Celebrating 50 Years of Women’s Basketball: 1980’s
11/2/2020 4:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The women’s basketball program will recognize its teams and players from the 1980s throughout the month of November
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women's basketball team is recognizing its teams of the 1980s in the month of November as part of its celebration of 50 years of competition.
Throughout the 2020-21 season, Mercer women's basketball is going to highlight a different decade each month from October to February for their accomplishments and the impact they made on the program.
The 80s began with a promising start as Emma Mumphrey was entering her sophomore season after an elite freshman campaign alongside Vivian Humphrey, Charlotte Nicholson and Kathy Singletary. The Bears won the GAIAW regular season title in 1981-82 with a strong finish to the season. Mercer won 9-of-its-last-12 games that year, including wins over Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and ETSU.
The Bears achieved numerous milestones as a program throughout the 80s, starting with their 200th win on Jan. 24, 1981 with a 96-63 victory at Albany State. Mercer reached the quarter century mark on Feb. 20, 1984 with a 78-68 win over ETSU at home before posting its 300th win five years later to the day against Florida International, 67-62.
Mercer was under the direction of Ed Nixon throughout the entirety of the 1980s, making him tied for the longest-tenured coach in program history alongside current head coach Susie Gardner. Nixon is one of three coaches in the program's 50 years to win at least 100 games, ranking third at 115. He also ranks second in most games coached with 281 contests under his belt.
Mercer went through some rebuilding after the magical 1979- 80 season, but the success returned to Porter Gym for the 1984-85 season. The Bears 24 wins equaled the second-highest total in school history at the time. They compiled a 14-game win streak, a mark only to be topped by the incredible 27-game winning streak from 2017-18 and the remarkable 19-0 start in the 1971-72 season.
The 1984-85 team found national success on a level the program had never experienced before, reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament and continuing their run of great play. A victory over North Alabama clinched the NCAA South Championship, followed by a road win over Quinnipiac in the NCAA Quarterfinals put the Bears in the Final Four in Springfield, Mass. Mercer took its 14-game winning streak into a matchup against the Central Missouri Jennies. The Bears fought tooth-and-nail before falling to Central Missouri, 82-79.
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.
Throughout the 2020-21 season, Mercer women's basketball is going to highlight a different decade each month from October to February for their accomplishments and the impact they made on the program.
The 80s began with a promising start as Emma Mumphrey was entering her sophomore season after an elite freshman campaign alongside Vivian Humphrey, Charlotte Nicholson and Kathy Singletary. The Bears won the GAIAW regular season title in 1981-82 with a strong finish to the season. Mercer won 9-of-its-last-12 games that year, including wins over Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and ETSU.
The Bears achieved numerous milestones as a program throughout the 80s, starting with their 200th win on Jan. 24, 1981 with a 96-63 victory at Albany State. Mercer reached the quarter century mark on Feb. 20, 1984 with a 78-68 win over ETSU at home before posting its 300th win five years later to the day against Florida International, 67-62.
Mercer was under the direction of Ed Nixon throughout the entirety of the 1980s, making him tied for the longest-tenured coach in program history alongside current head coach Susie Gardner. Nixon is one of three coaches in the program's 50 years to win at least 100 games, ranking third at 115. He also ranks second in most games coached with 281 contests under his belt.
Mercer went through some rebuilding after the magical 1979- 80 season, but the success returned to Porter Gym for the 1984-85 season. The Bears 24 wins equaled the second-highest total in school history at the time. They compiled a 14-game win streak, a mark only to be topped by the incredible 27-game winning streak from 2017-18 and the remarkable 19-0 start in the 1971-72 season.
The 1984-85 team found national success on a level the program had never experienced before, reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament and continuing their run of great play. A victory over North Alabama clinched the NCAA South Championship, followed by a road win over Quinnipiac in the NCAA Quarterfinals put the Bears in the Final Four in Springfield, Mass. Mercer took its 14-game winning streak into a matchup against the Central Missouri Jennies. The Bears fought tooth-and-nail before falling to Central Missouri, 82-79.
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.
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