Bears Take Winning Streak to Johnson City

Thursday, January 25

Johnson City, Tenn.

7 P.M.

Mercer University

ETSU

Photo by: Judy Stapleton

1/24/2018 2:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Listen Game Notes

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will take its 15-game winning streak to Johnson City, Tenn., to square off with the ETSU Bucs. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. inside Brooks Gym. The Bears will then turn around to take on Chattanooga on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Chattanooga, Tenn.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 | 7 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (18-2, 5-0) at ETSU (12-8, 5-0)
Location: Johnson City, Tenn. | Brooks Gym
TV: ESPN3
TV Talent: Kasey Marler & Bruce Tranbarger
Live Stats: etsubucs.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | ETSU

Triple Threat
The Bears have arguably the most dynamic trio in women's basketball in Kahlia Lawrence, KeKe Calloway and Sydni Means. Means is currently ranked first in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.97), second in total assists (174) and third in assists per game (8.7). Lawrence ranks ninth in the NCAA in field goals made (158) and 29th in total points (391). Lastly, Calloway is ranked sixth in three point field goals made (72), sixth in three point attempts (180) and 11th in threes made per game (3.60).

Turnovers into Points
Mercer forces 19.2 turnovers per game, ranking second in the conference only behind ETSU (22.9).The Bears rank first in the conference in turnover margin at +9.6 per game. Mercer has the ability to turn opposing blunders into points, averaging 22.1 points off turnovers per game. The Bears only turn the ball over 9.6 times per game on the offensive side, yielding just 8.1 points off turnovers per outing.

If it's not one, it's the other
The Bears have had at least one 20-point performance in 11 consecutive games heading into Thursday's showdown. Lawrence has scored 20 points in six of the last 11 games, while Calloway has netted 20 points in seven of the last 11 contests. The duo scored 20 points each against Winthrop and North Carolina.

Last Time Out
Mercer improved to 18-2, including 5-0 in the SoCon on Saturday after handing Western Carolina its 10th loss in the last 11 games, 72-50. The Bears jumped out to a 21-6 advantage after the first quarter and did not look back. Mercer outscored Western Carolina by three in the second quarter for the 18-point lead at halftime. Mercer outscored the Catamounts by four in the second half to walk away with its 15th consecutive victory.

Calloway stole the show for the Bears, netting 23 points on 8-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-12 from downtown. Calloway joined the 1,000-point club in the victory over the Catamounts, while also moving her closer to both the single-season and career three-point record at Mercer. Rachel Selph ended the game with 15 points, finishing 5-for-5 at the charity stripe. Lawrence ended the game with 10 points, while Means chipped in with seven points, 13 assists and just one turnover.

Series History
The Bears trail ETSU in the all-time series, 18-16. Mercer has claimed three consecutive outings against the Bucs, snapping a four-game winning streak by ETSU on Feb. 18, 2016. The Bears are 7-8 against the Bucs under current head coach Susie Gardner. Mercer is 7-9 in games played in Johnson City, including 4-3 under Gardner.

Battling the Bucs
ETSU enters the showdown on a streak of its own, winning six consecutive games. The Bucs' win streak features five conference opponents as ETSU is 5-0 in conference play and 12-8 on the season. Most recently, the Bucs are coming off a 61-58 victory over Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C.

ETSU is led by Tianna Tarter and Erica Haynes-Overton, both of which have received SoCon Player of the Week honors. Tarter is currently averaging 16.4 points, 4.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Haynes-Overton averages 14.6 points and 4.8 boards per contest.

The Bucs rank second in scoring offense with 69.4 points per game, sitting only behind Mercer's 72.9 points. ETSU leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (16.2) and steals (12.1). The Bucs rank second in the SoCon in turnover margin (+5.65), despite averaging 17.2 turnovers per game on the offensive side of the ball.

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.