Mercer Set for First SoCon Road Trip

MACON, Ga. – Mercer Women's Basketball will get its first taste of Southern Conference road action tomorrow with a 5 p.m. tip against Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C. Tomorrow's contest will be the first of a two-game swing as the Bears will take on UNCG on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Greensboro, N.C.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019 | 5 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (9-7, 1-0) at Western Carolina (3-13, 0-2)
Location: Cullowhee, N.C. | Ramsey Center
Live Stats: catamountsports.com/livestats
TV: ESPN3
Twitter Updates: @MercerWBB
Game Notes: Mercer

Double-Double You're in Trouble
Amanda Thompson continues to roll through the competition in recent games. The senior captain collected her sixth consecutive double-double and eighth of the season after grabbing 11 rebounds and pouring in a career-best 24 points. Thompson has reached new heights this season as a four-time SoCon Player of the Week and the SoCon December Player of the Month. Thompson is averaging 13.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season. Over the course of the last six outings, the North Carolina native is averaging 19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds. Thompson has reached double-digit scoring in eight consecutive games and 10 of the last 11 outings.

Game Changers
The Bears are forcing just over 17 turnovers per game this season, ranking fourth in the SoCon. Mercer is only coughing the ball over 11.5 times per game which leads the league and ranks seventh in the NCAA. On Saturday, the Bears forced 22 turnovers which was the second most forced by the Orange & Black this season. Mercer converted those blunders into 28 points, marking the most points-off-turnovers this season for the Bears' offense.

Working Overtime
The Bears defeated Samford on Saturday in overtime by the final score of 76-68 in Macon, Ga. Saturday's contest was the first overtime game for the Bears since Jan. 9, 2016 at Western Carolina when Mercer defeated the Catamounts 92-88. That game came off the heels of another overtime game, this time at UNCG on Jan. 7, 2016 as the Bears upended the Spartans by the final score of 86-78. Mercer has been to seven overtime games under Coach Gardner, holding a record of 6-1. The Bears have won six consecutive overtime games under Gardner's direction.

History in Ramsey Center
The Bears are 14-0 all-time against Western Carolina, including 6-0 in Cullowhee, N.C. (Ramsey Center). Mercer is 4-0 in Cullowhee under the tutelage of Gardner. On average, the Bears defeat the Catamounts by nine points per game when played inside the Ramsey Center. Four of the six showdowns have been decided by single digits, including last year's contest when Mercer defeated Western Carolina on Feb. 15 by the final score of 53-46. The Bears have successfully held the Catamounts to below 60 points in five of the six games inside the Ramsey Center, including a series-low 46 points last season.

Last Time Out
The Bears picked up a SoCon-opening win on Saturday against Samford, claiming the 76-68 overtime victory. It was a defensive battle in the first quarter, combining for 21 points as both teams traded three-point advantages. The Bulldogs claimed the 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second frame belonged to Thompson, scoring 15 of Mercer's 17 points as the Bears built a 27-22 lead heading into the locker room. Mercer scored the first seven points to start the third quarter, capped off by a Linnea Rosendal three to push the advantage to 34-22. The Bulldogs retaliated with a 13-4 run to trim the Mercer lead to just three, before the Bears extended the advantage to four to close out the quarter. The two teams upped the intensity in the fourth quarter, combining for 46 points in 10 minutes. Samford's Paige Serup hit a three at the buzzer to force overtime in The Hawk. KeKe Calloway led the charge in overtime, scoring eight of Mercer's 12 points while the Bears held Samford without a field goal.

Thompson scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for yet another double-double. KeKe Calloway finished with 21 points, while Shannon Titus chipped in for 17 points and eight boards.

Series History
Mercer is a perfect 14-0 all-time against the Catamounts, including 10-0 under Coach Gardner. The Bears are 6-0 in contests played in Cullowhee, N.C. Mercer swept Western Carolina last season, including a 75-44 victory in the SoCon Tournament.

What about WCU?
Western Carolina is 3-13 on the season and 0-2 in league play heading into Thursday's game. The Catamounts have dropped four consecutive games, including to Wofford (91-65) and Furman (65-55).

Tess Harris leads the team in points, averaging 9.8 per game. Gabby Smith is pulling down a team-high 4.9 rebounds per game to go along with 6.8 points.

As a team, Western Carolina averages 17 points fewer than its opponents. The Catamounts are shooting .361 from the floor and .282 from beyond the arc, despite hitting 6.3 threes per game. Western Carolina leads the conference in three point field goals attempted (355), ranking 85th in the NCAA.

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.

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Players Mentioned

KeKe Calloway

Linnea Rosendal

Amanda Thompson

Shannon Titus

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