Robbie Burns
11/20/2009 5:45:44 PM
MACON, GA – For the second straight year, Mercer will play an Atlantic Coast Conference team for Homecoming when it welcomes Florida State to the University Center tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. The Bears hosted Georgia Tech last year.
Mercer is 3-1 with wins against Bucknell, Bryant and Fisk. Their lone loss came to Big East foe, Providence last week at the World Vision Invitational. The Seminoles come to Macon 2-0 with a pair of double-digit wins over Atlantic Sun teams, Jacksonville and Stetson.
“This is a great opportunity for our team, program and Mercer to have another ACC opponent for Homecoming,” Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. “We are very thankful Florida State agreed to come and play us in the University Center.”
FSU has plenty of height and are led in the frontcourt by 7-1 sophomore center Solomon Alabi (12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg). The Naismith Award candidate is joined by sophomore Xavier Gibson (6-11), and sophomore forward Chris Singleton (6-9).
Along with Alabi, the Seminoles have three more players averaging double figures that include Deividas Dulkys (12.0), Fyan Reid (12.0) and Gibson (11.5).
Mercer is led by its senior trio of James Florence, Daniel Emerson and E.J. Kunsyer. Florence, named the season’s first A-Sun Player of the Week, leads the Bears in scoring with 20.8 per game. He is currently the second all-time leading scorer in Mercer history and needs only 167 points to pass Sam Mitchell.
Emerson is averaging a double-double (13.8/13.3) and has attained that mark three times already this year. Kunsyer, the sharp-shooting guard from Pittsburgh, PA, continues his strong play as he has connected on 14 treys in the past three games.
FSU holds the all-time series lead against Mercer, 14-8. The series dates back to 1948 when the Bears defeated the Seminoles in old Porter Gymnasium, 61-48. Mercer last beat FSU in 1954, 70-63. That was also the last victory Mercer had against an ACC opponent, as FSU did not officially join the ACC until 1991.
Mercer hits I-75 the day after Thanksgiving to take on its second straight ACC opponent, Georgia Tech, in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff on Friday, Nov. 27 is set for 4 p.m.