Bears Close D.C. Trip with George Washington

Friday, December 21

Washington, D.C.

12 P.M.

Mercer University

George Washington

Photo by: Judy Stapleton

12/20/2018 11:52:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Mercer Notes George Washington Notes

Mercer aims to improve to 2-0 against Colonials

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team will close its holiday trip to Washington, D.C. with a showdown against George Washington tomorrow at noon. Mercer aims to improve to 2-0 against George Washington and 2-0 in Washington, D.C. this season.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 | 12 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (6-5) at George Washington (2-8)
Location: Washington, D.C. | Charles E. Smith Center
Live Stats: gwsports.com/livestats
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Geoff Arnold & Dante Verme
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | George Washington

Career Performance
Amanda Thompson exploded for a career-high 21 points and 18 rebounds against Howard on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. Thompson was efficient from the floor, finishing 9-of-13. Thompson is the first Bear since Teanna Robinson in 2014 to finish a game with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Thompson is also the first player since Alex Williams (2017) to record 15 rebounds in a game and first player since Sydni Means (2017) to corral 10 defensive rebounds in a single contest. The senior forward is putting up all-conference numbers, averaging a career high in points (10.9) and rebounds (8.4). Tuesday also marked the third double-double for Thompson this season and sixth of her illustrious career.

Knocking Down the Free Ones
Mercer displayed marksmanship from the charity stripe on Tuesday night, knocking down 27-of-35 free throws. The 27 made free throws are the most free throws that Mercer has made in a game since knocking down 27 against USC Upstate in 2014. KeKe Calloway buried a career-high 13 free throws on a career-high 16 attempts. Shannon Titus recorded the second-most free throws on the team, netting 5-of-6 from the line.

Taking over the Capital
The Bears started off the holiday road trip with a big win over Howard, holding the Bison to just 39 rebounds. On Wednesday, Mercer got a taste of the bigs when the team practiced inside the Washington Mystics practice facility. The Bears then toured the town, experiencing the history of the city. Mercer will look to remain undefeated against the two opponents from D.C., holding a 3-0 record against Howard and a 1-0 mark against the Colonials.

Last Time Out
The Bears cruised to the 15-point victory over Howard on Tuesday, besting the Bison by the final score of 85-70. However, the game did not start out in favor of Mercer, falling in a 9-0 hole early on. Amanda Thompson sparked a 15-0 run for the Bears as Mercer went on to outscore Howard 19-2 to close the quarter. The two squads scored 17 apiece in the second quarter as Mercer couldn't pull away from Howard, clinging to the eight-point lead at halftime. The Bears outscored Howard 23-17 in the third quarter for the 59-45 advantage heading into the final 10 minutes of play. Mercer really broke the game open in the fourth, stretching its lead to 72-50, icing the game in favor of the Orange & Black.

KeKe Calloway buried a game-high 27 points, knocking down 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. Amanda Thompson joined Calloway with a career-high 21 points and 18 rebounds. The duo combined for 48 points and scored more than Howard's leading scorer Jayla Thornton (20). Shannon Titus also joined the double-digit scorers with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Series History
Mercer and George Washington have met once in program history with the Bears defeating the Colonials 61-44 in Macon, Ga. last season. Thompson and Calloway led the way last season against George Washington, combining for 29 points.

Catching the Colonials
George Washington enters the game with a 2-8 overall mark, having dropped three consecutive games and seven of its last eight. Don't let the record fool you as the Colonials have squared off with Maryland, Georgia Tech, NC State and USF.

Mei-Lyn Bautista (11.0) and Neila Luma (10.1) lead George Washington in scoring as the two in double figures. Luma also paces the squad in rebounds per game with 6.0. Bautista averages 3.6 assists per game and has knocked down 2.2 three pointers per contest.

As a team, the Colonials are averaging 49.2 points per game, allowing opponents to score 60.0. George Washington has collected 33.4 boards per game, yielding 41.2 to competitors. On the defensive side, the Colonials force 14.7 turnovers per contest.

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.