Susie Gardner enjoying young Mercer team

Susie Gardner says she's having a lot of fun, and that's understandable.

Gardner's young Mercer women's basketball team is off to a solid start with a 5-3 record, and she is seeing improvement from her team every day.

The Bears return to action Sunday at home against Faulkner.

"I'm really pleased. We have not set any end-of-the-year, long-term goals. All we talk about is, 'Did we get better today? This day?' " Gardner said. "And every day, the answer has been, 'Yes.' That's exciting. I let the players answer that question, and it's exciting that they are focused on that. I feel like we are making improvements."

Gardner gives plenty of credit for the excitement and energy surrounding the team to her seven freshmen, who have stepped in and contributed in a large way. Linnea Rosendal is second on the team in scoring at 9.8 points per game, and she has started every game. Dodge County product Rachel Selph also has started every game and is averaging 7.6 points, while Mary Persons' Keke Calloway and Amanda Thompson are both averaging 5.6 points.

"There is so much energy, and that can be attributed to the freshmen," Gardner said. "They have just brought a different mentality to the gym. They work on their game outside of the coaches asking them to. They talk about it in the dorm; they tell me they have. The culture is exactly where I want it to be.

"When I came here, you sit and think about what you want your culture to be, and as I sit here today, the culture is just off the charts. And that's what's fun."

Kahlia Lawrence leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game, while fellow sophomore Sydni Means is averaging 8.1 points. Means was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week on Wednesday.

"I feel like we have a larger arsenal this year," Lawrence said. "A big thing I have noticed and Coach Gardner has noticed is that we have more shooters this year. We have an outside presence, and that makes us more deadly on the floor."

The Bears' losses have come by eight points to St. Louis, 10 to Charlotte and 13 to Georgia. Against the Bulldogs, Mercer had the lead at halftime.

"The biggest thing is, people will say we're young," Lawrence said of the roster that includes only one junior and no seniors. "But those were close games, and we could have won them, and from the losses we have had so far, our team will grow, and it's a part of us getting better."

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Susie Gardner enjoying young Mercer team ."