Women’s Hoops in Town for Second Meeting with Campbell

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s basketball team aims to exact revenge on Campbell this weekend, hosting the Camels at 2 p.m. on Saturday.  A 68-46 Campbell win over Mercer on January 10 serves as a precursor to this weekend’s rematch.

In the previous meeting between the teams, Mercer freshman Brittnee Hazel notched her second-straight double-double effort with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Hazel’s classmate, Rebecca Clanton, also reached double figures with 11 points in 24 minutes of action.

Saturday’s game also serves as the annual “Alumni Game” for Mercer, with former members of the program invited for a private gathering coinciding with the game.  A special recognition is arranged for two former players, Vivian Humphrey-Terry and Sybil Blalock, as the two will have their numbers retired at halftime.

SCOUTING THE CAMELS

Campbell travels to Macon after edging Jacksonville 65-63 in the River City on January 31.  After a rocky November and December which saw the Campbell start 1-10 overall, the Camels are winners of eight of their last 10 and carry a 9-12 (8-4 A-Sun) mark into Saturday’s game.

Campbell’s 8-2 mark in the month of January established the best record for the program in a single month since the team when 8-0 in January of 2001.

The Camels return four starters from last year’s team that finished 14-16 (9-11 A-Sun).  Campbell tied Belmont for the fifth spot in the A-Sun Preseason coaches’ poll and sophomore guard Tonisha Baker was named a preseason All-Conference selection.  Baker currently leads the team in scoring with an 11.5 ppg average.

GAME NOTES

-In the most recent NCAA statistical report, freshman Sharnea Boykin ranked 12^th in the country in assists per game.  Boykin has racked up 126 assists this season, just three short of breaking into Mercer’s top-10 single-season assist leaders.

- As a team, Mercer ranks second among A-Sun teams in blocked shots per game.  Sophomore Alex Phillips and freshman Brittnee Hazel both rank among the league’s top seven players in blocked shots, while Phillips also checks in a 85^th in the country.

- After a three-game road trip, the Bears return to the University Center this weekend to face Campbell.  Mercer averages 64.6 points per game at home in comparison to 55.5 points per game on the road.