Friday, February 10, 2012

Kennesaw State Owls hosts their in-state rival, Mercer, at 7:00 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center in the CSS/A-Sun Game of the Week. The game can also be seen on ESPN3. The Owls (3-22, 0-13 Atlantic Sun Conference) will be looking to snap a three-game slide against Mercer (19-7, 11-2 A-Sun), in front of what is expected to be a near-sellout crowd at the Convocation Center.

Prior the Bears, 81-51, victory over the Owls on Jan. 13, the last four games between the two squads had all been decided by eight points or less, with three of those margins being three points or less, the teams splitting two games apiece. Owls junior Markeith Cummings has averaged 18.4 points per game in his five career appearances against Mercer, and has scored 23 or more on three occasions. He dropped 30 on the Bears to go along with nine rebounds in Macon on Feb. 15, 2011.

Mercer will be looking to capture its first 20-win season in nine years and extend its eight-game winning streak after downing East Tennessee State 54-46 on Monday night at the University Center. Mercer has held an opponent to under 50 points four times this season. The last Mercer team to hold an oppo­nent under 50 four times in the same year was the 1953-54 edition of the Bears.

The Bears currently sit in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun ahead of Belmont (10-2) and USC Upstate (8-4).

Matt Stewart (@Matt_StewartCSS) will be on the play-by-play and is joined courtside by Sonny Smith as the color commentator. The game can also be seen on ESPN3.com.

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