Sydni Means playing more meaningful role with Mercer women's team
Sydni Means has enjoyed her expanded role with the Mercer women's basketball team this season, but she has enjoyed the team's success early in the year even more.
Means and the Bears look the keep their strong play going Saturday at Hawkins Arena when they host former A-Sun rival North Florida. Susie Gardner's team is 8-4, while North Florida has lost three straight to sit at 4-10.
"We're playing good. We feel good," Means said. "I love it because we're so young, and we're still learning, and we're getting better every day. Our goal is to get better each and every day and win the moment; that's what we aim to do. Our team is buying into everything that Coach Gardner does and has to say, and we're just very excited about our next game and what's to come in the future."
Means is one of six sophomores on the Mercer roster, while there are seven freshmen and just one junior -- transfer Ciarra Edwards. There are no seniors.
"I think it might be all (of the) above," Means said of the keys to the team's success. "The group of freshmen, the sophomores, Ciarra, we just have great energy together. We play well together for not having played together at all. We'll just be more dangerous once we do have more chemistry together because we are so young.
"We just love playing together, and we love playing for Coach Gardner, and I think she loves coaching us, as well."
Gardner certainly is enjoying this group. The Bears are 5-2 at home and have won the first two games of their three-game home stand.
"I had no idea starting the year, but I'm really, really pleased with the progress we've made in practice. I'm pleased with our record," Gardner said. "I think we've had a pretty difficult schedule. We've played teams close; we've had chances to win. We've learned some life lessons from some of our wins and some of our losses. I do think we have gotten a lot better.
"We're competitive. We play hard. We dive on the floor like no other team I've ever had before, so I'm thrilled with this team."
That includes Means, who played 6.2 minutes per game last year and scored just 17 points and had 12 rebounds the entire season. This season, Means is averaging 7.4 points per game and is playing 27.3 minutes per game with 11 starts.
She is shooting 50 percent from the floor, 25 percent on 3-pointers and 72.7 from free-throw line.
"I stepped up as Coach Gardner expected me to, and my teammates have my back 100 percent, so that helps," Means said. "I'm happy about the role I have this season."
This story was originally published January 2, 2016 at 2:22 AM with the headline "Sydni Means playing more meaningful role with Mercer women's team ."