Confidence carries over for Mercer’s Calloway
Former Mary Persons standout KeKe Calloway gained valuable minutes and confidence with Mercer last season as a freshman.
That confidence is showing early this season.
Calloway is off to a strong start, leading the Bears in points per game (16.4) as she has scored in double figures in eight of Mercer’s 10 games. Four times, Calloway has scored in the 20s.
“It was very important to get a feel for the college level because it’s very different from high school,” Calloway said of last season. “To get that experience under your belt, it helps you in your second, third and fourth year, too. You just know what you need to do and when to do it, and that’s very helpful.”
Last year, Calloway averaged 8.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while playing 17.2 minutes per game. She was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team and the conference tournament’s all-tournament first team.
This season, she is shooting 33.7 percent (28-of-83) on 3-pointers and 90.9 percent (20-of-22) from the free-throw line, and she is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
“The key so far has been my confidence, and I’ve been putting in the work in the gym,” Calloway said. “I shoot all the time and just going out and executing and make sure I have some carryover of what I do alone and also with my teammates. Their confidence in me, as well, just helps me to do what I do and go out and just do what I need to do for us to win.”
Mercer has done plenty of winning during Calloway’s brief career with the program. The Bears were co-regular-season champions in the Southern Conference last year and made it to the conference tournament championship
This season, the Bears, who return to action at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Winthrop, are off to an 8-2 start.
“She’s shooting the ball great, which is what she does for us,” Mercer head coach Susie Gardner said about Calloway. “I think her confidence level is just off the charts right now. She’s always been a great shooter. Her freshman year was kind of up and down and a little bit inconsistent, but right now she’s a very, very steady force us.”
Calloway forms a dynamic scoring force with junior Kahlia Lawrence, last year’s conference player of the year. Lawrence is averaging 15.4 points per game, while Sydni Means (10.4 points) is the only other Mercer player averaging in double figures.
“She’s a great leader. She’s a great person on and off the court. She’s just exceptional, so it’s great learning from her because she’s a great leader,” Calloway said of Lawrence. “She teaches me a lot, and it’s been a pleasure to play with her, and I’m looking forward to playing with her for another year.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Confidence carries over for Mercer’s Calloway."