Alabama
Mercer
Crimson Tide Returns Home for Matchup with Mercer on Sunday
11/15/2019 4:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Alabama will play the Bears inside Coleman Coliseum at 2 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama returns home to take on Mercer on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide enters the game with a 1-1 mark, while the Bears are 1-2 early in their 2019-20 season.
This is the fifth meeting between the two programs, with Alabama leading the all-time series 3-1. The last time the teams met was in the first round of the 2017 WNIT with the Tide dominating the Bears, 81-57. The last regular season meeting came on Dec. 14, 2014, with Mercer taking the 46-39 win in Tuscaloosa.
Promotions
• For the first time this season, there will be postgame autographs immediately following the game. Fans will be allowed to come down to the court and meet the players and staff with autograph opportunities. In addition, kids 12 & under will be allowed to shoot baskets on the Coleman Coliseum floor.
• Sunday's game is the annual Bama Salute with all military – veterans and active – to receive free admission with valid ID.
Follow Along
• The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ via the WatchESPN app. Eli Gold and Rick Moody will be on the call, with sideline assistance from Trey Yanity.
• On the radio, Roger Hoover and Gray Robertson will call the game on 100.1 FM/1230 AM, while also being available on the TuneIn app.
• Fans can also follow along via live stats on RollTide.com.
Opening Tip
• The Crimson Tide is coming off of its 67-54 road win on Tuesday against Clemson, while the Bears fell on the road against Kennesaw State, 92-64, on Wednesday night.
• Through two games senior Cierra Johnson leads the team with 14.5 points, six rebounds and 3.5 steals per contest off the bench. Sophomore newcomer Brittany Davis is averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds, while junior Ariyah Copeland is putting up 10.5 points and a team-high nine rebounds per game.
• Head Coach Kristy Curry is looking for her 100th win of her career at Alabama on Sunday. Curry is in her seventh season with the Tide and is the program's No. 2 winningest coach. Curry picked up her 400th career victory last season on Dec. 16 against Northwestern State.
• After getting off to slow starts in the first quarters of its first two games of the season, the Tide have found success in the second quarter. Alabama is outscoring its opponents 44-18 in the second frame.
About Mercer
• Mercer is 1-2 this season after winning its season opener against LaGrange, while falling in its last two games against WKU and Kennesaw State.
• The Bears were picked to finish first in the Southern Conference this season according to the media.
• Head Coach Susie Gardner is entering her ninth season at the helm and 20th year as a head coach. Last season, the Bears won its second-straight Southern Conference Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where the MU fell just short of pulling off the upset of second-seed Iowa in Iowa City.
• The Bears won at least 25 games for the third straight season after going 25-7 overall and 14-0 in 2018-19. Following the season, Gardner was named the SoCon Women's Basketball Coach of the Year and the Georgia Women's Coach of the Year.
SEC'S ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS (as of Nov. 13)
• Points - Jordan Lewis: 777 (No. 9)
• Rebounds - Jasmine Walker: 349 (No. 9)
Ashley Knight: 345 (No. 10)
• Assists - Jordan Lewis: 299 (No. 2)
• Blocks - Ashley Knight: 172 (No. 1)
Ariyah Copeland: 49 (No. 8)
• Steals - Jordan Lewis: 101 (No. 5)
Alabama Adds Two in Early Signing Period
• Myra Gordon is a 6-0 guard from Fort Worth, Texas, that had an incredible junior season at L.D. Bell High School in 2018-2019, averaging 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while leading her team to a district championship, under the direction of head coach Andy Bloodworth. For her efforts, Gordon was named Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State & Coaches All-State, while also being tabbed the MVP of her district. In addition, Gordon earned the Fort Worth Star Telegram Player of the Year, while leading DFW in scoring for the second straight season. In her junior campaign, she also broke the school single-season scoring record with 930 points and the single-game scoring record with 53 points. She currently has over 2,000 career points to date.
• Keyara Jones is a 5-7 guard from Heidelberg, Miss., who spent last season with Jones College. Under head coach Missy Bilderback, Jones led her team to a 28-3 record and a MACJC State and Region 23 Championship, while earning a NJCAA All-American Honorable Mention. She was also named First Team All-MACJC and NJCAA Region 23, while being selected to play in the NJCAA All-Star Game. Jones played in 30 games as a redshirt freshman, while leading the team in scoring with an average of 15.7 points per game.
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