Saturday, February 17
Macon, Ga.
4 P.M.
Mercer University
15-13, 8-7
77
vs
74
UNCG
21-7, 12-3
1
2
F
UNCG
30
44
74
Mercer
31
46
77
Team Stats
UNCG
MER
FG%
.446
.561
3FG%
.444
.500
FT%
.706
.828
RB
28
24
TO
11
11
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
23
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
5
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballPhoto by: Judy Stapleton
Mercer Runs Winning Streak To Five With Comeback Victory Over UNCG
2/17/2018 6:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – Jordan Strawberry poured in a season-high 27 points and Ross Cumming tallied 23 to lead Mercer to a thrilling 77-74 comeback victory over UNCG Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena. It was the Bears' fifth straight win and snapped UNCG's five-game winning streak.
Strawberry, a senior guard from Anaheim, Calif., connected on 8-of-14 field goal attempts and nailed all 11 of his free throw attempts to lead the Bears to the victory. Cummings continued his offensive onslaught and hit 7-of-10 field goal attempts, including 4-of-6 from three-point land.
Mercer faced a nine-point deficit, 49-40, with 13:49 remaining before mounting a comeback to claim the victory. The Bears went on a 21-11 run over the next seven minutes to take the lead, 61-60, on a Cummings' three point basket with 6:26 remaining. Mercer led the rest of the way and won for the first time against the Spartans since 2016, ending a four-game losing skid against UNCG.
Mercer jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before UNCG battled back to cut the lead to one. The Bears then went on a 15-0 run and stretched their lead to 25-9 on a Cummings jump shot with 8:56 remaining in the first half. UNCG responded with a 21-6 run of their own to cut the lead to 31-30 at the intermission break.
UNCG quickly took the lead early in the second half and appeared to be in control of the game until Mercer mounted its rally to claim its fifth consecutive victory.
UNCG was led in scoring by Francis Alonso who tallied 18 points. Both teams played a clean floor game, with Mercer turning it over just four times and the Spartans five times.
With the win, Mercer improved to 15-13 overall and is 8-7 in the Southern Conference. UNCG fell to 21-7 and 12-3 in the SoCon.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior guard Jordan Strawberry scored a season-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Strawberry, who leads the SoCon in free throw shooting in conference play, nailed all 11 of his free throw attempts.
NOTABLES
Coach Bob Hoffman – "This was just an amazing team victory. Our guys dug deep and found a way to win tonight. Jordan (Strawberry) was special. He made so many amazing plays. His overall play was exceptional. The crowd was great and our team responded when they got behind and faced some adversity there in the second half."
Jordan Strawberry – "I know this is my senior year and I just want to do everything I can to help our team. We have been working so hard to get where we are today. We just need to keep this type of effort going and finish the season strong."
RECORDS UPDATE
The Bears conclude the regular season portion of their home schedule by hosting the Western Carolina Catamounts Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tipoff time at Hawkins Arena is set for 7 p.m. (ET).
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Â
Strawberry, a senior guard from Anaheim, Calif., connected on 8-of-14 field goal attempts and nailed all 11 of his free throw attempts to lead the Bears to the victory. Cummings continued his offensive onslaught and hit 7-of-10 field goal attempts, including 4-of-6 from three-point land.
Mercer faced a nine-point deficit, 49-40, with 13:49 remaining before mounting a comeback to claim the victory. The Bears went on a 21-11 run over the next seven minutes to take the lead, 61-60, on a Cummings' three point basket with 6:26 remaining. Mercer led the rest of the way and won for the first time against the Spartans since 2016, ending a four-game losing skid against UNCG.
Mercer jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before UNCG battled back to cut the lead to one. The Bears then went on a 15-0 run and stretched their lead to 25-9 on a Cummings jump shot with 8:56 remaining in the first half. UNCG responded with a 21-6 run of their own to cut the lead to 31-30 at the intermission break.
UNCG quickly took the lead early in the second half and appeared to be in control of the game until Mercer mounted its rally to claim its fifth consecutive victory.
UNCG was led in scoring by Francis Alonso who tallied 18 points. Both teams played a clean floor game, with Mercer turning it over just four times and the Spartans five times.
With the win, Mercer improved to 15-13 overall and is 8-7 in the Southern Conference. UNCG fell to 21-7 and 12-3 in the SoCon.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior guard Jordan Strawberry scored a season-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Strawberry, who leads the SoCon in free throw shooting in conference play, nailed all 11 of his free throw attempts.
NOTABLES
- Ross Cummings continued to show why he is the "Mamba" with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-6Â behind the three-point arc.
- Mercer came from nine points behind in the second half to win the game. The Bears were trailing 49-40 with 13:49 remaining in the contest before mounting their big comeback.
- Mercer continued its solid marksmanship from the free throw stripe, connecting on 24-29 free throw attempts.
- Strawberry dished out five assists to go along with his 27-point effort.
Coach Bob Hoffman – "This was just an amazing team victory. Our guys dug deep and found a way to win tonight. Jordan (Strawberry) was special. He made so many amazing plays. His overall play was exceptional. The crowd was great and our team responded when they got behind and faced some adversity there in the second half."
Jordan Strawberry – "I know this is my senior year and I just want to do everything I can to help our team. We have been working so hard to get where we are today. We just need to keep this type of effort going and finish the season strong."
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer:Â (15-13, 8-7 SoCon)
- UNCG:Â (21-7, 12-3 SoCon)
The Bears conclude the regular season portion of their home schedule by hosting the Western Carolina Catamounts Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tipoff time at Hawkins Arena is set for 7 p.m. (ET).
Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
Â
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