Daniel Shirley: Mercer women continue remarkable turnaround

On Saturday, Susie Gardner's Mercer women's basketball team will face off with Samford with first place in the Southern Conference on the line.

Think about that for a second. It's actually a remarkable statement, considering where this program has come from to get where it is in a short amount of time.

The Bears won just two games in Gardner's first season, and that had to be considered a success because the program she inherited was an absolute mess. Then came a six-win season in 2011-12 before the program started to take hold with 20 wins in 2012-13, 17 in 2013-14 and 20 in 2014-15.

But last year's team was led by four seniors who helped turn around the program, and it was reasonable to think the Bears would take a step back this season with a roster that includes seven freshmen, six sophomores and a junior who joined the program this season as a transfer.

Just the opposite, however, has taken place as the Bears appear headed toward another 20-win season. Mercer is 18-6 overall and 8-1 in conference play, which is tied for first place with Samford, and the Bears beat the Bulldogs last month in Birmingham.

Gardner has an entire new coaching staff to go along with the young roster, but that combination has worked almost to perfection. Gardner, who is a terrific coach, is as focused and demanding as ever, for sure, but she is having fun coaching this team, and the players are having fun playing for her.

Saturday's showdown starts a tough stretch against the conference's other top three teams with a road trip to East Tennessee State and Chattanooga on the schedule for next week. The Buccaneers handed the Bears their only conference loss in a two-point game last month, while Mercer whipped Chattanooga by 23, ending the Mocs' 52-game conference winning streak.

After that road trip, the Bears host Wofford and Furman to close out the regular season, and by that time, Mercer should have plenty of momentum heading into the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, North Carolina.

With the way they have played, the Bears should be right there among the favorites in that tournament. And if they can pull out a tournament title, they would earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Now, let that sink in for a second.

Contact Daniel Shirley at 744-4227 or dshirley@macon.com

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Daniel Shirley: Mercer women continue remarkable turnaround ."