Mercer Poised for Clash with Clemson on Sunday

Sunday, December 15

Macon, Ga.

2 P.M.

Mercer University

Clemson

Buy Tickets

Mercer Poised for Clash with Clemson on Sunday

12/13/2019 2:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Jill Harris and Jordan McLaughlin are one of the nation's best freshmen assist duos.

By: Stephen Waldman

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team will be tested with its first ACC opponent of the season when the Clemson Tigers come to Hawkins Arena on Sunday for a 2 p.m. tipoff.

The Bears have teamed up with 'The MERRIE Christmas Project' from United Way of Central Georgia to give back to the community during the holiday season. Any fan who brings an unwrapped toy or stuffed animal to the game will receive free admission and will be able to participate in our teddy bear toss at halftime. The fan who gets their stuffed animal closest to center court will win a prize.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (3-6 Overall, 0-0 SoCon) vs. Clemson (3-7, 0-1 ACC)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Craig Lawson and Sybil Blalock
Twitter Updates: @Mercer_WBB
Game Notes: Mercer | Clemson
Promotion: Halftime Teddy Bear Toss

Frienemies
Head coach Susie Gardner and Clemson head coach Amanda Butler have a long-standing relationship that begins in the outskirts of Nashville. Both Gardner and Butler attended Mt. Juliet High School in Tennessee before going on to play collegiate ball in the SEC (Gardner at Georgia, Butler at Florida).

The duo has also coached together on multiple occasions, first at Austin Peay in their home state of Tennessee. Gardner earned her first head coaching gig in 1996 and brought Butler on staff as an assistant. Butler left for the University of Charlotte in 2001 and eventually returned to her alma mater as head coach in 2007. Gardner brought a wealth of knowledge to Butler's staff and the Gators team until 2010 when she was hired as the head coach here at Mercer.

This will be their first meeting on opposite sides of the court.

The Season of Giving
Mercer has been one of the top assist teams in the SoCon this season, ranking third with 127 helpers. Rookies Jill Harris (3.3 apg) and Jordan McLaughlin (3.2 apg) are both ranked inside the top 10 in assists for the conference.

Additionally, Harris and McLaughlin are one of two pairs of freshmen teammates in the nation to average at least 3.0 assists per game, along with Fresno State's Hannah Cavinder (3.9 apg) and Haley Cavinder (3.5 apg).

One Man's Trash…
The Bears have been opportunistic with their offense through the early portion of the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 21.1 points per game off turnovers. Mercer has reached double digits in points off turnovers in all nine games so far while eclipsing the 20-point mark five times.

Last Time Out
Mercer won its second consecutive game with a 62-52 victory over in-state foe Georgia Southern on Dec. 7 at Hawkins Arena. Mercer's defense limited the Eagles to shoot 28.4 percent (19-of-67) from the floor while forcing them into 20 turnovers. On the opposite end of the floor, the Bears shot over 40 percent for the third straight game at a clip of 44.1 percent (26-of-59).

Jaron Dougherty logged her third double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds, marking the second 20-point performance of her sophomore campaign. Shannon Titus added 18 points and nine boards on the afternoon for the Bears, while Jill Harris' 10 assists marked the first time a Mercer player reached double-digit helpers in a game this year. Amoria Neal-Tysor contributed 10 points and five rebounds as well.

Series History
Mercer and Clemson have a brief history together that will be renewed for the first time since 1981. The Bears have won each of the last two meetings after Clemson claimed the first four games.

Mercer documented an 86-83 victory over the Tigers on Dec. 19, 1980, at the MUW Invitational before beating Clemson 79-78 on Feb. 21, 1981 here in Macon.

Scouting the Tigers
After topping Furman 77-71 in the season-opener, the Tigers have struggled having dropped seven of their last nine contests. Clemson's most recent victory came three games ago when it defeated Alcorn State on the road, 77-46, on Nov. 30.

Kobi Thornton (13.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Amari Robinson (10.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg) are the leading scorers and rebounders for the Tigers. Clemson has three players with at least 20 assists in Destiny Thomas (23), Shania Meertens (21) and Kendall Spray (20) pace the squad in assists, while Tylar Bennett's 11 blocks is a team high.

Thornton was tabbed preseason All-ACC by both the league's head coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel, becoming the first Clemson player to garner preseason honors from the conference since Nikki Dixon in 2014. The Tigers were selected to finish eighth in both preseason polls.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @Mercer_WBB (Twitter), /MercerWBB(Facebook) and @MercerWBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.