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December 9, 2011
Bears to Host Chattanooga in Final Home Game of Calendar Year 2011 on Saturday
MACON, Ga. – Mercer University’s men’s basketball team will play its final home game of calendar year 2011 on Saturday (Dec. 10) evening when it hosts the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in a non-conference tilt. Tipoff s slated for 7 p.m. Eastern time at the University Center.
The Bears (6-3 overall) are off to their best start since the 2004-05 squad began the year with a 7-3 mark.
MU is coming off of a thrilling non-conference, overtime, road win at Samford University last Wednesday, 83-78. Mercer had a quartet of players finish in double digit scoring, led by 18 from sophomore point guard Langston Hall’s 18 points.
On the year, Hall is leading the Bears in scoring (13.1 p.p.g.), assists (3.7 a.p.g.) and steals (1.7 s.p.g.). The Stone Mountain, Ga., native also leads MU in minutes played, averaging 34.3 minutes per game of court time.
Senior Justin Cecil (11.3 p.p.g.) and redshirt sophomore Jakob Gollon (10.3 p.p.g.) also average double figure scoring for MU head coach Bob Hoffman.
Junior transfer Travis Smith had quite a debut performance for the Bears against Samford. Smith scored 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, gave off three assists and played harassing defense that led to three steals.
THE SERIES:
This will be the 60th meeting between these two teams. Mercer holds a slim 30-29 advantage in the non-conference series versus Chattanooga. These two teams first met in 1920-21 splitting a pair of games, with the Mocs winning the first battle (28-21) in Chattanooga and MU returning the favor on its home floor (26-15).
Most of the meetings between the schools took place in the 1920’s through 1940’s, with sporadic meetings up until the last meeting which took place on December 14, 1991. When last Mercer and Chattanooga met - nearly 10 years ago - it was the Bears who scored a 73-69 win in Macon.
Prior to that, the UTC won 10 of the last 13 meetings.
The game can be heard live on WPCH 96.5 FM, with the pre-game
show beginning at approximately 6:45 p.m. Smart phone users can
also listen via the "iheartradio" application. Links to the
broadcast are also available on MU's fficial athletics web site,
MercerBears.com.
All of Mercer’s men's games - home and away - will be broadcast live on WPCH, 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.
All of Mercer’s men's games - home and away - will be broadcast live on WPCH, 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.
SCOUTING THE MOCS:
The Southern Conference representative Mocs enter the game on a three-game losing streak (two of which have come in overtime). Chattanooga is 2-6 overall on the season.
Among the Mocs early-season setbacks are losses to Indiana and Butler to open 2011-12. UTC also lost at home to Mercer’s A-Sun foe Kennesaw State by a 65-59 count.
UTC is coached by John Schuman (123-112), currently in his eighth season at the Mocs’ helm.
Chattanooga is led in scoring by Ricky Taylor at 12.3 points per game and Omar Wattad, who checks in at 11.3 p.p.g.
The Mocs have been strong on the boards this season, paced by Drazen Zlovaric’s 6.5 rebounds per game. Chris Early pulls down an average of 5.4 caroms per contest.
The Mocs are coming off of an overtime loss at the College of Charleston, 87-85, last Saturday. Five Chattanooga players hit in double figures in that game, led by 18 from Early. Keegan Bell had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
GAME NOTES:
- The game versus Chattanooga will be Mercer’s second-straight against a Southern Conference foe (coming off last Wednesday’s OT win at Samford, 83-78).
- The Bears will be looking for the season sweep of the SoCon when they face Chattanooga. Mercer already has wins over SoCon members Furman and Samford (both on the road) in 2011-12.
- Mercer, as a team, is shooting an impressive 75.3 percent from the free throw line.
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