Game Notes
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s basketball team returns to action Monday night, hosting the league-leading Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in the CSS/A-Sun game of the week. Monday’s matchup is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and marks the opening game of a men’s and women’s doubleheader.
The Bears are 11-9 (8-3 A-Sun) after downing Stetson, 65-51 on Saturday afternoon. Mercer is just eight days removed from falling to FGCU, 84-77 in Fort Myers, Fla. In that game, Mercer rallied from a 28-point deficit to close within four points before being defeated.
FGCU is 16-4 (11-1 A-Sun) and riding a three-game win streak. Junior guard Shannon Murphy is the reigning A-Sun player of the week after averaging 22.5 points in two conference wins. Against Mercer on Jan. 23, Murphy netted a career-high 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.
Mercer is winless in five all-time meetings with FGCU. FGCU is 6-4 in road games while Mercer is 5-2 in the University center.
Murphy averages a team-leading 4.5 assists per game and is second on the FGCU scoring chart with 12.6 ppg Teammate Chelsea Lyles is the Eagles’ only other double-digit scorer at 12.1 ppg, along with 4.9 rebounds per game.
Since joining the Atlantic Sun Conference (in 2007), the Eagles have run up a record of 41-7 (.854) versus league competition. Included in that total was an A-Sun record 17 conference victories en route to the 2008-09 A-Sun title.