MACON, Ga. – The Mercer women’s basketball team resumes its challenging Atlantic Sun schedule Wednesday, hosting USC Upstate at the University Center at 5 p.m.

Mercer aims to snap a six-game losing skid after falling to ETSU, 83-68 on Monday evening.  The Bears are also eyeing their first win in the University Center this season.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

USC Upstate returns three starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished 20-9 (14-6 A-Sun).  The Hatters are currently 6-5 (3-0 A-Sun) after topping Kennesaw State, 75-67 on Monday night.

The Spartans were picked to finish third among A-Sun competition in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches.  Senior center Chelsea McMillan was selected to the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team after earning first team All-Atlantic Sun honors in 2009-10.

Sophomore guard Tee’Ara Copney is just 26 points of reaching 500 for her career.  Copney was named the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 and has nixed the notion of a sophomore slump.  Copney enters the matchup with Mercer averaging 13.9 points per game and 5.5 assists per contest.

GAME NOTES

Sharnea Boykin has tallied 10 assists in two of Mercer’s last three games.  Boykin is the first Mercer player with multiple 10+ assist games in a single season since Sally Skeldon had four games with double-digit assists in the 2005-06 season.

Through four games at the University Center, it is evident the hometown crowd energizes the Orange and Black offense.  As a team, Mercer is averaging 64.0 points per game at home in comparison with just 54.7 points per game in road games this season.

Mercer leads the all-time series with USC Upstate, 5-2. Last year, the teams split two regular season meetings. Each team claimed its victory on the road in 2009-10.