Men’s Basketball Renews Rivalry With Florida Gulf Coast
11/14/2019 1:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Bears and Eagles play for the first time since 2014
MACON, Ga. – For the first time since March of 2014, the Mercer men's basketball team squares off with Florida Gulf Coast. Tipoff for the Bears and Eagles game is set for 7:30 p.m. from Hawkins Arena.
GAME DAY LINEUP
Date:Â November 15, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Teams:Â Mercer (2-1) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (0-3)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats:Â MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: ESPN3– Phil Cox and Tim Scarborough
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerMBB
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SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: Mercer leads 12-5 in the series
• Current Streak: W1
• Last Meeting: W, 68-60 (3/9/2014)
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OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball Florida Gulf Coast for the first time since March 9, 2014, on Friday at Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. against former ASUN rival FGCU. The contest will be streamed on ESPN3 with Phil Cox and Tim Scarborough on the call. It will also be on the 100.9 The Creek FM and Sportsmic Radio with Rick Cameron on the call.
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ABOUT THE EAGLES
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) enters the contest with a record of 0-3… The Eagles have dropped four straight games, dating back to the ASUN Quarterfinals loss last season to NJIT… The last win for FGCU came on March 1, 2019, when they defeated Jacksonville, 77-74… In the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll, FGCU was picked to finish in third place as Liberty was picked to win and North Florida was picked to finish second… The Eagles have 11 newcomers that will don the Blue and Green this season and are  under the direction of second year head coach Michael Fly… Over the first three games, FGCU is averaging 59 points as a team and are allowing 69.7 points per game… The Eagles are shooting 36.8 percent from the floor this season… Zach Scott leads the team in scoring averaging 16.3 points per game and Caleb Catto follows averaging 14.7 points per game…. Justus Rainwater leads the team in rebounding has averages 6.7 rebounds per game… FGCU averages 15.7 turnovers per game.
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LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the hardwood was Monday, Nov. 11 when they took on Kennesaw State. After a slow start, the Bears slowly heated up and defeated the Owls, 74-62. The Bears shot 36.7 percent from the floor and were led by 21 points by Ethan Stair. Djordje Dimitrijevic finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of his career. Ross Cummings made his first appearance of the season and played 27 minutes and scored 14 points on four-for-six on three-pointers. In the second half of the game against the Owls, the Bears shot 60 percent (6-for-10) on three-pointers.
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LAST MEETING BETWEEN MERCER AND FGCU
The last time the Bears and Eagle met on the hardwood was during the 2013-14 season. That year the teams met three times, including the ASUN Tournament Championship game at FGCU. After splitting the regular season matchups, the Bears headed to FGCU for the championship game where Mercer came away with a 68-60 victory to earn the ASUN's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. This was the final time the Bears would play in the ASUN Tournament. The Bears moved to the Southern Conference the following season. The Bears were led by Langston Hall and Anthony White Jr. led the team with 15 points.
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478 DAY AT HAWKINS
It's 478 Day at Hawkins Arena on Friday night. Tickets for the contest are $4.78 and can be purchased online at tickets.mercer.edu with the code "478day" to redeem your tickets to cheer on the Bears. The First 300 fans into Hawkins Arena will receive a 478 t-shirt. The Bears will do one more 478 day this season on Jan. 4 when they host Chattanooga.
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WINNING AT HAWKINS
The Bears improved to 2-0 on the season playing in its home arena, Hawkins Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, the Bears have won 69 percent of its games at Hawkins Arena. During that stretch, the Bears have won 52 of the 75 games played. They won 12 games at home during the 2014-15 season. During the 2019-20 season, the Bears play at Hawkins Arena 14 times. Below are the records for the Bears when playing at Hawkins Arena
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Year                      W          L
2014-15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4
2015-16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3
2016-17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7
2017-18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3
2018-19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6
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DIMITRIJEVIC RECORDS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
After playing in 33 career games wearing the Bears uniform, Djordje Dimitrijevic's 34 game resulted in his first career double-double. He scored 16 points and collected a career-high 10 rebounds in the victory over Kennesaw State. Last season, Dimitrijevic finished one assist shy of a double-double in a loss to The Citadel as he scored 15 points and had nine assists.
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THREE GAMES, THREE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
The Bears have played three games this season and in each of the games, the Bears have recorded a double-double. This season, Ethan Stair and Djordje Dimitrijevic have picked up double-doubles this season. Stair has collected two double-doubles this season and Dimitrijevic has recorded his first of the season. Below are the stats for the Bears double-doubles this season.
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Ethan Stair, 23 points and 10 rebounds at St. John's, 11/6/19
Ethan Stair, 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Columbia International, 11/8/19
Djordje Dimitrijevic, 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, 11/11/19
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BOCA RATON BEACH CLASSIC
The Mercer men's basketball team will be playing in the inaugural Boca Raton Beach Classic presented by Sport Changes Life. The event will be held in conjunction with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Games will be played on Sunday, Dec. 1 and Monday, Dec. 2 at Abessinio Court at FAU Arena, on the campus of FAU. The eight-team classic will be split into two separate four-team brackets. In addition to the contest on Dec. 1 and 2, the Bears will travel to Illinois-Chicago (Nov. 23) and St. Bonaventure (Nov. 26), respectfully, as part of the tournament.
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SENIOR DUO LOOKING TO JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Both Ross Cummings and Ethan Stair are closing into on becoming the Bears 41st and 42nd 1,000-career scores in Mercer History. Entering the season, Ross Cummings has scored 817 career points, while Ethan Stair has scored 765 points. Sitting in 40th on the 1,000 point club for Mercer is Dartez Talbott who scored 1,014 points in his career at Mercer, which stretched from the 1979-81 seasons. James Florence, who played for the Bears from 2006-10, is the all-time leading scorer as he scored 2,286 points. Florence is the only 2,000 point scorers in Mercer history. The list of players that Cummings and Stair are looking to catch is below.
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1,000 Point Scorers (No. 36-40)
               Rk.        Name                   Pts
               36          Will Emerson    1,050
               T37        Jim Hearn           1,034
               T37        Reggie Elliott     1,034
               38          Rodney Kirtz      1,025
               39          Donnie Veal       1,023
               40          Dartez Talbott  1,014
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3-POINT FIELD GOALS
Not only is Ross Cummings closing in at 1,000 points but also he is closing in on becoming the all-time leading three-point field goals leader. In his three years at Mercer, Cummings has hit 162 three-pointers, which ranks fourth all-time. He is 90 threes away from tying the career record holder of Langston Hall, who hit 256 threes. Below are the top five career three-point shooters to wear a Mercer uniform. With his 166 made three-pointers in his career, Cummings is the third active leader in the SoCon.
3-Point Field Goals Made (Career)
               Name                 3-FGM Years
1.           Langston Hall     256        2010-14
2.           James Florence 242        2006-10
3.           E.J. Kusnyer       190        2008-10
4.           Ross Cummings 166        2016-Present
5.           Bud Thomas      161        2010-14
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FREE THROWS MADE
The Bears rank first in the SoCon in free throws made this season. Over the first three games of the season, Mercer has made 50 free throws this season and have three players with ten or more makes this season. Djordje Dimitrijevic is 16-for-18 from the line and the 16 are the most on the team. Ethan Stair is second on the team making 11 and Kamar Robertson is third with 10 made free throws. As a team, the Bears are making 72.5 percent of their free throws.
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GREG GARY COACH'S SHOW
With the 2019-20 season underway, so is the Greg Gary Coach's Show. The 11 edition show will be streamed on Sportsmic Radio and the Mercer Men's Basketball Facebook page. The show is aired from Margaritas in Mercer Village from 6 to 7 p.m. The first show can be restreamed on the Mercer Men's Basketball Facebook page. The next Coach's Show will take part on Monday, Dec. 9.
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PRESEASON All-SoCON TEAM
Mercer guard Ross Cummings, a 6-3 senior from Dickson, Tenn., has been selected to the preseason All-SoCon Team. Cummings started all 31 games a year ago and averaged 17.4 points per game. He hit 101 three-pointers last year, which was the second-most made in a single season in school history. Over his first three years of his career, Cummings has made 162 three-pointers, ranking him fourth all-time at Mercer. On three different occasions, Cummings set new career-highs for scoring. On Nov. 27, 2018, against Brewton-Parker, he scored 31 points. The career-high points changed 36 on Jan. 10 against Western Carolina. A month and a half later, he scored 37 points, setting another career-high against Chattanooga. His 37-point contest came at Hawkins Arena. This second-highest total scored by a Mercer player at Hawkins Arena. James Florence scored 39 points, a Mercer single-game high, on Feb. 16, 2007.
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SoCON CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2020 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale will be held March 6-9 at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The 2020 edition of the tournament is the 100th for the nation's oldest collegiate conference basketball tournament.
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UP NEXT
Following the contest with Florida Gulf Coast contest, Mercer hits the road for its next five games. The road trip starts on Tuesday, Nov. 19 when they head to Statesboro, Ga. to face Georgia Southern. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
How to Follow the Bears:Â
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.
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GAME DAY LINEUP
Date:Â November 15, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Teams:Â Mercer (2-1) vs. Florida Gulf Coast (0-3)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats:Â MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: ESPN3– Phil Cox and Tim Scarborough
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerMBB
Â
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: Mercer leads 12-5 in the series
• Current Streak: W1
• Last Meeting: W, 68-60 (3/9/2014)
Â
OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball Florida Gulf Coast for the first time since March 9, 2014, on Friday at Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. against former ASUN rival FGCU. The contest will be streamed on ESPN3 with Phil Cox and Tim Scarborough on the call. It will also be on the 100.9 The Creek FM and Sportsmic Radio with Rick Cameron on the call.
Â
ABOUT THE EAGLES
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) enters the contest with a record of 0-3… The Eagles have dropped four straight games, dating back to the ASUN Quarterfinals loss last season to NJIT… The last win for FGCU came on March 1, 2019, when they defeated Jacksonville, 77-74… In the ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll, FGCU was picked to finish in third place as Liberty was picked to win and North Florida was picked to finish second… The Eagles have 11 newcomers that will don the Blue and Green this season and are  under the direction of second year head coach Michael Fly… Over the first three games, FGCU is averaging 59 points as a team and are allowing 69.7 points per game… The Eagles are shooting 36.8 percent from the floor this season… Zach Scott leads the team in scoring averaging 16.3 points per game and Caleb Catto follows averaging 14.7 points per game…. Justus Rainwater leads the team in rebounding has averages 6.7 rebounds per game… FGCU averages 15.7 turnovers per game.
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LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the hardwood was Monday, Nov. 11 when they took on Kennesaw State. After a slow start, the Bears slowly heated up and defeated the Owls, 74-62. The Bears shot 36.7 percent from the floor and were led by 21 points by Ethan Stair. Djordje Dimitrijevic finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of his career. Ross Cummings made his first appearance of the season and played 27 minutes and scored 14 points on four-for-six on three-pointers. In the second half of the game against the Owls, the Bears shot 60 percent (6-for-10) on three-pointers.
Â
LAST MEETING BETWEEN MERCER AND FGCU
The last time the Bears and Eagle met on the hardwood was during the 2013-14 season. That year the teams met three times, including the ASUN Tournament Championship game at FGCU. After splitting the regular season matchups, the Bears headed to FGCU for the championship game where Mercer came away with a 68-60 victory to earn the ASUN's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. This was the final time the Bears would play in the ASUN Tournament. The Bears moved to the Southern Conference the following season. The Bears were led by Langston Hall and Anthony White Jr. led the team with 15 points.
Â
478 DAY AT HAWKINS
It's 478 Day at Hawkins Arena on Friday night. Tickets for the contest are $4.78 and can be purchased online at tickets.mercer.edu with the code "478day" to redeem your tickets to cheer on the Bears. The First 300 fans into Hawkins Arena will receive a 478 t-shirt. The Bears will do one more 478 day this season on Jan. 4 when they host Chattanooga.
Â
WINNING AT HAWKINS
The Bears improved to 2-0 on the season playing in its home arena, Hawkins Arena. Since the 2014-15 season, the Bears have won 69 percent of its games at Hawkins Arena. During that stretch, the Bears have won 52 of the 75 games played. They won 12 games at home during the 2014-15 season. During the 2019-20 season, the Bears play at Hawkins Arena 14 times. Below are the records for the Bears when playing at Hawkins Arena
Â
Year                      W          L
2014-15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4
2015-16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3
2016-17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7
2017-18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3
2018-19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 6
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DIMITRIJEVIC RECORDS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
After playing in 33 career games wearing the Bears uniform, Djordje Dimitrijevic's 34 game resulted in his first career double-double. He scored 16 points and collected a career-high 10 rebounds in the victory over Kennesaw State. Last season, Dimitrijevic finished one assist shy of a double-double in a loss to The Citadel as he scored 15 points and had nine assists.
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THREE GAMES, THREE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
The Bears have played three games this season and in each of the games, the Bears have recorded a double-double. This season, Ethan Stair and Djordje Dimitrijevic have picked up double-doubles this season. Stair has collected two double-doubles this season and Dimitrijevic has recorded his first of the season. Below are the stats for the Bears double-doubles this season.
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Ethan Stair, 23 points and 10 rebounds at St. John's, 11/6/19
Ethan Stair, 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Columbia International, 11/8/19
Djordje Dimitrijevic, 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Kennesaw State, 11/11/19
Â
BOCA RATON BEACH CLASSIC
The Mercer men's basketball team will be playing in the inaugural Boca Raton Beach Classic presented by Sport Changes Life. The event will be held in conjunction with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Games will be played on Sunday, Dec. 1 and Monday, Dec. 2 at Abessinio Court at FAU Arena, on the campus of FAU. The eight-team classic will be split into two separate four-team brackets. In addition to the contest on Dec. 1 and 2, the Bears will travel to Illinois-Chicago (Nov. 23) and St. Bonaventure (Nov. 26), respectfully, as part of the tournament.
Â
SENIOR DUO LOOKING TO JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Both Ross Cummings and Ethan Stair are closing into on becoming the Bears 41st and 42nd 1,000-career scores in Mercer History. Entering the season, Ross Cummings has scored 817 career points, while Ethan Stair has scored 765 points. Sitting in 40th on the 1,000 point club for Mercer is Dartez Talbott who scored 1,014 points in his career at Mercer, which stretched from the 1979-81 seasons. James Florence, who played for the Bears from 2006-10, is the all-time leading scorer as he scored 2,286 points. Florence is the only 2,000 point scorers in Mercer history. The list of players that Cummings and Stair are looking to catch is below.
Â
1,000 Point Scorers (No. 36-40)
               Rk.        Name                   Pts
               36          Will Emerson    1,050
               T37        Jim Hearn           1,034
               T37        Reggie Elliott     1,034
               38          Rodney Kirtz      1,025
               39          Donnie Veal       1,023
               40          Dartez Talbott  1,014
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3-POINT FIELD GOALS
Not only is Ross Cummings closing in at 1,000 points but also he is closing in on becoming the all-time leading three-point field goals leader. In his three years at Mercer, Cummings has hit 162 three-pointers, which ranks fourth all-time. He is 90 threes away from tying the career record holder of Langston Hall, who hit 256 threes. Below are the top five career three-point shooters to wear a Mercer uniform. With his 166 made three-pointers in his career, Cummings is the third active leader in the SoCon.
3-Point Field Goals Made (Career)
               Name                 3-FGM Years
1.           Langston Hall     256        2010-14
2.           James Florence 242        2006-10
3.           E.J. Kusnyer       190        2008-10
4.           Ross Cummings 166        2016-Present
5.           Bud Thomas      161        2010-14
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FREE THROWS MADE
The Bears rank first in the SoCon in free throws made this season. Over the first three games of the season, Mercer has made 50 free throws this season and have three players with ten or more makes this season. Djordje Dimitrijevic is 16-for-18 from the line and the 16 are the most on the team. Ethan Stair is second on the team making 11 and Kamar Robertson is third with 10 made free throws. As a team, the Bears are making 72.5 percent of their free throws.
Â
GREG GARY COACH'S SHOW
With the 2019-20 season underway, so is the Greg Gary Coach's Show. The 11 edition show will be streamed on Sportsmic Radio and the Mercer Men's Basketball Facebook page. The show is aired from Margaritas in Mercer Village from 6 to 7 p.m. The first show can be restreamed on the Mercer Men's Basketball Facebook page. The next Coach's Show will take part on Monday, Dec. 9.
Â
PRESEASON All-SoCON TEAM
Mercer guard Ross Cummings, a 6-3 senior from Dickson, Tenn., has been selected to the preseason All-SoCon Team. Cummings started all 31 games a year ago and averaged 17.4 points per game. He hit 101 three-pointers last year, which was the second-most made in a single season in school history. Over his first three years of his career, Cummings has made 162 three-pointers, ranking him fourth all-time at Mercer. On three different occasions, Cummings set new career-highs for scoring. On Nov. 27, 2018, against Brewton-Parker, he scored 31 points. The career-high points changed 36 on Jan. 10 against Western Carolina. A month and a half later, he scored 37 points, setting another career-high against Chattanooga. His 37-point contest came at Hawkins Arena. This second-highest total scored by a Mercer player at Hawkins Arena. James Florence scored 39 points, a Mercer single-game high, on Feb. 16, 2007.
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SoCON CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2020 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship presented by General Shale will be held March 6-9 at Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The 2020 edition of the tournament is the 100th for the nation's oldest collegiate conference basketball tournament.
Â
UP NEXT
Following the contest with Florida Gulf Coast contest, Mercer hits the road for its next five games. The road trip starts on Tuesday, Nov. 19 when they head to Statesboro, Ga. to face Georgia Southern. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
How to Follow the Bears:Â
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.
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