February 19, 2011

Bears Put Five-Game Win Streak on the Line at Jacksonville

 

 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mercer University will put its five-game win streak on the line on Sunday evening when it takes on Jacksonville University. Tip-off at the Veterans Memorial Arena will be at 5:15 p.m.

 

The game will also mark the final road game of the regular season for the Bears, who’ve won quite a bit of late…both home and away. Mercer has won seven of its last eight contests, as well as nine of its last 11.

 

While MU has already clinched a berth in the A-Sun championship tournament – being played March 5-8 on its own floor – the Bears would like nothing more than to keep its winning ways intact. MU is currently in fifth place in the A-Sun standings.

 

Mercer began its two-game swing in Florida with a come-from-behind win at North Florida, 78-75 on Friday evening. Senior Brian Mills had a monster game of 34 points – his career high game – and also set personal bests for both free throws mad and attempted in a game (12-14).  The big game upped his team-leading scoring average to 16.0 points per game.

 

SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE:

Ayron Hardy tops the Dolphins’ scoring at 12.6 points per game and is the only player averaging in double figures. However, JU sports five other players all averaging 7.1 p.p.g. or better in a balanced offensive attack.

 

Jacksonville currently occupies the No. 3 spot in the A-Sun standings. The team has won two in a row, four of its last five and seven of its last nine games.

 

The Dolphins have a +3.3 differential in rebounds versus their foes, as well.

 

The last time out, Ayron  Hardy’s 15 points led a trio of Dolphins in double digits in a 75-60 win over Kennesaw State on Friday. Tevin Galvin added a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

 

GAME NOTES:

*This will be the 47th meeting between Mercer and Jacksonville. The Dolphins lead the overall series by a 28-18 margin, including a 70-68 overtime win by the Bears in Macon (Jan. 28).

 

*In the last meeting between JU and Mercer, Brian Mills had a game-leading 24 points and teammate Jeff Smith added 19 in a 70-68 overtime thriller in Macon at the University Center. After Mills hit the second of two free throws down the stretch to put Mercer up 70-68, JU’s Tevin Galvin missed a layup in the waning seconds for a potential tie. The win was costly for the Bears as then-leading scorer and assist man Jeff Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury near the end of the game.

 

*In its last eight games (in which the Bears are 7-1), MU has out-scored its foes by 7.3 points per game and made 2.75 more free throws per game. MU has averaged just 9.0 turnovers per game, while foes are at 13.5 miscues per contest.

* MU’s current five-game win streak - all in the A-Sun - is the first time a Bears’ team has defeated five-consecutive conference teams since the 2008-09 season...Bob Hoffman’s first year at the Mercer helm.