Mercer University
VMI
Men's Basketball Wins Shootout with VMI, 90-81
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer men's basketball starters combined for 78 points and junior Jibri Bryan had a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Bears outlasted VMI, 90-81 in a Southern Conference shootout at Hawkins Arena Saturday.
Mercer won its conference opener for the fourth-straight year and moved to 5-4 (1-0 SoCon) on the season while VMI saw its two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-5 (1-1 SoCon).
Bryan's first career double-double also featured four assists, three steals and a block. Junior guards Phillip Leonard and Ike Nwamu paced the team with 18 points apiece while seniors Darious Moten and T.J. Hallice chipped in 17 and 10 points, respectively.
The lightning-fast contest featured eight ties and 10 lead changes, but Mercer used a late 12-0 surge to break away from a 78-78 tie and secure its first Southern Conference victory. Head coach Bob Hoffman improved to 6-0 against SoCon teams in his seven-year Mercer tenure.
The game was tied at 55-55 early in the second half before the Bears mounted a 13-3 charge to take control of the game midway through the period. VMI's quick-strike offense put the game in doubt late, after a 16-6 Keydets spurt tied the game at 78-78 with 3:21 to go.
VMI had earned its first tie in over 13 minutes of game time, but Nwamu answered with a 3-pointer just 38 seconds later to give the Bears a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Nwmau's triple was the catalyst for the late run that stoked Mercer's crowd to an ear-splitting decibel level.
Mercer shot 50.9 percent (29-of-27) from the field en route to the season-high 90-point total. The Bears were also 7-of-12 from 3-point range, as Nwamu and Bryan combined for 6-of-10 aim from downtown.
Mercer placed five players in double figures for the first time since an 81-54 win over Yale on Nov. 23, 2013. Freshman Jordan Strawberry led Mercer's reserves with six points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 16 minutes of work.
Sophomore James Bento also had key buckets off the bench, scoring four-straight points during Mercer's first big run of the second half. As a team, the Bears outscored the Keydets 42-16 in the paint, 14-8 off turnovers and 23-11 on second-chance opportunities.
The Bears now break for 10 days as the University enters Finals Week. The team resumes non-conference play hosting Dartmouth on Dec. 16.
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