No. 13 Mercer Turns Sights to No. 4 Georgia

Saturday, March 17

Athens, Ga.

1:30 p.m.

Mercer University

#4 Georgia

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Photo by: Judy Stapleton

3/16/2018 4:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Bears kick off the NCAA Tournament with host Georgia

By: David Fox

MACON, Ga. – The 13^th-seeded Mercer Bears will begin their journey in the Big Dance tomorrow when they take on 4^th-seeded Georgia Lady Bulldogs. The contest will be played inside Stegeman Coliseum on the campus of Georgia in Athens, Ga.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Saturday, March 17, 2018 | 1:30 p.m.
Teams: No. 13 Mercer (30-2) at No. 4 Georgia (25-6)
Location: Athens, Ga. | Stegeman Coliseum
TV: ESPN3
TV Talent: Melissa Lee, Amanda Butler
Live Stats: georgiadogs.com/livestats
Radio: Fox Sports 1670, iHeartRadio, Sports Mic
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer

Champions of the SoCon
Mercer proved to be the best in the Southern Conference, running through the competition in Asheville, N.C. The Bears dominated Western Carolina by 31 in the opening round, before cruising to a 37-point victory over Samford in the conference semifinals. Mercer then capped off the journey with a dominating 68-53 triumph over ETSU in the conference finals game, leading to the program's first-ever NCAA Division I tournament appearance.

SoCon's Finest
Mercer proved to have the SoCon's finest this season, most notably Kahlia Lawrence who was named SoCon Most Valuable Player for the third season in-a-row. Lawrence is the first student-athlete in SoCon history to be named three-time conference MVP. Lawrence would go on to be named to the SoCon First Team All-Conference, SoCon All-Tournament First Team and the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Lawrence was joined on the First Team All-Conference by Sydni Means and KeKe Calloway, both of which were named to SoCon All-Tournament teams. Additionally, Amanda Thompson was tabbed to the SoCon All-Tournament Second Team.

Georgia's Best
Mercer and Georgia are the two lone schools in the Peach State that will be partaking in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, with only one advancing beyond Saturday's first round. The two squads have a strong history, competing in 36 games, including meeting once this season. The two squads are also connected by a common denominator in head coach Susie Gardner. Gardner was a four-year player for the Lady Bulldogs, leading the squad to two Final Four appearances and one national runner-up finish.

Last Time Out
The Bears have not taken the floor since March 4, but the last time they did, they capped off the perfect run through the Southern Conference. After completing a 14-0 SoCon season, Mercer cruised through the SoCon Championship, defeating Western Carolina (75-44), Samford (81- 44) and ETSU (68-53). In the final game against ETSU, the Bears claimed a 10-point advantage at halftime, never relinquishing the lead. Mercer would go on to stretch its lead to a game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, cruising to the 15-point victory in the end.

Kahlia Lawrence elevated the Bears over the Bucs with a 29-point performance, capping off her SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player performance. Lawrence was joined in double figures by Alex Williams (14) and KeKe Calloway (11). Amanda Thompson concluded the game with nine points and 11 boards.

Series History
Mercer is 14-22 all-time against Georgia, falling in 20 consecutive games against the Lady Bulldogs. Mercer has not defeated Georgia since Feb. 13, 1980. The Bears are 6-14 all-time on the campus of the Lady Bulldogs. The two squads met earlier this season with Georgia claiming the 72-54 victory on Nov. 19, 2017 in Hawkins Arena.

Beating the Lady Bulldogs
Georgia fell to eventual SEC champion, South Carolina, on March 3 by the final score of 71-49. Prior to the loss, the Lady Bulldogs had rattled off four consecutive wins, including a 55-41 win over No. 13 Missouri.

The Lady Bulldogs are led in scoring by Mackenzie Engram (12.9), while Caliya Robinson is second on the squad with 12.6 points per game. Robinson anchors Georgia in rebounds, averaging 7.7 boards per contest. Taja Cole has proved to be Georgia's go-to guard, averaging 8.1 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds.

As a team, Georgia averages 67.8 points per game and has held opponents to just 57.2 points per outing. The Lady Bulldogs' height has proven to be a problem for opponents, averaging 6.0 blocks per game and pulling down nearly 40 rebounds 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.