Mercer and the University of Georgia are separated by about 90 miles of U.S. Highway 129 in the central portion of the Peach State. The distance between the women's basketball teams might as well be light years.
Georgia has won 21 straight against Mercer, but the 13th-seeded Bears (30-2) have a chance to close the gap when they head north to face the fourth-seeded Bulldogs in a first-round Albany Region game on Saturday.
While the Bears will be making their first trip to the Division I tournament, the Lady Bulldogs rank second in NCAA Tournament appearances (33).
Georgia has played in five Final Fours, losing in the title game in 1985 and 1996, and advanced to 11 Elite Eights and 20 Sweet 16s. But the Lady Bulldogs (25-6) have not tasted the Final Four since 1999.
After Georgia's early exit from the Southeastern Conference tournament, coach Joni Taylor gave her players some much-needed rest.
"We wanted to make sure they were able to rest their minds and bodies," Taylor told the Athens Banner Herald. "We challenged them to go down to our strength-and-conditioning coach and stay in good shape. Our senior leadership made sure our players just weren't doing anything."
While the Lady Bulldogs got a little rest, the Bears were savoring what has been a remarkable season.
And excuse the 25th-ranked Bears, who have won 27 straight games, if they aren't intimidated and their confidence remains sky-high.
While Mercer might be new to the tournament, it is not new to Georgia. The two met in November and Georgia handed Mercer one of its two losses.
The Lady Bulldogs dominated the fourth quarter on Nov. 19 in a 72-54 win in Macon.
Another twist to thicken the plot come Saturday -- the Bears are coached by former Georgia player Susie Gardner.
"I didn't really think they'd send us to Athens since we played Georgia before," Gardner told the Macon Telegraph after the seedings were announced. "I was really, really shocked but thrilled -- not because we're playing Georgia again so much but because I wanted our fans to be able to travel with our team because we travel so well.
"This is an amazing season we've already had that keeps getting better."
The Bears won their first outright Southern Conference regular-season title and then the league's automatic bid into the tournament with a win over East Tennessee State in the conference championship game.
Three-time Southern Conference Player of the Year Kahlia Lawrence leads the Bears at 19.2 points per game. In the loss to Georgia, she scored 19 points.
More important, the Bears didn't back down from the bigger Lady Bulldogs.
"Georgia only had 12 offensive rebounds and we had 11 offensive boards," Gardner said. "Our post players have heart and they played well. We are seeing that we can rely on the post players down the stretch."
The Lady Bulldogs rely on two forwards -- Mackenzie Engram (12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds) and Caliya Robinson (12.6 points, 7.7 rebounds) -- to carry the offense. Guard Taja Cole triggers the offense and averages 4.3 assists per game (fifth in the SEC).
But it's on defense where the Bears and Lady Bulldogs shine. Opponents average just under 55 points per game and shoot below 44 percent from the field against Mercer.
Georgia gives up 57.2 points per game. Opponents are shooting just 34.5 from the field.
Players and coaches both know that often the difference between winning and losing in the NCAAs comes in the details.
"It's all about the little things in the NCAA Tournament, whether it be missed free throws, loose balls or rebounding," Cole said. "Those are the things that will matter down the stretch."
The winner will play fifth-seeded Duke or the 12th-seeded Belmont in Athens. The Blue Devils are ranked 20th and Belmont, the Ohio Valley Conference champion, is ranked 23rd.
