Bears Set to Host Tennessee State on Saturday

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Women's Basketball team remains at home as the Bears welcome Tennessee State to Hawkins Arena on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tilt.

BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 | 2 p.m.
Teams: Mercer (0-1) vs. Tennessee State (0-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: mercerbears.com/livestats
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Bryce Koon and Sybil Blalock
Radio: 100.9 "The Creek", Sports Mic
Radio Talent: Rick Cameron
Twitter Updates: @Mercer_WBB
Game Notes: Mercer | Tennessee State
Tickets: bit.ly/2JeKQHw
Hawkins Arena Protocols: Click Here
Promotion: 478 Day

50 Years of Mercer Basketball
The Mercer women's basketball team is celebrating 50 years of competition throughout the 2020-21 season as the team is going to highlight a different decade each month from October to February for their accomplishments and the impact they made on the program.

Mercer's inaugural season was in 1970-71 when the Bears won their first-ever game against Wesleyan, 45-23.

Throughout the last half century, the Bears have collected multiple championship banners, including nine regular season conference titles and seven tournament crowns. Mercer has also won two regional tournaments and has been to the postseason 14 times.

Preseason Favorites
Mercer was named the preseason favorites by the coaches, earning five of eight first-place votes, in addition to being selected third by the media behind Chattanooga and Furman.

Titus Named Preseason Player of the Year
Individually, senior Shannon Titus was named to the Preseason All-SoCon Team for the second consecutive season as well as garnering Preseason Player of the Year honors. She becomes the third Mercer player in the last four seasons to be recognized as the preseason player of the year, along with KeKe Calloway (2018-19) and Kahlia Lawrence (2017-18). Titus is coming off a season in which she was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-SoCon selection.

Additionally, junior Jaron Dougherty was named to the Preseason All-SoCon Team. The Buford, Ga., native earned First Team All-SoCon honors a season ago.

New Year, New Faces
There will be plenty of new faces around Hawkins Arena this season as the Bears welcome five newcomers to the squad for the 2020-21 season. Freshmen Sydneey Boykin and Eliza Snyder will be playing their first season of collegiate hoops this year, while transfers Jada Lewis (Georgia State), Naomi Van Nes (North Carolina) and Allie Thayne (College of Southern Idaho) are entering their first season donning the Black and Orange. Lewis and Van Nes are graduate transfers, while Thayne is in her junior year.

Last Time Out
Mercer opened its season with an 83-64 setback against Georgia at Hawkins Arena on Wednesday evening.

The Bears were unable to contain UGA's offense as the visiting Lady Bulldogs shot 60.4 percent from the floor, including 52 points in the paint. Mercer did manage to force 20 turnovers in the game, marking the second straight game against UGA that the Bears forced 20 giveaways. On the opposite end of the floor, Mercer shot 36.4 percent (24-of-66) for the game, including 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from long range. The Bears' eight treys tied their single game high from a season ago when they made eight at Appalachian State.

Individually, Amoria Neal-Tysor dropped a game-high 22 points, while Jada Lewis scored 12 points in her Mercer debut. The duo dished out a team-high three assists apiece, while Lewis generated three of the Bears' eight steals in the game. Shannon Titus brought down a game-high seven rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.

Series History
Saturday's game marks just the sixth meeting all-time between the Bears and Lady Tigers and the first since Nov. 30, 2002. Mercer is 1-4 all-time against Tennessee State, earning its only victory in the first-ever meeting with a 73-70 overtime win on Nov. 26, 1990. It will also be Mercer's third time hosting TSU.

Scouting the Lady Tigers
Tennessee State went through a makeover in the offseason as they hired first-year head coach Ty Evans and return six letterwinners of the 13 players from last year's roster. Among the returners are senior leaders Taylor Roberts and Jaden Wrightsell.

Roberts scored 11.9 points per game while shooting 87.3 percent from the free-throw line last season. Wrightsell elevated her game as a junior and finished the season averaging 10.4 points per game, 7.9 rebound per game and an OVC best 2.4 steals per outing.

The Lady Tigers added seven newcomers to the roster, including six freshmen and junior college transfer Shonnyvelle Regalado from Panola College.

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.

Bears Set to Host Tennessee State on Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sydneey Boykin

Jaron Dougherty

Jada Lewis

Amoria Neal-Tysor

Eliza Snyder

Allie Thayne

Shannon Titus

Naomi Van Nes

Footer

Mercer University Athletics