Mercer Hosts Austin Peay Saturday in Hawkins Arena

Saturday, December 2

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

Austin Peay

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Women's basketball team huddle at Charlotte

Mercer Hosts Austin Peay Saturday in Hawkins Arena

12/1/2023 5:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Tip off is at 2 p.m. ET

MACON, Ga. - The Mercer women's basketball team returns home to play Austin Peay on Saturday afternoon. Tip off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

GAME INFO
Austin Peay (3-4, 0-0 ASUN) at Mercer (2-7, 0-0 SoCon)
Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 | 2 p.m. ET
Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
TV: ESPN+

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game between Mercer and Austin Peay is the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools. Austin Peay has won two of the first three meetings. The two teams last met in 1990.

SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY
Austin Peay is coming off a 17-12 season in 2022-23. The Governors went 11-6 in conference play. The Governors were picked to finish fourth in the 12-team league (ASUN) in the preseason coaches poll.

Austin Peay defeated Kentucky earlier this season to claim its first win against an SEC opponent since 1997. Shamarre Hale was a unanimous 2023-24 Preseason All-ASUN selection. Hale currently leads Austin Peay in scoring at 12.2 points per game and is shooting it well from the floor at 51.0 percent for the season.

The Governors are averaging 60.1 points per game and are allowing 60.3 points per game. That is the best scoring defense in the ASUN. As a team Austin Peay is shooting 43.9 percent from the field which is the second best field goal percentage in the ASUN.

Austin Peay isn't the best offensive rebounding team as they rank last in the ASUN in offensive rebounds per game at 8.7 per game. However, the Governors are outrebounding their opponents

LAST TIME OUT
Mercer couldn't climb it's way back from a 14-point first half deficit as the Bears lost on the road to Charlotte, 65-58 Wednesday evening in Halton Arena.

Trailing 34-20 at halftime, Mercer got within five points of the 49ers at 44-39 midway through the third quarter. However, the 49ers were able to keep the Bears from getting any closer for the remainder of the game.

Mercer outscored Charlotte 38-31 in the second half, scoring nearly twice as many points in the second half as it did in the first.

Mackenzie Johnson had a season-high 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting (69.2%) to lead the Bears offensively. Johnson scored all 21 of her points in the second half. She also tied for the team lead with five rebounds.

NEED TO KNOW
Mercer head coach Susie Gardner spent seven seasons (1996-2003) as head coach at Austin Peay. Saturday's game is the first time coach Gardner's Bears will play against the Governors.

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