Saturday, December 5
Macon, Ga.
10:00 AM
Mercer University
vs
Columbia International
Photo by: Alex Keller
Men's Hoops to Play Pair of Weekend Contests
12/4/2020 3:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Bears will welcome Columbia International and Southern Wesleyan to Macon.
MACON, Ga. – Despite multiple schedule alterations this week, the Mercer Bears were still able to secure a pair of opponents. Mercer will host Columbia International on Saturday at 10 a.m. and Southern Wesleyan the following afternoon at 2 p.m.
Saturday features $1 tickets and a doubleheader as the women take on Covenant College at 2 p.m. Tickets for the men's contest can be found here. Fans can enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Z-Beans coffee during the Bears' contest with the Rams of CIU while supplies last! Come enjoy a morning of basketball with the Bears!
Season ticket holders will receive their tickets to Saturday's contest as part of their package. Tickets will not be mailed. Ticket holders will be able to pick up their tickets at the box office on the day of the game, or they can utilize their digital tickets through their Mercer ticket account.
Sunday's game features the Salute to Service promotion which allows all current and former military personnel to receive a free ticket, while their family members can purchase a discounted ticket by calling the ticket office at (478) 301-2865. Fans wishing to purchase tickets to the contest can do so here.
Season ticket holders can still use their original tickets from Sunday's game (originally scheduled vs. Middle Georgia State at 5:00 p.m.) to get into Hawkins Arena for the new 2:00 p.m. game against Southern Wesleyan. If ticket holders did not receive tickets, they can utilize your digital tickets or stop at the box office to pick up tickets.
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BEAR NECESSITIES: COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 | 10:00 a.m.
Matchup: Columbia International (3-2) at Mercer (3-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Tickets: bit.ly/37xqGRo
Live Stats: bit.ly/3g5mSed
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Radio: 100.9 The Creek and SportsMic with Rick Cameron on the callÂ
Hawkins Arena Protocols: Click Here
Promotion: $1 Tickets
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer
SERIES HISTORY
Greg Gary picked up his first win at the helm of the Orange & Black when the two teams met last season in the second campaign of the 2019-20 campaign, which served as Mercer's home opener. Mercer defeated CIU, 84-76, in the first meeting between the two schools.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Columbia International competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Rams are coming off a 110-108 double-overtime road loss to conference opponent Truett-McConnell and stand 3-2 overall with a 2-2 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Guard Corey Benton set the program's single-game scoring record with 48 points on 15-of-28 shooting in the loss to Truett-McConnell. Benton also grabbed six rebounds and handed out six assists. He is averaging a team-high 27.5 points per game.
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BEAR NECESSITIES: SOUTHERN WESLEYAN
Date: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 | 2:00 p.m.
Matchup: Southern Wesleyan (1-0) at Mercer (4-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Tickets: bit.ly/37ykEQx
Live Stats: bit.ly/3olNjiA
Live Video: ESPN+ (Stay tuned for the link)
Live Radio: 100.9 The Creek and SportsMic with Rick Cameron on the callÂ
Hawkins Arena Protocols: Click Here
Promotion: Salute to Service
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer
SERIES HISTORY
This is the inaugural meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Southern Wesleyan is an NCAA Division II school and member of the Conference Carolinas. The Warriors began the 2020-21 season with an 82-72 upset win over USC Upstate, NCAA Division I and Big South Conference members. Demarcus Addie lifted Southern Wesleyan to the victory with 21 points and eight rebounds. Addie shot 7-of-16 from the floor and was joined by four other players in double figures as SWU topped the Spartans for the first time since 2004. The Warriors last played on Dec. 2 and suffered an 89-49 defeat in an exhibition contest at Furman. Arusha Hunter led the team with 13 points in the loss.
MERCER NOTES
CUMMINGS CLIMBING THE SCORING RANKS
Ross Cummings is only 98 points away from joining the 1,000-point club. In his four years at Mercer, Cummings has racked up 902 points; 538 came his junior year. The last Bear to join the 1,000 point club was Ethan Stair. Stair joined the club last season on Jan. 28 at Samford. The all-time leading scorer is James Florence. Florence played for the Bears from 2006-10 and tallied 2,286 points in his career.
1,000 Point Scorers
Rk.      Name                         Pts.
T38.    Jim Hearn                   1,034
T38.    Reggie Elliott              1,034
40.      Rodney Kirtz        1,025
41.      Donnie Veal         1,023
42.      Dartez Talbott       1,014
           Ross Cummings     902
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CUMMINGS NEARING THREE-POINT RECORD
The sharpshooting Cummings is nearing Mercer's all-time three-pointers made record, currently held by fan-favorite Langston Hall. Hall, who led the Bears to a stunning upset of No. 3 Duke in the NCAA Tournament in 2014, knocked down 256 treys. James Florence, the Bears' all-time leading scorer knocked down 242 shots from beyond the arc. E..J. Kusnyer (190) sits third. Kusnyer set Mercer's single-season record of 107 in 2009-10. Cummings is fourth with 182 triples.
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Rk.      Name                         3's
1         Langston Hall             256
2.        James Florence          242
3.        E.J. Kusnyer               190
4.        Ross Cummings      182
5.        Bud Thomas               161
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ALVAREZ NAMED SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After leading Mercer to its best start since the 2015-16 campaign, Neftali Alvarez claimed the Southern Conference's first Player of the Week Award Presented by Geico for the 2020-21 season. Alvarez (Cantano, P.R. / Miami Christian / Fairfield) made his Mercer debut on Nov. 25 against North Georgia and was hot from the field, going 5-of-9 in the 79-48 season opening romp. He also dished out six assists in the win. Two days later, the redshirt sophomore helped the Bears defeat their first Power 5 opponent since December 2015 when Mercer marched into Georgia Tech and trailed for only 30 seconds en route to an 83-73 win. Alvarez is currently leading the Southern Conference in assists per game (6.0), and his nine helpers in a single-game are the most among all SoCon players. Individually, he is 13th in the country with 18 assists and is the driving force behind a Mercer offensive that ranks seventh among all NCAA Division I programs with 60 assists. Alvarez is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest.
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LET'S BE CONSISTENT: ALVAREZ AND CUMMINGS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN ALL THREE GAMES
Only two players on the Orange & Black - Neftali Alvarez and Ross Cummings - have scored in double figures in all three games this season. Alvarez is averaging 16.0 points per contest and has had games of 15, 17 and 16 points. Cummings has scored 15, 16 and 11 points in each of Mercer's three games. The redshirt senior guard is averaging 14.0 points per game.
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LOOKING FOR 4: BEARS SEEKING FIRST 4-0 START SINCE 1978-79
On Monday the Bears achieved their first 3-0 start since the 2015-16 season. The Bears have not won four straight games to start a season since the 1978-79 campaign when they went 21-6 under the winningest head coach in program history, Bill Bibb.
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Date               Opponent             Result
11/25/78      St. Leo                     W, 99-57
12/2/78            USC-Aiken       W, 110-81
12/4/78            Presbyterian     W, 112-68
12/8/78 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Western Carolina W, 83-71
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The Bears also achieved the feat in 1975-76 under Bibb when they went 15-10 overall.
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Date               Opponent                              Result
11/25/75          Indiana State - Evansville     W, 72-65
12/3/75            Charleston Southern             W, 95-71
12/6/75            Louisiana Tech                      W, 73-72
12/13/75      Missouri Western                  W,69-59
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HOME SWEET HOME
Hawkins Arena has been kind to the Bears in recent years. Each of the past two seasons, Mercer has gone 9-6 on their home floor. In 2017-18, the Bears were 11-3 inside Hawkins Arena. Below is Mercer's record at home since the 2016-17 campaign. Mercer is 38-24 at home since that campaign.
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Season          Record                      Â
2016-17 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8-7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
2017-18 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11-3Â 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
2018-19 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-7Â 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
2019-20 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-7
2020-21 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-0
Total              38-24
HOW TO FOLLOW THE BEARS
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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Saturday features $1 tickets and a doubleheader as the women take on Covenant College at 2 p.m. Tickets for the men's contest can be found here. Fans can enjoy Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Z-Beans coffee during the Bears' contest with the Rams of CIU while supplies last! Come enjoy a morning of basketball with the Bears!
Season ticket holders will receive their tickets to Saturday's contest as part of their package. Tickets will not be mailed. Ticket holders will be able to pick up their tickets at the box office on the day of the game, or they can utilize their digital tickets through their Mercer ticket account.
Sunday's game features the Salute to Service promotion which allows all current and former military personnel to receive a free ticket, while their family members can purchase a discounted ticket by calling the ticket office at (478) 301-2865. Fans wishing to purchase tickets to the contest can do so here.
Season ticket holders can still use their original tickets from Sunday's game (originally scheduled vs. Middle Georgia State at 5:00 p.m.) to get into Hawkins Arena for the new 2:00 p.m. game against Southern Wesleyan. If ticket holders did not receive tickets, they can utilize your digital tickets or stop at the box office to pick up tickets.
Â
BEAR NECESSITIES: COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 | 10:00 a.m.
Matchup: Columbia International (3-2) at Mercer (3-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Tickets: bit.ly/37xqGRo
Live Stats: bit.ly/3g5mSed
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Radio: 100.9 The Creek and SportsMic with Rick Cameron on the callÂ
Hawkins Arena Protocols: Click Here
Promotion: $1 Tickets
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer
SERIES HISTORY
Greg Gary picked up his first win at the helm of the Orange & Black when the two teams met last season in the second campaign of the 2019-20 campaign, which served as Mercer's home opener. Mercer defeated CIU, 84-76, in the first meeting between the two schools.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Columbia International competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Rams are coming off a 110-108 double-overtime road loss to conference opponent Truett-McConnell and stand 3-2 overall with a 2-2 mark in Appalachian Athletic Conference play. Guard Corey Benton set the program's single-game scoring record with 48 points on 15-of-28 shooting in the loss to Truett-McConnell. Benton also grabbed six rebounds and handed out six assists. He is averaging a team-high 27.5 points per game.
Â
BEAR NECESSITIES: SOUTHERN WESLEYAN
Date: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 | 2:00 p.m.
Matchup: Southern Wesleyan (1-0) at Mercer (4-0)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Tickets: bit.ly/37ykEQx
Live Stats: bit.ly/3olNjiA
Live Video: ESPN+ (Stay tuned for the link)
Live Radio: 100.9 The Creek and SportsMic with Rick Cameron on the callÂ
Hawkins Arena Protocols: Click Here
Promotion: Salute to Service
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Game Notes: Mercer
SERIES HISTORY
This is the inaugural meeting between the two programs.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Southern Wesleyan is an NCAA Division II school and member of the Conference Carolinas. The Warriors began the 2020-21 season with an 82-72 upset win over USC Upstate, NCAA Division I and Big South Conference members. Demarcus Addie lifted Southern Wesleyan to the victory with 21 points and eight rebounds. Addie shot 7-of-16 from the floor and was joined by four other players in double figures as SWU topped the Spartans for the first time since 2004. The Warriors last played on Dec. 2 and suffered an 89-49 defeat in an exhibition contest at Furman. Arusha Hunter led the team with 13 points in the loss.
MERCER NOTES
CUMMINGS CLIMBING THE SCORING RANKS
Ross Cummings is only 98 points away from joining the 1,000-point club. In his four years at Mercer, Cummings has racked up 902 points; 538 came his junior year. The last Bear to join the 1,000 point club was Ethan Stair. Stair joined the club last season on Jan. 28 at Samford. The all-time leading scorer is James Florence. Florence played for the Bears from 2006-10 and tallied 2,286 points in his career.
1,000 Point Scorers
Rk.      Name                         Pts.
T38.    Jim Hearn                   1,034
T38.    Reggie Elliott              1,034
40.      Rodney Kirtz        1,025
41.      Donnie Veal         1,023
42.      Dartez Talbott       1,014
           Ross Cummings     902
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CUMMINGS NEARING THREE-POINT RECORD
The sharpshooting Cummings is nearing Mercer's all-time three-pointers made record, currently held by fan-favorite Langston Hall. Hall, who led the Bears to a stunning upset of No. 3 Duke in the NCAA Tournament in 2014, knocked down 256 treys. James Florence, the Bears' all-time leading scorer knocked down 242 shots from beyond the arc. E..J. Kusnyer (190) sits third. Kusnyer set Mercer's single-season record of 107 in 2009-10. Cummings is fourth with 182 triples.
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Rk.      Name                         3's
1         Langston Hall             256
2.        James Florence          242
3.        E.J. Kusnyer               190
4.        Ross Cummings      182
5.        Bud Thomas               161
Â
ALVAREZ NAMED SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After leading Mercer to its best start since the 2015-16 campaign, Neftali Alvarez claimed the Southern Conference's first Player of the Week Award Presented by Geico for the 2020-21 season. Alvarez (Cantano, P.R. / Miami Christian / Fairfield) made his Mercer debut on Nov. 25 against North Georgia and was hot from the field, going 5-of-9 in the 79-48 season opening romp. He also dished out six assists in the win. Two days later, the redshirt sophomore helped the Bears defeat their first Power 5 opponent since December 2015 when Mercer marched into Georgia Tech and trailed for only 30 seconds en route to an 83-73 win. Alvarez is currently leading the Southern Conference in assists per game (6.0), and his nine helpers in a single-game are the most among all SoCon players. Individually, he is 13th in the country with 18 assists and is the driving force behind a Mercer offensive that ranks seventh among all NCAA Division I programs with 60 assists. Alvarez is averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest.
Â
LET'S BE CONSISTENT: ALVAREZ AND CUMMINGS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN ALL THREE GAMES
Only two players on the Orange & Black - Neftali Alvarez and Ross Cummings - have scored in double figures in all three games this season. Alvarez is averaging 16.0 points per contest and has had games of 15, 17 and 16 points. Cummings has scored 15, 16 and 11 points in each of Mercer's three games. The redshirt senior guard is averaging 14.0 points per game.
Â
LOOKING FOR 4: BEARS SEEKING FIRST 4-0 START SINCE 1978-79
On Monday the Bears achieved their first 3-0 start since the 2015-16 season. The Bears have not won four straight games to start a season since the 1978-79 campaign when they went 21-6 under the winningest head coach in program history, Bill Bibb.
Â
Date               Opponent             Result
11/25/78      St. Leo                     W, 99-57
12/2/78            USC-Aiken       W, 110-81
12/4/78            Presbyterian     W, 112-68
12/8/78 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Western Carolina W, 83-71
Â
The Bears also achieved the feat in 1975-76 under Bibb when they went 15-10 overall.
Â
Date               Opponent                              Result
11/25/75          Indiana State - Evansville     W, 72-65
12/3/75            Charleston Southern             W, 95-71
12/6/75            Louisiana Tech                      W, 73-72
12/13/75      Missouri Western                  W,69-59
Â
HOME SWEET HOME
Hawkins Arena has been kind to the Bears in recent years. Each of the past two seasons, Mercer has gone 9-6 on their home floor. In 2017-18, the Bears were 11-3 inside Hawkins Arena. Below is Mercer's record at home since the 2016-17 campaign. Mercer is 38-24 at home since that campaign.
Â
Season          Record                      Â
2016-17 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 8-7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
2017-18 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 11-3Â 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
2018-19 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-7Â 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
2019-20 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9-7
2020-21 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-0
Total              38-24
HOW TO FOLLOW THE BEARS
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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