Saturday, December 28
Macon, Ga.
1 p.m.
Mercer University
vs
Milligan
Photo by: Judy Stapleton
Men’s Basketball Returns to Hawkins Saturday
12/27/2019 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Bears return from its holiday break to face Milligan Saturday
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's basketball team closes out its 2019-20 non-conference schedule on Saturday, Dec. 28 when they host Milligan College at Hawkins Arena. The action starts at 1 p.m.
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GAME DAY LINEUP
Date:Â December 28, 2019 | 1 Â p.m. (ET)
Teams:Â Milligan (5-6) at Mercer (5-8)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats:Â MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: ESPN3
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerMBB
Â
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: First meeting between the two programs
• Current Streak: N/A
• Last Meeting: N/A
Â
OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball welcomes Milligan College to Hawkins Arena for the first time in program history. This will be the first matchup between these two schools. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3 and 100.9 The Creek FM and Sportsmic Radio with Rick Cameron on the call.
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ABOUT THE BUFFALOES
Milligan enters the contest against Mercer with a 5-6 overall record on the season… The Buffaloes are 4-4 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference… The Buffaloes last played on Dec. 15 in an exhibition contest against ETSTU, where Milligan was defeated 97-41… Milligan's last win came on Dec. 7 against Bryan, 84-69… Mercer will be the second SoCon opponent Milligan has played… The Buffaloes are averaging 72.5 points per game while allowing 76.3 points per game… The Buffaloes are shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and are shooting 32.7 percent on three-pointers this season… Opponents are shooting 46.2 percent against the Buffaloes this season… Milligan has four players scoring in double-figures this season led by senior Tyler Nichols…. Nichols is averaging 15.9 points per game… Jacob Cawood (13.3 ppg), Desean Green (11.9 ppg) and Bo Pless (11.1 ppg) round out the double-figure scorers…. All four of the double-figure scorers are seniors… Leading the Buffaloes on the glass is senior Mike Featherston, who is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game… Featherston's 8.2 rebounds per game is ranked 48th best mark in the NAIA… During the 2018-19 season, the Buffaloes finished 22-7 on the season… They are led by Bill Robinson, who enters his 11th season at the helm… Milligan returns four of its starters from the 2018-19 season.
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LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the court was Sunday night against Florida Atlantic. The contest was the first trip to Macon, Ga. for FAU since 2006. The Bears would fall to the Owls, 65-50. Mercer struggled shooting from the outside, as they were 3-for-17 on three-pointers in the contest. Ethan Stair led the team with 15 points and he was the only Bear in double-figures. Mercer shot 35.8 percent from the floor but the Bears committed 17 turnovers in the contest.
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DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR THE BEARS
This season the Bears have had nine double-doubles, which is five more than the Bears had all of the 2018-19 season. Mercer has had three different players pick up a double-double this season, Ethan Stair, Maciej Bender, and Djordje Dimitrijevic. Bender and Dimitrijevic double-doubles were the first ones of their career. Stair leads the team with six double-doubles on the season, which ranks 16th in the nation and first in the Southern Conference. Bender ranks sixth in the SoCon with two and Dimitrijevic has one double-double on the season.
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MERCER AGAINST FIRST TIME OPPONNETS
The matchup on Saturday against Milligan for the Bears will be its fifth opponent this season where it will be the first-ever matchup between the two schools. In games where the Bears faced an opponent for the first time, they are 1-3 on the
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SoCON TEAMS WITH FIVE OR MORE WINS
Looking at the Southern Conference standings, each team has five or more wins this season. The Bears are looking for its sixth win of the season on Saturday. ETSU and Furman lead the conference with 11 wins on the season.
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TWELVE STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A THREE
Eight SoCon student-athletes have streaks of at least 10 games with a made three-pointer. The Bears Djordje Dimitrijevic has made a three-pointer in 12 straight games, which is the fourth-longest streak in the SoCon. The SoCon leader for consecutive games a three-pointer is Tray Boyd III of ETSU. He is currently at 19 straight games. Â
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Player (School)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Streak
Tray Boyd III (ETSU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19
Brandon Austin (Samford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15
Clay Mounce (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 13
Djordje Dimitrijevic (Mercer)Â Â Â Â 12
Kamdyn Curfman (VMI)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Kyrin Galloway (UNCG)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Alex Hunter (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Kaiden Rice (Citadel)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11
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SoCON PLAYER POINT HIGHS
Ethan Stair set a career-high in points as he scored 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting at Georgia Southern. The 28 points are the fifth most in a game by a Southern Conference player this season. Below are the top five scoring games in the SoCon.
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Player (School)                                Points  Date (Opponent)
Jordan Lyons (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 33Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/19/19 (at Alabama)
Mason Faulkner (WCU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/03/19 (Chattanooga)
Kaiden Rice (Citadel)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/04/19 (ETSU)
Noah Gurley (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/08/19 (USC Upstate)
Ethan Stair (Mercer)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/19/19 (at Georgia Southern)
Brandon Austin (Samford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/13/19 (UVa.-Wise)
Mason Faulkner (WCU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/21/19 (Jacksonville)
Isaiah Bigelow (Wofford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/13/19 (North Greenville)
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LAST NON-CONFERENCE CONTEST
The Bears close out its non-conference schedule on Saturday against Milligan. Following Saturday's contest, the Bears have 17 Southern Conference games remaining this season. Mercer travels to Greensboro, N.C. for its second SoCon game of the season on Jan. 1.
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BIG NIGHT FOR BENDER
Redshirt junior Maciej Bender had a big night in his first Southern Conference contest. Bender scored a career-high 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Besides scoring, Bender led the team with 10 rebounds, one-off his career-high. This was his second career double-double. Not only did he score and rebound, but Bender also made an impact on the defensive end of the court as he recorded a career-high four blocks. The 10 rebound game was his second time this season with 10 or more rebounds.
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FROM BEHIND THE ARC
On Saturday, the Bears look to improve its three-point shooting from its last contest on Dec. 22. Against FAU, the Bears shot 17.6 percent from behind the arc, its lowest mark of the season. It was only the third time all season; the Bears have shot below 30 percent on three-pointers. They hit three three-pointers the fewest in a game this season. The last time the Bears shot below 30 percent on threes, Mercer came back and shot 35.7 percent in the next game.
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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. Which player will be the first to score 1,000 points? Cummings has scored 860 points in his career that spans 79 games, while Stair has scored 931 points in 97 games. 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
                               Ethan Stair         931
                               Ross Cummings 860
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HITTING THREES
Ross Cummings is closing in on the 1,000-point club but he is also climbing up the Mercer record books for made three-point field goals. During his junior season, Cummings hit 101 three-pointers, becoming only the second Mercer Bear to make 100 or more threes in a season. Prior to his junior year, the most threes Cumming hit in a season was 57. For his career, he has hit 173 career three-pointers. He is 17 three-pointers away from tying for third all-time at Mercer. Below are the top five all-time leaders for Mercer for three-point field goals made. With his 172 made three-pointers, he is number three on the SoCon active career leader list.
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 173        2016-Present
5.           Bud Thomas      161        2010-14
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GREG GARY COACH'S SHOW
The Greg Gary Coach's Show is underway from Margaritas in Mercer Village. 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. Starting Jan. 6th, the third Coach's Show of the year will run weekly. Â
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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
The Bears return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 1 when they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to face UNCG in Southern Conference action. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Greensboro Coliseum.
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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 December 28, 2019 | 1 Â p.m. (ET)
Teams:Â Milligan (5-6) at Mercer (5-8)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats:Â MercerBears.com/LiveStats
Radio: 100.9 The Creek FM and SportsMic – Rick Cameron
TV: ESPN3
Twitter Updates:Â @MercerMBB
Â
SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: First meeting between the two programs
• Current Streak: N/A
• Last Meeting: N/A
Â
OPENING TIPOFF
Mercer Men's Basketball welcomes Milligan College to Hawkins Arena for the first time in program history. This will be the first matchup between these two schools. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3 and 100.9 The Creek FM and Sportsmic Radio with Rick Cameron on the call.
Â
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES
Milligan enters the contest against Mercer with a 5-6 overall record on the season… The Buffaloes are 4-4 in the Appalachian Athletic Conference… The Buffaloes last played on Dec. 15 in an exhibition contest against ETSTU, where Milligan was defeated 97-41… Milligan's last win came on Dec. 7 against Bryan, 84-69… Mercer will be the second SoCon opponent Milligan has played… The Buffaloes are averaging 72.5 points per game while allowing 76.3 points per game… The Buffaloes are shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and are shooting 32.7 percent on three-pointers this season… Opponents are shooting 46.2 percent against the Buffaloes this season… Milligan has four players scoring in double-figures this season led by senior Tyler Nichols…. Nichols is averaging 15.9 points per game… Jacob Cawood (13.3 ppg), Desean Green (11.9 ppg) and Bo Pless (11.1 ppg) round out the double-figure scorers…. All four of the double-figure scorers are seniors… Leading the Buffaloes on the glass is senior Mike Featherston, who is averaging 8.2 rebounds per game… Featherston's 8.2 rebounds per game is ranked 48th best mark in the NAIA… During the 2018-19 season, the Buffaloes finished 22-7 on the season… They are led by Bill Robinson, who enters his 11th season at the helm… Milligan returns four of its starters from the 2018-19 season.
Â
LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Bears took to the court was Sunday night against Florida Atlantic. The contest was the first trip to Macon, Ga. for FAU since 2006. The Bears would fall to the Owls, 65-50. Mercer struggled shooting from the outside, as they were 3-for-17 on three-pointers in the contest. Ethan Stair led the team with 15 points and he was the only Bear in double-figures. Mercer shot 35.8 percent from the floor but the Bears committed 17 turnovers in the contest.
Â
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR THE BEARS
This season the Bears have had nine double-doubles, which is five more than the Bears had all of the 2018-19 season. Mercer has had three different players pick up a double-double this season, Ethan Stair, Maciej Bender, and Djordje Dimitrijevic. Bender and Dimitrijevic double-doubles were the first ones of their career. Stair leads the team with six double-doubles on the season, which ranks 16th in the nation and first in the Southern Conference. Bender ranks sixth in the SoCon with two and Dimitrijevic has one double-double on the season.
Â
MERCER AGAINST FIRST TIME OPPONNETS
The matchup on Saturday against Milligan for the Bears will be its fifth opponent this season where it will be the first-ever matchup between the two schools. In games where the Bears faced an opponent for the first time, they are 1-3 on the
Â
SoCON TEAMS WITH FIVE OR MORE WINS
Looking at the Southern Conference standings, each team has five or more wins this season. The Bears are looking for its sixth win of the season on Saturday. ETSU and Furman lead the conference with 11 wins on the season.
Â
TWELVE STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A THREE
Eight SoCon student-athletes have streaks of at least 10 games with a made three-pointer. The Bears Djordje Dimitrijevic has made a three-pointer in 12 straight games, which is the fourth-longest streak in the SoCon. The SoCon leader for consecutive games a three-pointer is Tray Boyd III of ETSU. He is currently at 19 straight games. Â
              Â
Player (School)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Streak
Tray Boyd III (ETSU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19
Brandon Austin (Samford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15
Clay Mounce (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 13
Djordje Dimitrijevic (Mercer)Â Â Â Â 12
Kamdyn Curfman (VMI)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Kyrin Galloway (UNCG)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Alex Hunter (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12
Kaiden Rice (Citadel)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11
Â
SoCON PLAYER POINT HIGHS
Ethan Stair set a career-high in points as he scored 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting at Georgia Southern. The 28 points are the fifth most in a game by a Southern Conference player this season. Below are the top five scoring games in the SoCon.
Â
Player (School)                                Points  Date (Opponent)
Jordan Lyons (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 33Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/19/19 (at Alabama)
Mason Faulkner (WCU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/03/19 (Chattanooga)
Kaiden Rice (Citadel)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/04/19 (ETSU)
Noah Gurley (Furman)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 29Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/08/19 (USC Upstate)
Ethan Stair (Mercer)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/19/19 (at Georgia Southern)
Brandon Austin (Samford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/13/19 (UVa.-Wise)
Mason Faulkner (WCU)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11/21/19 (Jacksonville)
Isaiah Bigelow (Wofford)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 28Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 12/13/19 (North Greenville)
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LAST NON-CONFERENCE CONTEST
The Bears close out its non-conference schedule on Saturday against Milligan. Following Saturday's contest, the Bears have 17 Southern Conference games remaining this season. Mercer travels to Greensboro, N.C. for its second SoCon game of the season on Jan. 1.
Â
BIG NIGHT FOR BENDER
Redshirt junior Maciej Bender had a big night in his first Southern Conference contest. Bender scored a career-high 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Besides scoring, Bender led the team with 10 rebounds, one-off his career-high. This was his second career double-double. Not only did he score and rebound, but Bender also made an impact on the defensive end of the court as he recorded a career-high four blocks. The 10 rebound game was his second time this season with 10 or more rebounds.
Â
FROM BEHIND THE ARC
On Saturday, the Bears look to improve its three-point shooting from its last contest on Dec. 22. Against FAU, the Bears shot 17.6 percent from behind the arc, its lowest mark of the season. It was only the third time all season; the Bears have shot below 30 percent on three-pointers. They hit three three-pointers the fewest in a game this season. The last time the Bears shot below 30 percent on threes, Mercer came back and shot 35.7 percent in the next game.
Â
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. Which player will be the first to score 1,000 points? Cummings has scored 860 points in his career that spans 79 games, while Stair has scored 931 points in 97 games. 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
                               Ethan Stair         931
                               Ross Cummings 860
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HITTING THREES
Ross Cummings is closing in on the 1,000-point club but he is also climbing up the Mercer record books for made three-point field goals. During his junior season, Cummings hit 101 three-pointers, becoming only the second Mercer Bear to make 100 or more threes in a season. Prior to his junior year, the most threes Cumming hit in a season was 57. For his career, he has hit 173 career three-pointers. He is 17 three-pointers away from tying for third all-time at Mercer. Below are the top five all-time leaders for Mercer for three-point field goals made. With his 172 made three-pointers, he is number three on the SoCon active career leader list.
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 173        2016-Present
5.           Bud Thomas      161        2010-14
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GREG GARY COACH'S SHOW
The Greg Gary Coach's Show is underway from Margaritas in Mercer Village. 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. Starting Jan. 6th, the third Coach's Show of the year will run weekly. Â
Â
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
The Bears return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 1 when they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to face UNCG in Southern Conference action. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Greensboro Coliseum.
Â
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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Players Mentioned
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