ETSU Steals Away Series From Mercer

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Maybe it was the threatening rain or just the fact that Mercer was playing its first game in nearly three weeks, but the Bears looked sluggish late in Friday night's affair with ETSU.  The Bucs (12-11, 5-7) ended up taking two of the game series at Claude Smith Field Friday night and Sunday afternoon, winning 6-3 and 12-8.  Mercer's lone win came during the late game Sunday afternoon as the offense cranked out 10 runs in the 10-5 victory.

            Mercer (8-12, 4-5) has had trouble early in the 2009 campaign of putting consistent hitting and pitching together during the same game.  Senior Lath Guyer (0-2) pitched well into the sixth inning Friday night, retiring 11 batters in a row at one point, but the offense suffered. Sophomore Joey Winker had a home run  during the first inning, his third of the season and the Bears scored two more during the second stanza, but fell silent from the plate for the duration of the game. "We didn't put our hits together tonight," said long-time head coach Craig Gibson.  He went on to add after the game, "Lath has been at least this good every outing this year.  Offensively, we need to be better.  We need to score more than three runs at home."

            Although Mercer's bats were silent, credit ETSU pitcher Ben Andrews (1-1) for stifling the bears during the first game, pitching 7.1 innings and striking out 5 batters.

            After heavy rain cancelled the doubleheader Saturday, both teams resumed action Sunday as the Bucs picked up where they left off, scoring 4 runs in the first inning and 5 in the fourth inning.  ETSU's small ball approach helped them jump out to an early lead to start of the game and then a Troy Mendez grand-slam over the right field wall all but sealed the game.  Mendez would go on to have a career afternoon, going 4-6 from the plate with 7 RBI and 2 runs during the first contest.

         Mercer answered back with a Steven Karwatt grand-slam in the sixth inning, but the effort was too little to crawl back within reach of the Bucs.  Five different pitchers saw action on the mound for the Bears as Dan April (1-3) recorded the loss after surrending four runs in the first inning.  ETSU's Josh Gonzaga (1-2) would win his first contest of the year.

            The second game Sunday was a different story though as the Bears jumped to an early lead via another Karwatt homerun during the fifth inning.  Quality pitching from Justice French (1-0) helped Mercer hold off the pesky Bucs with relief coming late in the game from J.T. Odom and closer Blake Mainor.The upcoming schedule doesn't get any easier for Mercer as tough contests against Georgia Tech, Flordia Gulf Coast, and College of Charleston appear on the horizon.  The Bears enjoy a five game homestand before returning on the road to face Stetson April 9-11.

Football Anyone? - An Interview with President Underwood -

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

It’s been a while since Mercer University has played collegiate football.  A little over sixty-eight years ago, the Bears played their last game, a 40-13 loss to Chattanooga, to end the 1941 season with a 3-6 record under first year coach Bobby Hooks.  It was a well attended event by Mercer standards.  The stands were packed as 3,988 fans unknowingly witnessed the last Mercer game in Macon, Georgia. 

            Then came the war.  The demands of World War II resulted in the immediate suspension of football at Mercer on January 7, 1941, but efforts were made in following years to restart the tradition.  However, money was an issue.  The 1941 football budget was approximately $50,000, a large sum by even today’s standards.  It still remains an issue today.

            There has been quiet talk over the years of Mercer restarting the football program.  Rumors and whisperings of crashing helmets and shoulder pads during the fall seemed to be just that, rumors.  However, the rejuvenation of football may be closer than expected with third-year University President William Underwood at the helm.

            Underwood’s vision for Mercer University Athletics in the future involves more than just football.  “I think athletics can provide a valuable learning experience for the young men and women that participate and I think that they can learn valuable lessons about competition, time management, teamwork, and perseverance in the context of a rigorous liberal arts education,” said Underwood.  He went on to add, “I think athletics done properly is about education.  Our student athletes are real students and at other universities you can’t really say that.  Athletics can be a very valuable outreach for Mercer University.” 

With that vision in mind, President Underwood appointed a task force to study the feasibility of bringing football back to Mercer in the coming years.  Still, the facts about when, where, and how much are muddled, but the President is well aware of the positives that come along with football.  “When you start to talk about recruiting outside the state of Georgia and the southeast [U.S.], you talk about raising the profile of the university.  Athletics can do just that, raise the profile of the university,” Underwood added.  

He keenly brought up the example of a university that has recently transformed itself through athletics, noting, “Ten years ago, no one heard of Gonzaga University.  Today, because of what their basketball program has accomplished, their university’s profile is now much more marketable.”

            In recent years, Mercer Athletics has certainly raised the profile of certain sports.  Volleyball, women’s soccer, and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have had outstanding seasons this academic year, finishing the season with winning records and competing for the conference championship in their respective sports.  In fact, two of Mercer’s most dominating sports of today, softball and men’s golf have extremely good chances of capturing an Atlantic Sun title this year.  Upset wins over Southern California, Alabama, and Auburn have certainly reenergized the Mercer community.

            “I’d like us to take advantage of our niche, as the only private school in Georgia that competes in Division I athletics,” added President Underwood.  Surrounded by much larger, public universities such as Georgia Southern, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State, Mercer finds itself in an opportunity of sorts.  In fact, to a large extent, Mercer is the only game in town right now.  The Macon Music’s departure in early 2008 left Macon and middle Georgia without a professional sports team.  To a large extent, the university capitalized on the opportunity during basketball season, setting several attendance records throughout the year.

            Taking advantage of the niche will most likely require winning and a lot of it.  But the man who sits courtside for many of the basketball games has had this in the works from his first day on campus.  Early in his administration, key coaches were hired to lead Mercer’s athletic teams at a school that is just as competitive in the classroom as it is on the field.  Bob Hoffman and Janell Jones have reshaped the face of both basketball programs over the past year, slowly changing both squads into winners. 

            Now, if you bring up the topic of basketball to President Underwood, he’ll most likely talk about the big wins against Jacksonville and Belmont in February.  He knows the team and results better than most sportswriters and for good reason, he comes to so many different games.  Just last week, he was on the front row at Sikes Field to watch the softball team sweep Kennesaw State.

            Ask him about football and he’ll first point to the paintings in his office.  Depicted to his left is a colorful mural of a scrum of players in a 1892 contest between Mercer and Georgia Tech.  The Bears won 12-6, but the game held significance because the Bears beat Tech in the first collegiate football game.  Coming from Baylor University, a Big-12 school that competes in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA, President Underwood experienced first hand the rigors, advantages, and disadvantages that come with a high-profile athletic program. 

            If Mercer were to add football, they would most likely follow the models of fellow universities in the southeast that have added the sport in recent years.  Georgia State’s football program is in its’ second year of building under former Green Bay Packer star Bill Curry and will begin playing in 2010.  Campbell and Jacksonville recently launched their own programs, competing in the Division I Championship Subdivision’s  Pioneer Conference.  If Mercer were to add football today in the current alignment of conferences, a move into the Pioneer Conference for the sports would be most likely.

            It may be a few years until football arrives in Macon, but that doesn’t mean that Mercer isn’t a ‘sports’ school.  Look around, the Bears are winning on the scoreboard most of the time and if you look hard enough, you’ll find President Underwood somewhere nearby cheering on the university as well.

Jones Finishes 2nd as Team Finishes 4th in Greensboro

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Bill Jones must have eaten his Wheaties before the men’s golf team’s latest tournament, because very few golfers in the nation are playing better than the senior from Conyers, Georgia.  Jones’s 71 (-1) in the final round of the Linger Longer Invitational put him into a tie for second place, capping another dominate performance for not only Jones, but his team as well. 

            Playing in a star-studded field that consisted of numerous Top 25 schools, Mercer would finish 4^th as a team, just behind the likes of #1 Georgia, #2 Oklahoma State and Missouri Valley Conference power Wichita State.  “Bill had a great day today and I’m really happy with how he handled himself,” commented head coach Andrew Tredway afterwards.  “He was under a lot of pressure to start this round, but the guy is just clutch.  He flat out knows how to play golf,” he added on MercerBears.com. 

            Mr. Clutch had plenty of pressure on his shoulders for the third and final round of the tournament considering he had the individual lead.  Jones had finished in the top ten for the past two tournaments, but with a 68 (-4) and 70 (-2) during the first two rounds, Jones was on the verge of becoming the first individual winner for Mercer University in quite a while.  However, late in the third round Jones was one over par going into the 16^th hole, hoping not to drop too far down in the standings. 

            Jones would birdie two of the last three holes, just missing two shots that would have tied (and thus forced a playoff) with winner Trent Whitekiller of Oklahoma State.  Just missing out on the tournament win, Jones would finish just one stroke behind Whitekiller for the tournament. 

            Don’t be mistaken though, the tournament wasn’t just about Jones battling near the top.  Devin Patel, a freshmen who struggled a bit early in the spring, tied for 15^th in the tournament at +6 while Andres Pumariega, Ryan Blackburn, and Matt Tribby would all finish in a tie for 39^th at +14.  Teammate Matt Smith would finish at +16 to wrap up the tournament, shooting an 82 on the final day as an individual entry.

            The tournament was another unmistakably strong showing by the Mercer men.  “It all comes down to decision making,” offered Tredway.  “These guys are still learning so much about this game.  There are so many little nuances.  But they work harder than just about any team I’ve ever been around.  We just a little more confidence because we are right there,” said Tredway. 

            The team now heads to the Western Intercollegiate in sunny Santa Cruz, California, from March 29-31.  The tournament marks the final tune-up for the men before they have a three week break before the A-Sun Tournament in Buies Creek, North Carolina, April 20-22.

Photo Courtesy of www.GolfinContext.net

Holtz Baffles Owls in Conference Opener

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Sporting a 21-9 non-conference record coming into the Saturday’s contest against A-Sun rivals Kennesaw State, the Owls should’ve known that Mercer wasn’t the softball lightweight they’ve seen in years past.  In addition, someone should’ve warned them about sophomore Jenni Holtz (15-4), the Bear’s ace pitcher who continues to break records with her consistent efforts from the circle. 

            To recap the afternoon, Holtz struck out 19 batters through the course of her 11 innings of work in the doubleheader, propelling Mercer to take both games in the two game series 1-0 and 5-1.  The first game turned out to be a pitching duel between Holtz and Kennesaw State’s April Harper (4-3).  Holtz allowed only one hit while Harper allowed two hits and three walks.

            Timely hitting in the third inning was key for Mercer as Brandy Keeter’s single down the right field line advanced Amanda Santa Maria to third base.  Holly Oglesbee’s sacrifice fly to left field would end up scoring the only run of the game, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead they would never relinquish.

            After taking the first game of the afternoon in 1 hour and 17 minutes, Mercer had to crawl from behind to win the second game.  Senior Lacey Richardson battled the Owl’s Catherine Tarvin early in what appeared to be another defensive showdown, but a third inning charge by Kennesaw State at the plate saw Kelsey Kulk score the first run of game, giving KSU the 1-0 advantage.  Bringing in Holtz to relieve Richardson in a fourth inning, bases loaded jam, ended up being the right move as Holtz fanned five of the next fourteen batters she would face.

            In the meantime, Mercer’s bats got hot in the fifth inning, with big hits coming from Jena Ellis, Cassy Neilson, and utility catcher Brady Keeter.  An otherwise perfect pitching effort for Tarvin through the first four innings collapsed in the fifth, as Mercer would score five runs to put the game out of reach.

            After the game, head coach Mike Raynor couldn’t be happier with his team’s performance.  “Today was a continuation of our total team effort,” Raynor said to MercerBears.com.  “We pitched well, played good defense and got enough offense going to grab two big conference wins,” the third-year coach added.  With an impressive 23-9 record, the Bears go on the road to face the likes of #9 Georgia and Campbell before returning home in early April for doubleheaders with Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson.

Wrestling Team Finishes 23rd in Nation

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Mercer’s wrestling program has never been this strong.  A 23^rd place finish at the NCWA 2009 National Championships in Hampton, Virginia over spring break solidified their spot as a national contender in wrestling.  Not to mention Mercer’s first wrestling All-American, Jerod Northcott.  The baseball player-turned-wrestler has dominated competition all year long, finishing with just four losses on the year, good enough for sixth in the nation in the 184 lb class.

            “I was extremely proud of how our team performed.  We had only one returning national qualifier and three new wrestlers with us,” said head coach Kevin Andres.  He added, “This was the toughest competition I’ve ever seen at a wrestling tournament and to finish in the Top 25 says a lot.  The women’s program finished 5^th in the nation [out of the 18 teams], not bad for a first year program.”

            The accomplishments of Northcott symbolize the direction the program has taken during the past year under the leadership and direction of Andres.  “Jerod had a great tournament.  He hurt his thumb in the quarter-finals, but he continued to fight.  You couldn’t ask any more of him,” commented Andres.

Additionally, all three women wrestlers that competed in the national tournament placed in the top five, gaining All-American status as well in their first collegiate tournament.  KaLia Burnette (139 lb), Brandi Rearden (148 lb), and Erin Patterson (176 lb) all made the trip up to Virginia placing in 4^th, 3^rd, and 2^nd respectively. 

            The Bears continued to make their presence felt in the newly formed National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA), an organization which includes 130 colleges and universities across the United States.  At this year’s national championships, 84 teams qualified one or more wrestlers into the tournament.

            During the offseason, Andres will continue to focus his efforts on recruiting more talent for Mercer’s building wrestling program.  With the talent that is already in place and the interest that’s been generated by the Bears’ recent success, a wrestling juggernaut could be in the midst of forming here in Macon.

Macon, Mercer Score Big with A-Sun Tourney

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Imagine next spring in Macon, with temperatures oscillating from near freezing to surprisingly warm and cherry blossoms abound.  Then imagine Mercer’s campus flooded with thousands of basketball fans, all watching in anticipation to see if their respective teams can capture the Atlantic Sun basketball title.  For the next two years, this dream will finally become a reality.

            Fourteen games in four days, spanning March 3-6, 2010, will certainly put Macon back on the map as far as sports are concerned.  Seven women’s games and seven men’s games will help determine the 2010 Atlantic Sun champions.  ESPN will televise the men’s championship game held here in the University Center, bringing the Worldwide Leader in Sports to Mercer’s campus for the first time in school history.  Thousands…yes thousands, of fans will flood the campus, staying in the nearby Hilton Garden Inn and surrounding area hotels, eating at local establishments.  Parking will most likely be a nightmare and the university may want to consider opening another concession stand or two at the games, but at this point, who really cares?

            Macon is once again a sports town…at least for a week next March.  The revenue generated will boost the local economy and the tournament games will give local sportswriters more than they can handle.  National media outlets will be ever-present on campus and it won’t be uncommon to see more than a few hooligans painted up for the games. 

            How did it happen all of a sudden?  How did Mercer suddenly become the host of the A-Sun tournament when a year ago the Macon Music (Macon’s last professional sports team) skipped town?  How did the university pull the tournament away from Nashville, the host city for the tournament the last four years?

            In hindsight, the decision was really quite simple for Atlantic Sun commissioner Ted Gumbart.  Macon is geographically in the center of the conference.  In fact, the conference’s office buildings are located right off Vineville Avenue.  Geography wasn’t enough though.  Area support was a crucial factor and area support was something Athletic Director Bobby Pope and new men’s basketball coach Bob Hoffman found this season.  Home game attendance was at an all-time high this season, just shy of 1800 spectators per game.  In fact, this year alone there was one sellout (Georgia Tech) and a handful of ‘close-to-capacity’ contests (most notably against Lipscomb).  Attribute it to Pope’s new hire or to the fact that Hoffman set up signs all over Macon advertising for the home games, or the fact the team won seventeen games this season, but the city finally came around to the realization that Mercer is the only game in town.  And a good one at that.

            Headlines are already in the works for next season.  James Florence could very well become the school’s all-time leading scorer by midseason next year and with a plethora of talent on the floor and only one graduating senior, Mercer could be primed for a title run next season.  Undoubtedly, there will be Mercer crazies in the stands for the Bear’s tournament games in the UC next spring.  Win or lose, the city of Macon stills wins this contest.  And in a year of financial troubles and economic instability, in a year of layoffs and cloudy skies, it seems that Macon and Mercer University have pulled off a big upset win.

Photo courtesy of Woody Marshall - The Telegraph -

 

J. Andrew Lockwood is a sports reporter for the Cluster newspaper as well as the Bear Zone sports website.  He also covers Atlantic Sun and Mercer University sports as a broadcaster on ASun.TV.

Mercer to Host 2010, 2011 A-Sun Basketball Championships

Full Press Conference Video

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

It’s official. The General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championships will be held in Macon, Georgia for the first time in the conference’s history following the 2009-10 and 2010-11 basketball seasons. As the oldest remaining charter member in the conference, this will also be the first time Mercer University has hosted a post-season collegiate basketball tournament of any kind.

At the press conference held Tuesday, March 17^th inside the University Center, A-Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart was elated that the tournament was coming to Macon. “We are very excited to bring our premier event to Macon, and we look forward to Mercer University serving as host for the General Shale Brick A-Sun Basketball Championships for the next two years,” commented Gumbart said. He went on to add, “Mercer has an outstanding facility, provides a central location for A-Sun fans, and the Mercer community will do an outstanding job as hosts. On behalf of the membership, we extend our thanks to Mercer University President Bill Underwood for his sincere interest in bringing the event to the University Center and we look forward to continuing a tradition of excellence and growth by having our championships here in 2010 and 2011.”

Among the officials and representatives that spoke at the conference, perhaps no one was more excited about the tournament coming to Macon than Mercer University Athletic Director Bobby Pope. After approaching the podium, Pope said, “It’s about time,” drawing a few laughs from the crowd. During the half-hour press conference, Pope went on to comment, “The University Center and Macon's central location within the conference makes us the ideal choice. As the only charter member remaining in the A-Sun it is only fitting that we should host the tournament for the first time in Conference history.”

Several key factor affected the conference’s decision to bring the championships to Macon. Among others, the distance factor was an easy sell for Mercer. No team is more than 512 miles away from Macon (Florida Gulf Coast), making the central Georgia location ideal for hosting the tournament. Another less obvious factor in the A-Sun’s decision making was the renewed interest in basketball from Mercer’s fan base. This season, attendance in the UC averaged a little less than 1800 spectators, up 58% from last season’s attendance totals. With the local support in Macon and traveling teams’ accompanying fans, Atlantic Sun officials fully expect that the 14 games (7 men’s & 7 women’s) in 2010 and 2011 will be well attended and close to capacity considering the University Center seats 3200+ fans.

Both Mercer head coaches Bob Hoffman and Janell Jones were excited about the proposition of having home-court advantage in the postseason. Jones commented, “I think it’s great to have this event here for the next two years. Bring the A-Sun Championships here will definitely give Mercer University some exposure. I’m sure the community will come and support Mercer and the visiting teams.”

Fair warning for Mercer fans: If you thought the sellout games the past two seasons against Alabama and Georgia Tech were exciting, just wait until next March.

Life in the Shoes of a Walk-on: Darius Hogans’s Story

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

By all accounts, he’s the fourteenth man on Mercer’s roster.  His season statistics: seven minutes, one rebound, and two turnovers in seven games.  He’s also probably the least recognizable Bear on the roster if not for the #23 sweatshirt and team apparel he wears all the time around campus.

            But by all accounts, he’s on the team….something that many of us can only dream of.  In Division I basketball, walk-ons are the exception, not the rule.  And to walk on the way Darius did is quite commendable. 

            A year ago, Hogans was playing for the intramural club team Tha O G’s in the men’s competitive league, honing his skills and abilities in a league where your lucky if the jerseys for your team match.  Long-time coach Mark Slonaker was still at the helm as the Bears struggled through an 11-19 record.  Hogans wasn’t recruited by any big time schools, much less any Division I programs.  In fact, he was cut from Southwest Dekalb High School’s team his freshman year. 

            Hogans has always been swimming upstream.  In basketball terms, he’s probably an over-achiever.  Regardless of the situations around him though, he knows how to keep playing.  “Throughout high school basketball was tough.  I got cut freshman year and then played the rest of my time there,” commented Hogans.  The junior in credits but sophomore on the court added, “Every time I had a setback, I never gave up.  I think that I’ll eventually play.  That’s what keeps me motivated.”

            That motivation to keep playing is what has carried him from Southwest Dekalb to D-II Livingstone College in North Carolina and then to Mercer.  “I didn’t enjoy Livingstone my freshman year, so I looked at several schools here in Georgia,” Hogans said over lunch in the cafeteria.  “I looked around and contacted Slonaker.  He wanted me to send film, but that didn’t work out so I just showed up one day in person,” he added.  After getting acquainted with Slonaker, Hogans kept playing basketball where he could.  The intramural courts were his introductory proving grounds at Mercer as he’d face another future teammate throughout the season. 

            Point guard Larney Abdush-Shakur, a freshman at the time, played for a scrappy Plunketteers club team in the men’s comp division as well.  His team eventually won the championship, defeating the best of Mercer’s intramural clubs.  In fact, a mid-season game against the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity had close to 300 people in attendance, more than the Mercer women’s basketball game the night before.  Moms, brothers, and sisters were in the stands as Shakur’s team won considerably the biggest game in IM history. 

            But just as Hogans was finding his place at Mercer, a monumental shakeup in the head coaching spot would throw yet another obstacle in his way.  Deciding to part ways with Slonaker, Mercer introduced Bob Hoffman as the team’s next coach.  And a new head coach meant a new style of game with a different type of recruit.  “When Hoffman came, it was like starting all over again,” he expressed.

            If there’s one thing Hogans is especially good at though, it’s sticking around.  That’s what he’d do for the next few months, playing pickup with the varsity team and playing as much ball as he could with different teams during the summer.  He had the backing of his friends and old teammates and especially his mom.  “She always believed that I do make the team.  Mercer’s not a cheap school…but she wanted me to chase this dream,” he said with his trademark smile on his face.  “I had a lot of people encouraging me.  Lots of old teammates and my friend Rashed was always there for me,” he went on to say.

            And so the stars aligned and Hogans stuck.  He made the fourteen man roster along with Shakur and fellow walk-on Marquisse Jackson.  This season has proven to be challenging for him, balancing the demands of practice, games, and schoolwork, but to Hogans it’s worth it. 

            When asked the question that everyone wants to know, Why do it?  Why put yourself through conditioning and practicing and sitting on the bench just for seven minutes of playing time this season?, his response is simple.  “I still think I can play and benefit this team,” he said in an all to obvious way.  That’s the motivation that drives him…to stick. 

            Some would consider him crazy.  Others would say he’s passionate about the game.  He’s probably a mix, but truth be told, he wears his #23 jersey proudly and plays as hard as he can when he gets in the game.  And his goals for next season?  You’ll have to talk to him for that one.  That’s the life of the walk-on. 

Women’s Golf Continues to Improve at Kiawah Island Classic

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

Playing top notch opponents has its drawbacks.  In a sport as harsh as golf can be, focusing on self improvement rather than your position relative to the field can make all the difference in a teams’ attitude.  For Gary Guyer’s women’s golfers, the first two tournaments this spring could be viewed by many as disastrous, but a closer look at the stats will reveal steady improvement from the first day up to the final day.

            The always positive Guyer said after their most recent tournament in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, “Today the girls hit some magnificent shots and played extremely well at times.  We just need to find a way to keep it going.  High scores on a few holes are just killing us but we have a solid game plan and know what shot to hit.  Our execution needs to be better.”  Commenting on the girls’ improvement throughout both tournaments, he added, “It was good to see the girls play better as the week went on, but we need to be more consistent every time we go out on the golf course.”

            Consistency will be key at their next tournament in Vallejo, California over spring break.  At times, all five golfers had extremely consistent rounds, but other days their scores left everyone scratching their heads.  At Kiawah Island, Alex Quagliata and Monica Kelsey would score 78’s on the final day, a vast improvement from the first day of the tournament where the best team scores were in the high 80’s.  Junior Carolyn Levy also had a her best round of the tournament on the third day with a 79.  Finishing in a sandwich between Bradley University (40^th) and Marshall University (42^nd), the Bears hope to catch the field at the Hiddenbrook Intercollegiate in California by surprise.

            The Bears will most likely travel with freshmen Leslie Choucard and Alicia Poole, two players who have vastly improved their golf game in their second semester at Mercer.  Juniors Kelsey, Quagliata, and Levy will anchor Guyer’s lineup as they return to the west coast for the second year in a row. 

            “I was glad to finish [Kiawah Island] strong despite a rough first day,” said Kelsey.  She went on to add, “It was good to see improvement, especially the last day.  We are learning to take what we bring to the golf course that day and make the most of it.  Playing in California is always a unique experience and will certainly challenge our games in a new way.”

            After California, the team will finish up with the Larry Nelson Collegiate in Braselton, Georgia before heading to the A-Sun Conference Championship in DeLand, Florida on April 13-15.

Big Wins and Big Losses Give Bears 6th Seed in A-Sun

- J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

In the final regular season game of the year, Mercer’s men lost 103-81 in a contest that wasn’t really as close as the score showed.  It was a tough final road trip for Mercer (17-14, 11-9) as they lost in double overtime to USC-Upstate 93-90 before losing to the Bucs in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Within the course of a week, they fell from a definite fourth seed or higher to the sixth seed. 

            How a week in the Atlantic Sun makes all the difference.  A huge home finale win against 2008 A-Sun Champ Belmont had the home fans thinking about a series run in the postseason conference tournament.  Surprisingly, the losses could actually help the Bears as far as match-ups go.  They play #3 Belmont (18-11, 14-6) on Thursday, March 5^th in Nashville at 2:30pm on a neutral court on Lipscomb’s campus.  The Bruins and Bears split their two regular season match-ups this year, with the home team winning both times.  By all accounts though, Mercer should’ve won both games, losing to Belmont in Nashville in a 86-82 effort in overtime.  Add in the fact that Calvin Henry tore his MCL to shreds in that game and you kind of get the feeling that Mercer could match up well with their A-Sun rivals come Thursday.  One or two wins during the past weekend would have most likely matched the Bears with Lipscomb or Campbell, two teams Mercer couldn’t contain or beat during four regular season games.  

            In his first A-Sun season, head coach Bob Hoffman has built his offense around four juniors that can score and scrap for the basketball.  All four players, James Florence, Daniel Emerson, E.J. Kusnyer, and Michael Ellis are playing the best basketball of the college careers, with Florence leading the way averaging 20.7 points per game, 2^nd most in the league.  Emerson ranks first in the conference with 10.6 rebounds per game (14^th nationally) and currently leads the league with 15 double-doubles this season.  Kusnyer’s 38 three-point field goals are first in the conference as well and Michael Ellis’s 10.9 points per game in the month of February have filled the gap left by senior Calvin Henry’s knee injury.

            Despite the nice statistical numbers, the Bears must overcome losing their final two regular season games before their first round matchup against Belmont.  “The past two games were really rough, especially losing to USC-Upstate in double overtime like we did.  In some ways, I think we gave it away to them,” commented Emerson after the final regular season game.  He went on to add, “ETSU came out on fire against us…I’ve never seen anything like it.  They just couldn’t miss.”

            However, Emerson and his teammates were optimistic about the 1^st round matchup, adding, “We’re pretty comfortable matching up with Belmont.  We feel pretty confident right now despite the two losses and now we’ve just got to get ready for the tournament.  It’s a whole new season.”

            A new season it will be on Thursday.  One loss and it’s over, one win and you live to play another day.  After all, that’s life in the Atlantic Sun.

Photo Courtesy of MercerBears.com

Women Set to Make Run for A-Sun Title

 - J. Andrew Lockwood -
Senior Editor of The Bear Zone/ Sports Columnist
james.andrew.lockwood@student.mercer.edu

In Janell Jones’s second year at Mercer, the learning curve has been steep.  Unlike last year though, this learning curve has everything to do with winning ball games…and big ones at that.  After a final regular-season victory against ETSU 90-79, the Bears (16-13, 12-8) claimed a #4 seed in the conference to play a struggling #5 Stetson program (8-21, 5-15).  Looking ahead in the bracket, a win for Mercer would pit them against #1 ETSU (18-10, 16-4), a team they’ve already beaten twice during the regular season. 

            Mercer’s improvable run in the Atlantic Sun is all new to many on the bench, including a core group of seniors who saw their team struggle through the past two seasons with only nine wins.  The lack of experience in winning key games shows at times, especially when the Bears dropped contests to USC-Upstate and Campbell in which they were heavily favored.  However, the thrill of victory over league contenders Belmont and ETSU helps you take those losses in stride. 

            After the season finale at ETSU, a game in which Mercer had five players score in double digits, head coach Janell Jones was elated sharing with MercerBears.com after the game, “We had good composure tonight.  We were talking and communicating on the floor and everyone was on the same page.”  The second year coach went on to say, “We trusted each other and never panicked.  LaToya Jackson was running the show for us today, finding the right people and making the right decisions for us all game.  Dominique Chism just played a tremendous game for us tonight as well: she really hit some big-time shots.”

            While Jones focused on the positives of her team after the game, she was already thinking about next week, remarking, “This win honestly has nothing to do with next week’s tournament.  It starts all over again next week.  Anyone can beat anyone, so we have to go out and do what we have to do.”

            If, in fact, Mercer does what it’s supposed to do, we could possibly see the four-win Bears of last season in this year’s A-Sun Championship game.  The pieces to the puzzle are there.  LaToya Jackson, the team’s undisputed leader, scored 19 points and had four assists in the win against ETSU.  Dominique Chism added 17 points in her final regular season performance and Courtney Ford, Natasha Doh, and Cristin Seymour all had above average offensive performances against the Lady Bucs. 

            For the first time in a long time, the beginning of March is an exciting time in the women’s basketball program.  The turnaround of this program is nothing short of amazing and a quick start in the tournament could propel Mercer to postseason locations never seen before.