Thursday, November 01, 2007

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball stays close to home with a look at Mercer, located in Macon, Ga., same as with the conference office. The Bears made a coaching change for the 2007-08 season following a 5-25 year. Mercer hired Janell Jones, a woman who won over 90 percent of her games at stops at Oklahoma City University and UC San Diego.In her seven years as a head coach, Jones won no fewer than 23 games and never lost more than seven games in any one season.

The Bears struggled in A-Sun play in 2006-07, winning just four of their 18 conference games. Last season marked the first time in the last six seasons that the Bears produced a losing season in A-Sun play

The Bears return their leading scorer from last year, TaShera Lewis (10.5 PPG, 12.9 PPG in A-Sun play) along with four letter winners from last season to go along with nine newcomers.

Coach Janell Jones on the Bears

Team Page

Roster

Schedule

2006-07 Statistics

SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy Mercer Media Relations)

Coming off a 5-25 season that included a 4-14 mark in conference play, the 2007-08 version of Mercer women’s basketball looks to improve and make a run at an Atlantic Sun Conference championship. The Bears have many reasons to be optimistic beginning with first-year head coach Janell Jones. Jones comes in with an exceptional resume that includes two NAIA National Championships and a Division II Final Four appearance. The two-time NAIA Coach of the Year has notched a 225-24 record in seven seasons at Oklahoma City and UC-San Diego.

Mercer returns five players from last year’s squad, and has an exciting nucleus of newcomers including six transfers and a pair of freshman. Coach Jones brings with her an exciting brand of basketball and a history of winning wherever she has been. With so many new faces and a different system, time will tell how successful this season will be, but the future of Mercer women’s basketball sure does look bright.

“With a new team we are in the process of learning how we want to play, but the main goal is 40 minutes of hard work,” said Jones. “I am very pleased with how far we’ve come already, not only are they learning a new system, but they are also learning each other. It is going to be a work in progress all season, but as long as we are working hard each and every day success will follow.”

Backcourt

With Jones’ up-tempo style, guard play is an essential part of the team. The first-year coach will have a plethora of guards to choose from as this may be the squad’s deepest position. Senior Erin Keller sustained an injury and will miss the season providing the Bears with a key loss of one of their leaders, but ultimately others will have to step up their play.

Due to Keller’s injury, Megan Lewis will be the only returning player in Mercer’s backcourt. “She has the ability to knock down shots,” said Jones. Lewis averaged 4.5 points as a sophomore with a season-high 19 points at ETSU in the last regular-season game.

Junior Shaquita Bell, a 5-foot-10 junior from Shelton State Comunity College, will be one of those players asked to step up this season. Bell earned numerous honors during her time at Shelton State and helped the squad win back-to-back NJCAA Region XXII championships with a 62-9 record.

“Shaquita is a tenacious defender who anticipates really well,” said Jones. “She is one of those players who will impact us on both sides of the court as she also has the abiltiy to get to the rim and create her own shot.”

Gabrielle Essex was a teammate of Bell’s at Shelton State and is also set to begin her first season with the Bears. Essex won the team’s sixth man award last season and played an integral part in Shelton State’s success.

“Gabrielle is only going to get better with time and with what we’ve seen so far she seems to be somebody who will be able to help us offensively and defensively,” said Jones. “She has been injured lately so we’ve only seen glimpses, but we like what we see.”

Cristin Seymour is another transfer who will be counted upon to provide solid minutes after coming to Mercer from Miami-Dade Community College. Seymour averaged 14.5 points and eight rebounds during her sophomore year on her way to being named one of the top prospects in Florida.

“Cristin has a hunger to improve her game and works really hard every day,” added Jones. “She is a very gifted and talented player.”

Another newcomer sure to impress is sophomore LaToya Jackson. The transfer from Barton County Community College led her squad in scoring last season with 14.3 points and dished out an impressive 4.5 assists per game. “LaToya is a very good shooting point guard that also possesses the ability to penetrate and dish,” said Jones.

Freshman Shakeda Richie rounds out the backcourt and comes in with solid credentials. “Shakeda has the potential to play right away as a freshman especially with activeness she exerts on the defensive end,” stated Jones.

Richie played at national powerhouse Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. Collins Hill went 62-1during her junior and senior seasons culminated by back-to-back state championships both years. The 2007 squad was named national champions by USA Today and Sports Illustrated.

Frontcourt

The Bears will receive a boost with the return of Sarah Russell. The senior forward red-shirted last season due to an injury, but her return will provide leadership and a consistent scorer. Russell averages 9.2 points per game during her career and registered 11.9 points during her 2005-06 campaign in which she was named second team all-conference. Before her injury she was named to last season’s preseason all-conference team and is certainly respected throughout the conference.

“Sarah is a very hard-nosed player who will run through a wall for you,” said head coach Janell Jones. “She has a deadly 15-foot jumper and we will definitely look to her for offensive production.”

Joining Russell in the frontcourt are a pair of returners from last season, TaShera Lewis and Nicole Leonard. Lewis led the Bears in scoring last year with 10.5 points a game and showed an ability to receive the ball in a position to score. “We are optimistic about the development of our post game and how this will help with the overall scheme of our team,” added Jones.

Leonard spent most of 2006-07 dealing with nagging injuries and was only able to start 11 contests. The junior from Gretna, La. contributed 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field.

Freshman Kourtney Carter has also quietly made a name for herself thus far. The 6-foot center goes about her business in a manner that well exceeds her freshman status. Carter averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds as a senior at Fullerton Union High School in Fullerton, Calif. before making the trip cross country to compete with the Bears. “Kourtney has an uncanny ability for being around the ball and will make an immediate impact,” said Jones.

Dominique Chism and Natasha Doh, both transfers from Oklahoma State, have to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules but will make an prepare the team on the practice court and will add more depth and talent to next season’s squad.

Schedule

The 29-game regular-season schedule features six teams that reached the NCAA Tournament and two that participated in the WNIT last season.

The Bears open the season with an exhibition against Georgia College, which advanced to the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional final and finished the 2006-07 season with a 22-10 record. Mercer opens the regular season less than a week later with back-to-back home games against South Carolina State on Nov. 9 and NCAA participant Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 11.

This marks the first time the Bears open their schedule at home since the 2002-03 season when they faced Lipscomb in late November.

“Our non-conference schedule will be very challenging and really does not have any easy games,” said Jones. “We also have a lot of road games which makes it even tougher. While we will be playing tough competition we will also be growing as a team. Also, playing a tough non-conference schedule will prepare us for conference play.”

Jones’ club then opens a four-game road trip with visits to Florida A&M, Southern Miss, Mississippi State and Columbia. Mississippi State advanced to the WNIT Sweet Sixteen and finished last season with an 18-14 mark. The trip to visit Ivy League member Columbia comes over Thanksgiving weekend.

Mercer hosts South Alabama (Nov. 27) and Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 30) before embarking upon a season-high, six-game road trip. The Bears open the trip against former Atlantic Sun member Troy on Dec. 4 before four road contests against NCAA Tournament teams. Jones’ squad will visit Georgia, which reached the Sweet Sixteen, on Dec. 17 and then battle defending Big South champion UNC Asheville on Dec. 21. The Bears will then visit Louisville, which advanced to the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament, and defending Atlantic 10 champ Xavier.

With 12 teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season, the league will play an unbalanced schedule based on geography with double round-robin play against opponents from your section and single round-robin play against the other group. The Bears open conference action against in-state rival Kennesaw State on the road (Jan. 5). Mercer then hosts Jacksonville and North Florida on Jan. 12 and 14 respectively, before visiting Stetson (Jan. 19) and A-Sun newcomer Florida Gulf Coast (Jan. 21), which lost in the national championship game of the NCAA Division II Tournament last season.

Following the first round of games against the southern schools, the Bears open play against the league’s northern teams. Mercer hosts defending A-Sun champion and NCAA participant Belmont (Jan. 26) and Lipscomb (Jan. 28) before visiting A-Sun newcomer USC Upstate (Feb. 2) and 2007 WNIT participant ETSU (Feb. 4). Mercer concludes play against the A-Sun’s northern teams with a home game against Campbell on Feb. 9 and a trip to Gardner-Webb on Feb. 11.

Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast visit the University Center on Feb. 16 and Feb. 18 respectively, as Mercer revives action against its southern section rivals. The Bears visit North Florida (Feb. 23) and Jacksonville (Feb. 25), a 20-win team last season, before concluding its regular season with Senior Day against Kennesaw State on March 1.

The Bears will play in the 2008 Atlantic Sun Tournament hosted by Lipscomb in Nashville, Tenn., from March 5-8.

“My expectations for this season are to work hard everyday, play at a high level and compete for a conference championship,” said Jones. “We don’t want to lower expectations just because we a new program. It is a process of working hard everyday and improving as a team throughout the season.”

12 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 22 - Belmont
Oct. 23 - Campbell
Oct. 24 - ETSU
Oct. 25 - Florida Gulf Coast
Oct. 26 - Gardner-Webb
Oct. 29 - Jacksonville
Oct. 30 - Kennesaw State
Oct. 31 - Lipscomb
Nov. 1 - Mercer
Nov. 2 - UNF
Nov. 5 - USC Upstate
Nov. 6 - Stetson