Bears Aim for Five Straight, Host UNCG Saturday

MACON, Ga. – Mercer's men's basketball team, currently riding a four-game winning streak, entertains the University of North Carolina Greensboro on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff time at Hawkins Arena is set for 4 p.m.

GAMEDAY LINEUP
Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 | 4 p.m. (ET)
Teams: Mercer (14-13, 7-7 SoCon) vs. UNCG (21-6, 12-2 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: MercerBears.com/LiveStats
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 97.3 FM, 103.3 FM, iHeart Radio and Sports Mic – Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB

SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: Mercer 7-4
• Current Streak: L4
• Last Meeting: L, 70-66 OT (1/20/18)

BEAR NECESSITIES
About The Spartans
UNCG comes into Saturday's contest riding a five-game winning streak and is the hottest team in the Southern Conference. The Spartans sport an overall record of 21-6 and a 12-2 SoCon ledger. UNCG handed league-leading East Tennessee State its only conference loss on Feb. 12, with a convincing 74-56 victory at Greensboro … UNCG is one of the top defensive clubs in the league. The Spartans are giving up just 62.7 points per game (1st in the SoCon) and are holding their opponents to just 40.7% field goal shooting (2^nd in the SoCon). UNCG also tops the league in scoring margin (+11.3). The Spartans lead the league in rebounding margin (+6.6) and are 2^nd in the conference in blocked shots per game (3.7) and steals per game (8.2) … James Dickey leads the SoCon in rebounding, grabbing 8.4 boards per outing, and in blocked shots (2.2) … Francis Alonso leads UNCG in scoring with a 16.2 per game average, 2^nd in the conference. Alonso is also one of the best three point shooters in the SoCon, knocking down 3.3 three's per game while shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc. Alonso ranks 2^nd in the league in free throw shooting, connecting on 88.5% from the charity stripe … Wes Miller is in his 7^th season as UNCG's head coach. His overall head coaching record stands at 106-108. He has led the Spartans to back-to-back 20-win seasons, as UNCG went 25-10 a year ago.

Series History
In a series that dates back to the 1980-81 season, Mercer leads 7-4 in games played against UNCG. Mercer is 6-1 vs. the Spartans at Macon. UNCG has won the last four meetings vs. Mercer; however, including a thrilling 70-66 overtime contest Jan. 20 at Greensboro. Ross Cummings led a furious Mercer comeback with three clutch three point baskets down the stretch to extend the game into overtime. Cummings finished with 11 points on the evening, one of four Bears to score in double figures. Stephon Jelks had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Alsonso led all scorers with 17 points for the Spartans.

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

1st in rebounding defense (29.4)
1^st in field goal% (47.3%)
2^nd in rebounding margin (+5.8)
2^nd in 3-pt. field goal% (38.7%)
3^rd in scoring defense (68.7)
3^rd in field goal% defense (42.9%)
3^rd in free throw% (74.5%)

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

Stephon Jelks – 1st in defensive rebounds (5.7)
Stephon Jelks – 2nd in rebounding (7.5)
Jordan Strawberry – 1st in assist/turnover ratio (2.9)
Jordan Strawberry – 4th in assists (4.6)
Ross Cummings – 4th in 3-pt.% (42.2%)

Coach Hoffman Wins 500^th Game at Men's Collegiate Level
Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman has certainly achieved a great deal of success during his coaching career and he reached a milestone with the Jan. 18 victory over VMI – his 500^th win at the men's collegiate level - that will only add to his list of superlative accomplishments. 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 193 games as Mercer's head coach (2008-present) for a current total of 504 victories. 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.

Jelks Joins The 1,000-Point Club
Last month Stephon Jelks became the 39^th player in Mercer men's basketball history to eclipse the 1,000-point career scoring mark. The senior forward from Marietta, Ga., enters Saturday's game with 1,064 career points, which ties him with Steve Moody (1964-67) for 31^st on the school's all-time scoring list. Next in line for Jelks to pass is Tony Bolds (1,085/1982-84).
Jelks Moves Up Career Rebounding Charts
Jelks is also climbing up the school's career rebounding charts. He comes into the UNCG game with 801 career rebounds, which currently ranks 3rd on the all-time career rebounding charts. Jelks is only the 3rd player in Mercer men's basketball history to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 800 rebounds during his career, joining Steve Moody and Scott Emerson on that illustrious list.

Strawberry Eclipses The 1,000-Point Scoring Mark
Earlier this month Mercer senior guard Jordan Strawberry became the 40^th player in Mercer men's basketball history to score 1,000 or more career points. Strawberry enters Thursday's game against UNCG with 1,062 career points. That total ranks 33rd in school history. Next in line for Strawberry to pass include his teammate Jelks (1,064), Steve Moody (1,064/1964-67) and Tony Bolds (1,085/1982-84).

Strawberry Climbs Up Career Assists List
Strawberry comes into the UNCG game with 451 career assists, which is 3^rd best in school history. Strawberry is one of only three Mercer players to score more than 1,000 points and dish out more than 400 assists in a career. The other two players who have surpassed those two milestones are Langston Hall and James Florence.

Bear Tracks

Mercer won its fourth straight contest Thursday evening with a convincing 82-58 defeat of VMI at Hawkins Arena. Demetre Rivers led the offensive onslaught for the Bears, scoring 21 points on seven of eight shooting, include three of four from three point land.
Jelks leads the SoCon with six double-double performances on the season, including one stretch of four in a row. The senior had put together four straight double-double performances until his streak was snapped – barely snapped – against ETSU. The senior had 10 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the win over UTC. He went for 13 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Samford. In the Jan. 18 triumph over VMI, he tallied 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Against UNCG, Jelks contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds in the Bears' hard-fought 70-66 overtime loss. The senior tallied 14 points and contributed nine rebounds vs. ETSU … Jelks is the team's 3rd leading scorer (10.2) and he is the league's 2nd leading rebounder (7.5) … Jelks' 801 career rebounds ranks best among active SoCon players … Jelks has eight games this season of 10 rebounds are more; most in the league so far.
Desmond Ringer is playing his best basketball of the season of late. The senior post man had a double-double of his own vs. UTC (14/10) and equaled his career-high in rebounds with 12 boards vs. Samford. Against VMI, Ringer grabbed 11 rebounds as the Bears dominated the backboards 50-31. Ringer was a perfect 9-9 from the floor with a 21-point showing vs. ETSU … In SoCon games only, Ringer is averaging 6.9 boards per outing, which is 4th in the conference. 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 turned in an impressive 16-point, six-rebound effort in the win over Wofford … Des showed up big in the road win at UTC, scoring a team-high 17 points on 8-9 shooting while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. His traditional three-point play with 3:23 remaining gave the Bears a 72-71 lead in what might have been the biggest play of the game … Des was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw stripe in the home victory over VMI … Ringer's career field goal percentage of 59.1 is best among active SoCon performers.
Demetre Rivers is Mercer's 2nd leading scorer (10.4) and is hitting a team-best 88.2% from the free throw stripe. 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. Rivers scored 13 clutch points in the win over VMI and went for 11 points vs. UNCG. He tallied some big baskets down the stretch in the win over Wofford, finishing with 10 points, including 2-3 from three point range, and followed that up with a solid 13-point effort in the victory over Chattanooga … Rivers exploded for 21 points in the Feb. 15 win over VMI, hitting seven of eight field goals, including three of four behind the three point arc … Rivers' career 85.2% from the free throw line ranks 3^rd among active SoCon players … Rivers is a contestant in the 2018 College Slam Dark Horse Dunker Contest. Fans can cast their ballot for Rivers by logging onto to the darkhorsedunker.com website.
Strawberry continues to rank among the SoCon leaders in assist/turnover ratio (2.9), which ranks 1st in the league. Strawberry dished out seven assists in the win over Samford, handed out six assists in the victory at VMI, passed for five assists vs. UNCG and distributed six assists in the home game vs. Furman. Strawberry also handed out seven dimes in the Feb. 12 win over Samford and dealt eight assists in the Feb. 15 triumph over VMI. The senior guard has 123 assists on the season (4.6 per game/4th in the league) while committing just 42 turnovers … Strawberry scored 22 points vs. The Citadel and went for 18 points in vs. Furman. In the Feb. 3 victory over Wofford, Strawberry dished out a game-high five assists and dealt out eight dimes in a most recent outing vs. UTC … His 18-point, seven-assist, and six-rebound showing in the win over Samford may have been his best all-around performance of the season … He is the league's leading free throw shooter in conference games only, knocking down 91.1% of his attempts in league play.
Ross Cummings has been on fire over the past six games. During that stretch, he is averaging 17.2 points while shooting 46.6% from the field (34-73) and 47.3% from three point range (26-55). Deemed the "Mamba," for raising his ability to another level, Cummings went for a career-high 22 points against Wofford, sinking six of eight three point shots, including three crucial baskets down the stretch. He went for 16 points on 6-12 shooting (4-6 on 3's) in the win over UTC … The "Mamba" scored 13 second half points enroute to a team-high 21-point effort in the Feb. 12 win at Samford … Cummings tallied 13 points in the Feb. 15 victory over VMI … Cummings has started the past five games in place of the injured Ria'n Holland.
Freshman Marcus Cohen came off the bench to tally a career-high 16 points in the game vs. ETSU. In that contest, Cohen was 7-12 from the field and also handed out five assists. He came off the bench against Furman and turned in what was then a career-best 14-point performance against the Paladins.
Jaylen Stowe came off the bench against Furman to tally 10 points, which equaled his career high. He also grabbed a career-best nine rebounds … Stowe is coming off an eight-point scoring effort in the Feb. 15 victory over VMI.
Ethan Stair started in the place of the injured Ria'n Holland in the Jan. 20 contest against UNCG and contributed 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Mercer received solid play off the bench in its win over UTC, with Cory Kilby scoring five, Ryan Johnson four, and Mac Brydon and Stowe contributing two points apiece … Johnson came off the bench to toss in seven points in just six minutes of action vs. Samford … Kilby scored 11 points coming off the bench in the Feb. 20 win over VMI.
Mercer has five players hitting 80% or better from the free throw line, including Rivers (88.2%); Strawberry (84.8%); Holland (83.6%); Jelks (81.5%); and Ringer (81.4%).

Holland Ranks as one of the SoCon's Best Performers
Despite being sidelined with some injuries this season, 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 … Holland broke out of his shooting slump in fine fashion in the win 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 led Mercer with 16 points vs. VMI, with 14 of those coming in the first half. He left that game early in the second half with a hand injury and is out indefinitely. In the 16 games that he has played, he leads the team in scoring (19.0), which ranked 2^nd in the SoCon prior to his hand injury. Holland has scored in double figures in 43 of the 48 career games he has played at Mercer, including all 16 games this season.

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.

What's Next
Mercer concludes its regular season home schedule by hosting Western Carolina Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tipoff time at Hawkins Arena is set for 7 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.

Bears Aim for Five Straight, Host UNCG Saturday

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Bears Aim for Five Straight, Host UNCG Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Mac Brydon

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