Mercer University
FGCU
Bears Claim Sixth-Straight Victory at FGCU
1/30/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Mercer men's basketball team a shot a scorching 68.4% from the field in the second half of a 75-66 win over Florida Gulf Coast at Alico Arena Monday night. Four Bears booked double figure scoring totals in the win, led by Langston Hall's 20-point effort.
Mercer's sixth-straight win is the team's longest unbeaten streak in nine seasons, going back to the 2002-03 squad that ripped off 12-straight victories. At 17-7 (9-2 A-Sun), Mercer is also 10 games over a .500 winning percentage for the first time since that 2002-03 campaign.
"I'm pleased with the victory," Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman said. "Another road win is amazing for our guys. It was a great team effort."
After taking a 36-32 lead into halftime, Mercer connected on 11 of its first 13 field goals of the second half. Mercer's torrid pace yielded a 68-50 visitor advantage with less than eight minutes to play.
"That stretch where we got the separation may have been the best ball movement we've had all year," Hoffman said. "We made the extra pass, used shot fakes and got in the lane."
The Eagles weathered the storm, responding with a 12-1 run to close within seven (69-62) with 3:40 left. With 1:25 to go, the Mercer lead was still seven and the Bears hadn't scored a field goal in six-straight possessions. That's when Bud Thomas drilled his first three pointer of the night, essentially ending the FGCU bid at a comeback victory.
Hall's 20 points came on seven-of-13 shooting, including five-of-nine from beyond the arc. His 20-point effort marked the fifth time he has scored 20 or more in an orange and black uniform.
Chris Smith, Jakob Gollon and Daniel Coursey all netted 10 points in the victory as Mercer had four players with 10 or more for the ninth time this year.
FGCU got out to a quick 7-2 lead at the outset by virtue of a Sherwood Brown three pointer and a pair of breakaway dunks for Eddie Murray. Each offense appeared out of sorts at the start, combining for seven turnovers in the opening four minutes of action.
With the score even at 10-10, Gollon hit a jumper that ignited a 9-2 Mercer run. During that stretch, the Bears scored on four-straight possessions. From there, Mercer held a buffer of at least three for the rest of the half.
Mercer's towering duo of Coursey and Monty Brown each made crucial buckets for Mercer in the first half, combining for 10 of Mercer's 36 points in the stanza. Between the two, the Mercer big men were a perfect four-for-four from the field with six rebounds before halftime.
In the first 20 minutes, the Bears were 14-of-27 from the field, marking the seventh game this season the Bears have hit more than half of their field goals in the first half.
Smith scored his 10 points on three-of-five shooting from the floor, the final score coming on an acrobatic left-hand finish in traffic at the 12:34 mark of the second half.
"He's an athlete," Hoffman said in reference to Smith. "All of his scores were big momentum plays."
Coursey was a perfect four-of-four shooting in the game while also collecting three rebounds and a pair of blocks. Gollon had eight of his 10 points in the second half on three-of-five aim in the final 20 minutes.
Mercer returns home for its next test against USC Upstate on February 4. Game time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
