Pre-Game Notes
MACON, Ga. - Mercer University’s women’s basketball team will be looking to put the brakes on a two-game skid when its plays host to USC Upstate on Monday (5 p.m.) at the University Center. The Bears and Spartans are tied for third place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings at 8-5.
Mercer is 11-11 overall, while USCU is 14-8.
The Bears and the Spartans have at least one thing in common entering Monday night’s game: both are coming off one-point losses at Kennesaw State. The Spartans dropped a 69-68 decision to the Owls on Saturday and Mercer drew the short end of a 52-51 count last Thursday at KSU.
Despite that setback, USC Upstate has been one of the hottest teams in the A-Sun of late. The Spartans started the season a mediocre 6-6. But from that point, USCU has gone 8-2...including starting the run with a huge, 85-78, win at East Tennessee State University on January 4
Upstate is the A-Sun’s most larcenous team, averaging 12.14 steals per game. The Spartans employ a ferocious defense, forcing opponents into an average of nearly 23 turnovers per contest. Likewise, USCU ranks third in both scoring offense (69.7 p.p.g.) and scoring defense (64.9 p.p.g.), while producing a scoring margin of +4.9 points per game (2nd in the A-Sun).
Chelsea McMillan and Kendra Wallace lead the Spartans in scoring at 14.4 p.p.g. and 10.2 p.p.g., respectively.
McMillan averages 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game as the Spartans’ chart-topper. Lesley Daniel’s 3.1 assists per game leads USCU in that category, as well.
In the first meeting of the 2009-10 season between these two teams in Spartanburg, S.C., Mercer University head coach
Janell Jones' team snapped a three-game A-Sun winning streak by USC Upstate with the 57-53 road victory. MU senior guards
Courtney Ford and
LaToya Jackson combined for 37 points while junior center
Kourtney Carter contributed a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds at the Hodge Center. Ford led the team with 19 points, while Jackson tallied 18 points.
After that loss to the Bears back on January 14, the Spartans won their next five games in a row before last Saturday’s setback at Kennesaw.
Despite being held scoreless in the first half at Kennesaw on Thursday, the Ford-Jackson tandem still tops Mercer in scoring – and most other statistical categories - on the season. Ford currently heads the cast in points (17.2 p.p.g.), rebounds (8.2 r.p.g.), assists (4.18 a.pg.), field goal percentage (.425) and steals (3.27 s.p.g.).
Ford is also the A-Sun leader in steals and ranks No. 2 in scoring.
Jackson is averaging a healthy 13.0 points (seventh in the A-Sun) and 3.14 assists per game. She is sixth in the league with an average of 1.95 three-point baskets made per game.
Sophomore teammate
Lacy Ramon is the fifth-best shot blocker in the A-Sun with 1.09 rejections per game. Ramon also chips in 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game to the Bears’ season totals.
Mercer leads the overall series versus USC Upstate by a 5-1 margin.