Bears Close Three-Game Home Stretch with Samford

Saturday, February 10

Macon, Ga.

2 P.M.

Mercer University

Samford

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Photo by: Judy Stapleton

Bears Close Three-Game Home Stretch with Samford

2/9/2018 10:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball

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By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will host the Samford Bulldogs tomorrow at 2 p.m. inside Hawkins Arena. The contest will conclude a three-game home stretch for the Bears before taking to the road on Thursday in Cullowhee, N.C.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (22-2, 9-0) vs. Samford (12-12, 4-5)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
TV: ESPN3
TV Talent: Todd Wilson, Sybil Blalock and Kristin Banks
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer | Samford

Fantastic Frontcourt and Where to Find Them
Look no further than Macon, Ga., for the most dynamic frontcourt in college basketball. The Bears' trio of Kahlia Lawrence, Sydni Means and KeKe Calloway continue to lead Mercer on its winning streak. Means is currently ranked first in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.60), third in total assists (198) and third in assists per game (8.3). Lawrence ranks eighth in the NCAA in field goals made (186) and 30th in total points (465). Lastly, Calloway is ranked ninth in three point field goals made (80), 13th in three point attempts (198) and 15th in threes made per game (3.33).

Time to Bear Witness
The Bears continue to receive national attention as of late, both by CollegeInsider.com and ESPNW. Mercer is currently ranked third in the most recent ESPN Mid-Major Poll, while climbing two spots to No. 5 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll. The Bears are also receiving votes in the ESPN AP Top 25 poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Home Sweet Home
Mercer is currently 10-1 in contests played inside Hawkins Arena. The Bears fell to Georgia in just their second home game (72-54) and have since then won nine consecutive tilts in front of the Mercer faithful. In Mercer's most recent home game, the Bears downed Wofford in front of 2,327 fans, marking the second-largest crowd this season and seventh in program history. Mercer is 20-5 in SoCon home games since joining the league in 2014.
Last Time Out
Mercer thrashed Wofford in its most recent outing by a final score of 80-39. The Bears led by five after the first quarter, but separated from the Terriers thanks to a 47-14 difference in the second and third quarter combined. Mercer then put the icing on the cake in the fourth quarter with a 16- 13 victory to elevate the Bears to their second 40-point victory of the season.

Calloway led the Bears with 18 points in just 21 minutes played, finishing 8-for-13 from the field. Calloway connected on two threes during the game, running her career total to 200 and season total to 80. Lawrence added 15 points and six boards, while Amanda Thompson chipped in with 14 points and seven rebounds. The Bears outrebounded the Terriers 42-31, as Rachel Selph led the squad in boards with eight. LaKaitlin Wright played for nine minutes, grabbing six rebounds and tacking on three points

Series History
Mercer is now 15-5 against the Bulldogs, having won 11 consecutive tilts. The Bears bested Samford by the final score of 73-59 in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 13. Mercer placed four players in double figures, led by 31 points from Lawrence. Thompson tallied 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the win. Mercer is 7-2 all-time at home against Samford.

Leashing the Bulldogs
Samford is 12-12 heading into Saturday's game, including 4-5 in conference action. The Bulldogs have won four of their last six games, including back-to-back four-point victories over Wofford and Furman. Samford is 0-9 in road games this season, including 0-4 on the road in SoCon action.

Hannah Nichols anchors the squad with 13.5 points per game and 6.9 rebounds. Nichols has knocked down 41 threes on the season, shooting 35.3 percent from downtown. Nichols was not a factor in the first showdown with the Bears, fouling out in just 26 minutes of action and finishing the game 1-of-6. Olivia Crozier is second on the squad in scoring (9.6) and rebounding (5.3). Crozier finished with 12 points and eight boards against Mercer in the first showdown.

As a team, Samford leads the conference in three pointers made per game with 6.1 and second in the league in assists per game at 14.6.

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.