January 3, 2012

Men's Basketball Looks to Extend Streak Versus Stetson at Home on Wednesday

MACON, Ga. – Coming off of what may have been one its most impressive all-around efforts of the season last Monday, Mercer’s men’s basketball team will be looking to pick up a second-consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference win when it plays host to Stetson University on Wednesday at the University Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

The Bears (10-6, 2-1 A-Sun) dominated Florida Gulf Coast University in Monday’s contest. The Bears led wire-to-wire and held a 20-point cushion for much of the game. MU has won two-straight overall.

As a team, MU was 29-of-63 from the floor (46 percent) versus the Eagles. The Bears’ deft passing produced 22 assists, roughly 76 percent of the baskets scored. Sophomore point guard Langston Hall was held scoreless, but dished off a career-high nine assists in the game.

Senior Justin Cecil was the benefactor en route to a career high 24 points in the win over FGCU. Cecil also grabbed seven rebounds to share high honors with teammate Jakob Gollon.

Bud Thomas added 13 points. Junior guard Travis Smith came off the bench to score 11 points for the third-consecutive game. Gollon, a redshirt sophomore, chipped in nine points, seven rebounds and six assists.

On the year, Hall tops the Bears balanced offense at 11.6 points per game, with Cecil close behind at 11.1.  Gollon is also averaging in double-figures on the year at 10.5 p.p.g. Thomas’ 9.4 p.p.g. – along with 8.9 p.p.g. from Smith and 8.2 p.p.g. from sophomore Daniel Coursey – round out Mercer’s scoring leaders.

Gollon’s 6.0 rebounds per game make him chairman of the Bears’ boards. Coursey averages 2.5 blocks per game, as well.

THE SERIES: 

This will be the 120th meeting between Stetson and Mercer, making the Hatters the most-contested opponent in Mercer basketball history (Samford is the Bears’ next most played foe at 114 meetings).

Stetson holds a 69-50 advantage in the series.

In the most recent games, the two teams split a pair of contests in 2010-11. Both teams won on their home floors, with the Hatters scoring the 79-72 decision in DeLand, Fla. (1/14/11) and the Bears booking the overtime win, 72-62, in Macon (2/10/11).

SCOUTING STETSON: 

At 2-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, Stetson is currently tied with Mercer for third place in the conference standings. Overall, the Hatters are 5-8 this season.

Stetson averages a healthy 68.4 points per game on offense, but is allowing 74.3 p.p.g. on defense.

SU’s eight losses - and its scoring margin - are somewhat deceptive as the Hatters have suffered setbacks to the likes of Florida State, Charleston Southern (twice), Florida, Indiana, Central Florida and James Madison (in overtime) in out-of-conference play. Stetson’s lone league loss was to USC Upstate, which is unbeaten in the A-Sun.

The Hatters have three players - Chris Perez, Adam Pegg and Aaron Graham averaging in double-figure scoring in 2011-12. Perez is at 13.2 points per game, followed closely by Pegg and Graham at 12.8 and 12.5 p.p.g., respectively.

Pegg and Graham each average 5.2 rebounds per game, as well. Stetson’s rebound leader is Joel Naburgs at 6.1 caroms per contest.

GAME NOTES:

- When last Stetson and Mercer met (2/10/11), the Bears claimed a 72-62 overtime victory in Macon. Graduated seniors Mark Hall and Brian Mills had 23 and 21 points - respectively - in the win. Jakob Gollon tallied seven of his then career-high 14 points in the overtime segment to push Mercer past the Hatters.

-  When it defeated Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 2, 2012, MU reached 10 wins in its 16th game, making it the quickest to a double-digit victory total since the 2004-05 squad did it in 14 games. In terms of the calendar, a 10th win on January 2 is the earliest in school history. Previously, January 12th was the soonest date a team had booked a 10th win (both in 1973-74 and in 1984-85).

- Sophomore point guard Langston Hall will be making his 50th-consecutive start as a Bear. That’s every game of Hall’s MU career without a missed start.

- Mercer has employed the same starting lineup  - Justin Cecil, Jakob Gollon, Langston Hall, Bud Thomas & Daniel Coursey - for 15 of its 16 games this season. Versus Tulsa, Monty Brown (returning to his hometown) was inserted into the starting lineup for Coursey to mark the only starting lineup change this season.