Mercer University
10-3
Kennesaw St.
3-12
Mercer Outlasts Kennesaw State in 76-73 Victory
12/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Mercer University men's basketball team escaped Kennesaw State with a hard-fought 76-73 win over its intrastate foe. The win is the 10th of the season for the Orange and Black.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Mercer led for nearly the entire game on Wednesday afternoon against the Owls, holding an advantage for over 36 minutes on the clock. The Bears led by as many as 14 points in the second half before KSU made a comeback attempt that fell short.
After having over a week off for Christmas, the Bears showed no sign of rust at Kennesaw State to open the Wednesday matinee. Mercer scored 41 points in the opening 20 minutes to build a 10-point lead at 41-31 at the half. The Orange and Black shot 54.8 percent from the field, going 17-for-31 and outrebounded the Owls 21-7.
Sophomore forward Stephon Jelks led the offensive charge with nine points and five rebounds in a homecoming game for the Marietta, Ga., native. Sophomore guard Demetre Rivers and senior guard Phillip Leonard combined to add 13 points in the first half to help spur the Bears' efficient offensive half. Nine different Mercer players put their names in the scoring column in the first 20 minutes.
The Bears increased their lead to 14 at 59-45 with 10:45 left, their largest of the game. The Orange and Black's lead was 11 with 6:22 remaining and then the Owls began to rally. The Owls trimmed the lead to two at 74-72 with just over a minute to go and had a chance to tie it up with 36 seconds left. Kennesaw State had two free-throw attempts but only hit one of two due in part to the great Mercer student section behind the basket.
Holding a one-point lead senior guard Jestin Lewis made a great move to get to the paint and finished at the rim to extend the lead to three at 76-73 with seven seconds left. A final three-point attempt from the Owls fell short to give Mercer the win.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Stephon Jelks was spectacular on Wednesday while playing in front of family and friends. The sophomore notched his sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The 21 points mark a career-high for Jelks. The forward finished the day shooting an efficient 7-for-12 from the floor.
MERCER STAT OF THE NIGHT
Mercer was once again great on the glass, particularly on the offensive end on Wednesday. The Bears outrebounded Kennesaw State 40-25 in the game. 17 of the rebounds were of the offensive variety, marking the third time this season the Orange and Black have hauled in at least 17 offensive boards. Jelks led the Bears with 12 rebounds and freshman guard Ethan Stair chipped in seven.
COACH HOFFMAN'S TAKE
"We had a great crowd come to support us today, the students in particular. The Mercer Maniacs really helped get us the win in the second half. Kennesaw State had a chance to tie it with under a minute left and the students behind their basket were really loud. The player missed one of the two free throws and we were able to come away with the win. It was awesome to see especially for a road game."
NOTABLES
- The Bears are now 14-6 against Kennesaw State in the all-time series.
- The Orange and Black's 10 wins are the most during the non-conference portion of a schedule in head coach Bob Hoffman's eight-year tenure.
- Mercer's 41 points in the first half mark the second highest total the Bears have scored in the opening 20 minutes this season.
- The Bears have now posted 40 or more rebounds in seven games this season.
- Mercer dominated down low, outscoring the Owls 32-18 in the paint.
- Jelks' 21 points are a career high and the sophomore has now scored 20+ points twice in his career, both coming this season.
- Jelks has a SoCon best six double-doubles on the season.
- With 12 rebounds, Jelks has now recorded double-digit boards in six games this season.
- Jestin Lewis scored 13 points in the win and has finished in double figures in eight games, including five of the last six.
- Demetre Rivers scored 11 points and has now scored 10+ points in seven games this year.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer improves to 10-3 on the season with the victory, while Kennesaw State falls to 3-12 on the year.
UP NEXT: Mercer opens up the New Year and its Southern Conference schedule on Saturday, Jan. 2 at home against Samford. The game is set to begin at 2 p.m. in Hawkins Arena with a women's game to follow at 5 p.m.
STAY SOCIAL: For all the latest information and up-to-the-minute updates on Mercer men's basketball, please follow the team on Twitter at @MercerMBB.
