Bears in Sunshine State to Battle Stetson

DELAND, Fla. – On Saturday, the Mercer women’s basketball team opens a two-game stretch of conference tests in Florida, facing Stetson at 1 p.m. in the Edmunds Center. 

The Bears aim to snap an eight-game losing skid against the Hatters, who look to rebound from an overtime loss at the hands of ETSU on Monday, January 10.

SCOUTING THE HATTERS

The Hatters return three starters from last year’s team that finished 6-24 (6-14 A-Sun).  Stetson currently holds a 6-9 (2-4 A-Sun) mark and in 4-4 at the Edmunds Center this season.

Stetson was picked to finish tenth among A-Sun teams in a preseason poll of both the media and the league’s coaches. 

Stetson features a balanced scoring attack, with four players averaging 10 or more points a game.  Victoria McGowan leads the squad at 14.1 points per game, ranking eighth among the league’s top scorers.

GAME NOTES

Mercer and Stetson are the two most-tenured schools in the Atlantic Sun and have met on the hardwood 57 times.  If Mercer can top Stetson, the all-time series will be even at 29 apiece.

Mercer is unbeaten in its last four meetings with Stetson, sweeping the season series in each of the last two years.  The last time Mercer fell to the Hatters was Feb. 16, 2008.

Brittnee Hazel looks to push her streak of double-double performances to three games after posting notching such efforts against Campbell and ETSU.  Hazel has now scored in double figures in four of Mercer’s last five games.