Bears Set for Final Road Swing of Regular Season

Thursday, February 15

Cullowhee, N.C.

5 P.M.

Mercer University

Western Carolina

Bears Set for Final Road Swing of Regular Season

2/14/2018 1:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Live Stats Watch Game Notes

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will take to the road tomorrow to kick off the final road swing of the 2018 regular season, taking on Western Carolina tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C. The Bears will then travel to Greensboro, N.C., for a bout with UNCG on Saturday at 4 p.m.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 | 5 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (23-2, 10-0) at Western Carolina (5-21, 1-10)
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. | Ramsey Center
TV: ESPN3
TV Talent: Kyle Rush, Sean Spitzer & Summer Brooks
Live Stats: catamountsports.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | Western Carolina

Carding the 21
Mercer is still going strong with a 20-game winning streak, most recently upending Samford on Saturday by the final score of 48-45. The Bears' last loss came on Nov. 24 to Western Kentucky in the GSU Thanksgiving Classic in Atlanta, Ga. Mercer's 20-game winning streak is the longest in program history since jumping into the NCAA Division I era. The program record for consecutive wins is 24 set in 1973 when the Bears competed at the AIAW Division I level.

Sticking with the Best
Mercer's 20-game winning streak has launched the squad to a 23-2 overall record thus far in the season. The 20-game winning streak is the third longest active streak in NCAAW Division I, trailing only Mississippi State (26) and UConn (25). The Bears' 23-2 start is the best 24-game start since Mercer went 24-1 in the 1973-74 season.

Final Road Swing
The Bears will take to the road for the final time during the 2018 regular season with the two-game road trip to North Carolina. Mercer will take on Western Carolina on Thursday at 5 p.m., before closing out the road swing with UNCG on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bears are 11-0 in true road games this season and 12-1 in contests played away from Hawkins Arena. Mercer is averaging 74.5 points away from home, yielding just 61.3 points to opponents.

Last Time Out
Mercer held on to defeat Samford on Saturday, 48-45. The three-point win snapped a 17-game double-digit win streak for the Bears. Mercer jumped out to an 18-11 advantage through the first quarter to create some separation from the Bulldogs. Samford responded by outscoring the Bears in the next three quarters, 34-30, falling just short of Mercer.

KeKe Calloway ended the game with 18 points and six rebounds, while Rachel Selph collected 12 points and seven boards. Sydni Means ended the game with seven points, finishing 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. Means proved vital for Mercer in the final minute, knocking down three free throws to propel the Bears to the win.

Series History
Mercer is a perfect 12-0 against the Catamounts, including 5-0 in Cullowhee, N.C. In the most recent matchup of the series, the Bears upended Western Carolina by the final score of 72-50 in Macon, Ga. Ramsey Center has proven to be difficult in recent matchups for Mercer as the Bears claimed a 59-57 victory last season, following a 92-88 overtime win in 2016.

Clipping the Claws
The Catamounts post a record of 5-21 heading into Thursday's game, having most recently dropped a 66-46 decision to Furman on Saturday. The loss came off the heels of Western Carolina's first conference victory of the season, defeating Wofford 68-62 in Spartanburg, S.C. Western Carolina is 4-8 at home, with just two wins coming against NCAA Division I opponents.

Sherae Bonner leads the team in scoring, averaging 9.5 points per game and pulling down a team-best 8.3 rebounds. Bonner's 8.3 rebounds ranks second in the Southern Conference behind UNCG's Ije Ajemba. Angel Allen proved to be the spark for the Catamounts in the first matchup against Mercer, netting 21 points and pulling down seven boards.

As a team, the Catamounts average 56.6 points per game, yielding 64.7 points to opponents. Western Carolina ranks last in scoring margin (-8.1), free throw percentage (.674) and turnover margin (-6.12). However, the Catamounts sit atop the leaderboard in three-point field goal percentage defense, only allowing opponents to capitalize on .278 percent of three-point attempts.

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.