Women’s Basketball Welcomes Dolphins Monday

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s basketball team resumes action on Monday night, hosting Jacksonville for a 7 p.m. tip at the University Center.

Mercer aims to rebound after losing its 11^th-straight game in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday, when the Bears were sunk by a jumper with two seconds on the clock versus UNF.  If Mercer can knock off Jacksonville, it will mark the team’s first home victory this season.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

Jacksonville is 8-9 (3-5 A-Sun) after falling to Kennesaw State 71-69 on Saturday afternoon.  The Dolphins return two starters from last year’s team that finished 10-20 (8-12 A-Sun).

Jacksonville was picked to finish seventh among league competition in a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches.  

The Dolphins feature a balanced scoring attack, with three players averaging 10 or more points per game.  Crystal Bell tops the team with a 10.9 points per game average.

GAME NOTES

Freshman Brittnee Hazel has scored in double figures in five of Mercer’s last six games.  Hazel has upped her scoring average to 10.1 points per game, good enough for 23^rd best in the Atlantic Sun.

Sophomore Alex Phillips posted her first career double-double at Florida Gulf Coast and followed that performance with another double-digit scoring effort against UNF.  Phillips has now topped 10 points on four occasions in her career.

The all-time series between Mercer and Jacksonville is knotted at 11 apiece.  Last season, the teams split two regular season meetings, each claiming a win at its home site.