November 16, 2011

 

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Mercer’s men’s basketball team will try to bounce back from its first loss of the season at No. 25 Mizzou last Monday, when it travels to Furman University on Thursday evening. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (ET).

 

The Bears (1-1) and Paladins (2-0) will be renewing their series for the first time since the 2007-08 season. Furman is a member of the Southern Conference, while Mercer resides in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

 

In Monday’s loss at Missouri, Mercer was led by 19 points from redshirt freshman Jibri Bryan. Bryan was 7-of-11 from the field, including a 5-of-6 effort beyond the arc.

 

Sophomore guard Langston Hall added 11 points and a game-leading seven assists in the loss to the Tigers. Redshirt sophomore Jakob Gollon had a balanced effort of eight points, seven rebounds and four assists. 

 

THE SERIES:

Furman leads the all-time series, 8-5. Mercer won the very first meeting in 1924-25 (28-19) and the last meeting in during 2007-08 (75-59). Prior to the Bears’ last victory, the Paladins had won five consecutive meetings between 1990-2007.

 

Year                        Winner                    Score

1924-25                   Mercer                    28-19

1934-35                   Furman                   46-40

1952-53                   Mercer                    73-64

                                Furman                   114-94

1953-54                   Mercer                    89-76

                                Furman                   93-49

1972-73                   Mercer                    118-114

1990-91                   Furman                   110-83

1991-92                   Furman                   85-74

1997-98                   Furman                   76-65

1998-99                   Furman                   68-67      

2006-07                   Furman                   83-69

2007-08                   Mercer                    75-59

 

SCOUTING THE PALADINS:

Furman is coached by Jeff Jackson (65-91), in his sixth season at the Paladins’ helm, who has his team off to a 2-0 start after a home win over Roanoke and a road victory at Columbia. Furman returns one starter from last year’s 22-11 club and eight letterwinners overall.

 

Senior forward Brandon Sebirumbi is currently averaging 10.0 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds per game in the early going of 2011-12. Sophomore guard Richard Brown is averaging 11.5 p.p.g. and senior guard Bobby Austin is at 10.0 p.p.g.

 

As a team, Furman is averages 68.5 points per outing, while giving up an average of just 53.5 p.p.g. The Paladins are out-rebounding their foes by 7.0 boards per game (44.0-37.0) and also average 8.0 blocked shots per game as a testament to the team’s defense.

 

GAME NOTES:

-The Mizzou game was Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman’s 100^th game coaching the Bears.  He is 49-51 in three-plus seasons.

 

-Jibri Bryan’s five treys made was the most three-pointers in a game by a Mercer player since teammate Justin Cecil canned five three’s at East Tennessee State last January 31.

 

-Versus Furman, four of the Bears’ five wins in the series have come in Macon. MU is 1-6 in Greenville entering Thursday night’s match-up.

 

BEARS ON THE AIR:

Clear Channel Broadcasting Inc. is again serving as the flagship radio network for the University’s men’s basketball games in 2011-12. The broadcaster’s FM station of Peach 96.5 (WPCH) will serve as the flagship station for all broadcasts this season.

All of Mercer’s men's games - home and away - will be broadcast live, including the 2012 A-Sun Basketball Championships (to be played once again this year on the Mercer campus at the University Center).

Rick Cameron, the “Voice of the Bears”, is in his seventh year calling the play-by-play for the Bears. Cameron, who is also Mercer’s senior assistant vice president for marketing communications, returned to the broadcast booth in 2006 after originally doing radio play-by-play in the late 1970’s. Cameron was the longtime public address announcer for both men’s and women’s basketball, as well.

“The Bob Hoffman Report” will also air each week during the season on Tuesday’s at 8:05 a.m. on Fox Sports Radio 1670-AM in middle Georgia (sister station of The Peach) on The Morning Show with Charles Olson and Daniel Shirley.