Section 7 - Mercer University

WHERE WE GO ONE, W1985 NCAA Division II Final Four Teammen and eventual 1,000-point club member DawnJackson (1,120, 14th all time). Their 24 wins equaledthe second highest total in school history. They compileda 14-game win streak, a mark that can only betopped by the remarkable 19-0 start for the 1971-72Bears.This team found national success on a level theprogram had never seen before, reaching the NCAATournament and continuing their run of great play. Avictory over North Alabama clinched the NCAASouth Championship, followed by a victory overQuinnipiac in Hamden, Conn., in the NCAAQuarterfinals put the Bears into the NCAA Division IIFinal Four in Springfield, Mass. Central Missourisquared off against the Bears and their 14-consecutivewins and Central Missouri prevailed 82-79.Mercer's most decorated player brought homethe next two championship banners for the Bears.Andrea Congreavespatrolled the hardwoodof Porter Gym from1989-1993, and filledup the hoops of thatvenerable arena with2,796 points, made1,107 field goalsincluding 153 3-pointers,made 429 freethrows, and grabbed1,141 rebounds off thePorter glass.She was supportedby Stephany Rainesduring the two championshipseasons; Raines is by no surprise, the alltimeleader in assists with 851.Mercer opened its 1990-91 season against, WE GO ALLperennial women's basketball powerhouseOld Dominion, on theroad, under the guidance of firstyearhead coach Lea Henry. TheBears went into ODU and walkedout victorious and carried thatmomentum to a 4-0 start.After the fast start, the Bearslost two in a row for the only timeduring their title run. The Bearswould finish 1990-91 with an 18-9overall record, and a 10-2 conferencerecord. Andrea Congreavesled the nation in scoring averagethat season, with 33 points per contest.The Bears lost to Florida A&M in the conferencetournament, ending their season, but not before thefirst A-Sun banner in program history adorned therafters of Porter Gym.The 1991-92 Bears started very slowly by droppingthe first twogames to TennesseeState and SouthFlorida. After drawingback to .500 with backto-backwins overMarist and UCF, theBears fell to 2-4 aftertwo straight games toGeorgia and Collegeof Charleston.Then thingsstarted clicking. TheBears ran off ninestraight victories, a lossto SoutheasternLouisiana slowed the roll, but it didn't stop it. Mercerripped off eight more wins, then traded consecutivelosses to Florida International and Florida Atlantic withconsecutive wins over Georgia State and Florida A&M.Mercer clinched a share of the regular seasontitle yet again, this time sharing with FloridaInternational as both finished 10-2 in the A-Sun. TheBears finished 20-8 that season, AndreaCongreaves led the NCAA in scoring once again,averaging 31.0 points.She won her second A-Sun Player of the Yearaward, and set the stage for her selection to theKodak All-America team in 1993. Congreaves wenton to play four seasons in the WNBA after her Mercercareer, spending two seasons with the CharlotteSting and two seasons with Orlando Miracle.CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITIONENTHUSIASM, , EMOTIONEMOTION, , EFFORTEFFORT73