February 14, 2011

Men's Basketball Looks to Go "Four" It Versus Kennesaw on Tuesday

 

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University men’s basketball team, winners of three-consecutive games, will be looking to keep that streak intact on Tuesday evening at home versus I-75 rival Kennesaw State University. Tip-off at the University Center will be 7 p.m.

Heading down the stretch run in the 2010-11 Atlantic Sun Conference regular season, both the Bears 11-15, 8-7 A-Sun) and the Owls (8-17, 6-9 A-Sun) are jockeying for position in the Conference’s post-season tournament. Currently, Mercer is in the No. 5 slot, while KSU occupies the No. 7 position in the eight-team bracket. MU is 1 ½ games behind No. 4 Lipscomb, while Kennesaw is just one-half game behind North Florida in sixth place.

The one common denominator between the squads heading into the Tuesday match-up is that both have been playing well of late and are on three-game win streaks (versus the same opponents, since Mercer and KSU are travel –partners in the A-Sun). Both teams have wins against Campbell, Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast during their respective win skeins.

The Bears do have a head-to-head, 78-70, win over the Owls in Kennesaw back on January 25.

Mercer’s hot streak of late has been bolstered by senior forward Brian Mills’ team-leading 15.2 points per game average. Mills has a string of three-consecutive games with 20 or more points, including a game-high 22 versus Florida Gulf Coast University last Saturday to lead a quartet of Bears in double-digits that day. Mills has tallied in double figures in 21 of Mercer’s 26 games played, including six straight and in 18 of the last 19 contests.

Senior Mark Hall has upped his season average to 7.1 points per game after his 12 point effort versus FGCU. Hall has a string of four-consecutive games with double figures, including a season-high 23 points in last Thursday’s overtime win versus Stetson. Mall is second on the team in three-point baskets made with 40 treys.

SCOUTING KENNESAW:

The Owls sport a deadly duo of Markeith Cummings and Spencer Dixon, two of the top offensive players in the A-Sun. Cummings enters the game averaging 17.9 p.p.g. as well as 4.8 boards per game. Dixon is at 13.;5 p.p.g. and 3.5 r.p.g., canning 41 three-pointers.

LaDarias Green is KSU leader on the glass at 8.1 rebounds per game, while teammate Aaron Anderson has an impressive 6.8 caroms per contest.

Kelvin McConnell has been the Owls top long-range threat with 50 threes made in 25 games (2.00 p.g.).

KSU is coming off of a 67-65 victory at home over Stetson last Saturday. Cummings’ 22 points topped his team, while Green added a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Artie Marine’s 12 points off the KSU bench rounded out the Owls’ top scorers.

GAME NOTES:

*Mercer leads the all-time series versus Kennesaw by a 6-5 margin, including the January 25 win. KSU swept both meetings last season.

*The last time these teams met at Kennesaw, Brandon Moore and Brian Mills had 22 and 21 points, respectively, to lead a quartet of MU players in double-digits. Justin Cecil had 13 off the Bears’ bench and Mark Hall added 11. Markeith Cummings led all scorers with 23.

*Senior forward Brian Mills needs just three points to become the 35^th member of the Bears’ “1,000-Point Club.”

*In the Bears’ last six games – during which they have a 5-1 record – the team is averaging just 9.5 turnovers per game and has three contests in which they have had single-digit turnover totals.