February 4, 2011

Humphrey-Terry, Blalock to Have Numbers Retired Saturday

 

MACON, Ga. – On Saturday (Feb. 5), Mercer University will pay homage to a pair of the finest women’s basketball players in program history – Vivian Humphrey-Terry and Sybil Blalock – when their respective uniform numbers are retired during ceremonies at the women’s/men’s basketball doubleheader versus Campbell that day.

Tip-off for the women’s game is slated for 2 p.m., while the men’s game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. A special presentation will be made to each during the women’s halftime, with the actual unveiling of their numbers – No. 14 for Humphrey-Terry and No. 10 for Blalock - in the University Center rafters at halftime of the men’s game.

The duo will become the second and third players in MU women’s basketball history to have their uniform numbers retired, joining former Bears’ great Andrea Congreaves as the only other women’s hoops player so honored.

“These honors are very fitting and deserved,” said Mercer Board of Trustees Chair Diane Owens, who also played women’s basketball for the Bears and saw both play. “While Sybil could play any position; she was an outstanding outside shooter. Vivian was more of our ‘Miss Inside’ and had a strong presence underneath.”

Humphrey-Terry played for the Bears from 1977 through 1981, earning Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-State Team each of her four seasons at Mercer. She was named to both the Coach’s All-Region and Kodak All-Region teams in three of her four seasons.

As a sophomore, Humphrey-Terry was the state of Georgia’s “Most Valuable Player” and was a finalist for the prestigious Wade Trophy - presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding woman basketball player – as a senior. Humphrey-Terry also had the distinction of being named to All-Tournament teams in every tournament played by the Bears during her four-year career!

As a junior, Humphrey-Terry helped Mercer’s team to a No. 16 national ranking and a berth in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national tournament…where the Bears suffered a one-point loss to Texas in the first round.

Humphrey-Terry’s name dots no less than 22 of Mercer’s top-10 lists for career and season records. Some of her highlights include ranking second in career points with 2,284, third in career scoring average (19.7 points per game) and she owns two of the Bears’ top-seven single-season point totals. She ranks first in free throws made in a career (434), is second in career field goals made (925) and first in field goals attempted (2,125).

Some of Humphrey-Terry’s best individual performances came versus some of college’s biggest name schools: 37 points versus North Carolina State, 32 versus Old Dominion, 33 versus Memphis, 31 against Ole Miss,  30 versus Clemson and 29 against Georgia to name a few.

“Vivian was tough and her game was more inside,” Owens recalls. “She was tough, but graceful. Her abilities are clearly reflected in the record book with only one person scoring more points than her in program history.

“Her success on the court has translated into life, as well.”

As a player, Blalock’s teams had a composite record of 87-13, which is still the best four-year period in Mercer women’s basketball history.  Among the accomplishments by the group – called the “Teddy Bears” – were a regional championship, a regional runner-up finish, a berth in the 16-team national tournament for the AIAW and a spot in the National Women’s Invitational Tournament.

Statistically, Blalock ranks fifth in Mercer history with 1,856 career points and is fourth all-time with a career scoring average of 18.9 points per game.

Blalock’s name can be found on 12 of the Bears’ season and career top-10 lists in the record books. Some of her honors and accolades include AIAW honorable mention All-American as a sophomore, two “Outstanding College Athlete of America” awards and a National Women’s Invitational Tournament All-America recognition as a senior.  As a junior, she led the Bears to an undefeated regular season.

As a senior player, Blalock also led Mercer to a win over Tennessee in 1974-75...handing the Volunteers’ then first-year head coach…a young woman by the name of Pat Summitt…an 84-83 loss in the very first game of her legendary coaching career!

In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Blalock also graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mathematics and was ranked No. 1 in her class.

She was also a member of the USA’s World University Games team and a member of the Olympic Development Team.   After her collegiate amateur career was over, Blalock played professional basketball for five seasons:  two years in the Women’s Basketball League with the New Orleans Pride; two years in France, and; one year in Venezuela.

Her career as an athletics administrator at Mercer spans more than 25 years. She served as the NCAA Division I National Tennis Chair in 2009 and 2010 and was selected to serve on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee for 2010 through 2015. She is the tournament director for the Atlantic Sun Conference Basketball Championships, which were hosted by Mercer last year and will be again this year (as well as in 2012 and 2013).

“Sybil had the quickest hands and feet I have ever seen which allowed her to guard players much taller than her,” said Owens, who was actually teammates with Blalock during her first two seasons at Mercer. “She had steely determination and was a leader on our team. Her records don’t tell the whole story. At 5-foot-4, she could play any position. She would literally will us to win games.

“I saw some of the best women’s basketball players of that era play and – pound-for-pound and inch-for-inch – Sybil was the best.”