Thursday, December 10, 2009

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Basketball Game of the Week features a meeting between the reigning A-Sun and Southern Conference Players of the Week as Mercer and three-time recipient Courtney Ford host Georgia Southern and J’Lisia Ogburn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday from the University Center. The game airs on A-Sun.TV.

Ford earned her third consecutive player of the week award after notching her second triple-double of the season in Mercer’s 98-69 win against Belmont on Saturday with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the second player in Division I basketball to have multiple triple-doubles this season. St. Mary’s Louella Tomlinson has three triple-doubles on the year. Og¬burn received the SoCon Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award after posting the fifth double-double of her career as the senior forward led Georgia Southern to a 2-0 start in conference play. The last time Mercer and Georgia Southern met came in 2004 with the Eagles besting the Bears in a 73-50 home victory in Statesboro, Ga. The Bears own a 31-26 series advantage with the Eagles since the series began in 1973.

Mercer looks to post the program’s first five-game winning streak since the 2005-06 season. In the Bears’ last action, Mercer defeated Belmont on Saturday at the University Center, improving to 4-2, 2-0 in A-Sun play. Ford led the Bears’ charge, earning her second career triple-double on 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, while fellow senior guard LaToya Jackson scored a season-high 23 points on 7-for-12 from the field and five-of-seven from behind the arc. With the victory against Belmont, Jones earned her 250th win in ten seasons as a collegiate head coach. She owns an overall record of 250-66.

Non-conference opponent and intrastate rival Georgia Southern, 3-4, enters the weekend after defeating Elon, 70-58, for its second Southern Conference win of the season on Saturday. The Eagles feature Ogburn among three starters from last year’s team that finished 16-14, 11-9 in the SoCon. Ogburn earned the SoCon weekly honor after shooting 61 percent from the floor and averaging 14 points in the two conference wins last week. The Dublin, Ga., native also collected 18 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Players to Watch
* Courtney Ford, Mercer –Ford notched her second triple-double of the season as the Bears cruised to a 98-69 win against Belmont in Saturday afternoon’s A-Sun women’s basketball Game of the Week held in the University Center. Ford scored 14 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.

* LaToya Jackson, Mercer – Jackson scored a season-high 23 points against Belmont on Saturday and paced the Bears on Thursday against Lipscomb, scoring a team-high 17 points and finishing a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe.

* J’Lisia Ogburn, Georgia Southern – Ogburn received the SoCon Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award after posting the fifth double-double of her career, leading Georgia Southern to a 2-0 start in conference play. The Dublin, Ga., native shot 61 percent from the floor and averaged 14 points in the Eagles’ two wins last week. Ogburn also collected 18 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

* Jamie Navarro, Georgia Southern – Navarro helped the Eagles close a victory against Elon on Saturday. The junior guard tied her career-best with six steals and finished the game with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists.