 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.

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 Monday's SoCon contest against Samford with 498 victories at the collegiate men's level, just two 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 187 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.

What's Next
Mercer hits the road for a pair of SoCon contests. The Bears play at VMI Thursday, Jan. 18 (7 p.m. tipoff) and will travel to Greensboro to face the University of North Carolina Greensboro Saturday, Jan. 20 with tipoff time set for 5 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.

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Bears Continue Home Stand Facing Chattanooga Monday Night

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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

Bears Continue Home Stand Facing Chattanooga Monday Night

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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