Mercer University
The Citadel
Men's Basketball Dispatches The Citadel, 76-53
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Thursday pitted Mercer men's basketball against The Military College of South Carolina, but it was the Bears who operated with military-like precision in a 76-53 dispatching of The Citadel at McAlsiter Field House.
Mercer shot better than 50 percent from the field for the eighth time in SoCon play, connecting on 32-of-55 shots (58.2%). Senior T.J. Hallice led four players in double figures, equaling a career-high with 16 points. His classmate Darious Moten added 15, while junior Ike Nwamu netted 12 and freshman Stephon Jelks posted a season-high 11.
The Bears jumped to 13-11 (8-3 SoCon) with the victory, while The Citadel lost for the fifth-straight time and fell to 8-14 (3-8 SoCon).
Mercer dominated every facet of the game, registering 18 assists with only seven turnovers while out-rebounding the opposition, 34-15. The Bears won scoring in the paint (38-16), points off turnovers (14-5), second-chance points (12-0), fast-break scoring (6-2) and bench scoring (22-9).
Moten was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor while also grabbing five rebounds. Hallice pulled down five boards of his own and blocked two shots. Junior Phillip Leonard booked eight points to go along with seven assists and zero turnovers.
Moten drove inside for a physical layup on Mercer's first possession, but The Citadel responded with a triple on the other end for their only lead of the game. Their edge disappeared quickly, as Nwamu canned back-to-back treys the next two times down to put the Bears back up.
Junior Jibri Bryan was saddled with his second foul less than three minutes in, but the Bears got a lift off the bench as junior Jestin Lewis drilled a 3-pointer to continue the visitors' early surge. Lewis would finish the night with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Bears went ahead by 19-9 less than seven minutes in as Moten drove for a one-handed stuff and Hallice got a twisting layup to fall. Mercer maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the half, and ultimately went up 13 inside the final media timeout of the period. At the break, the Bears led 33-21 and owned a dominant 20-8 lead in rebounding.
The margin grew to 18 early on in the second half, as Bryan cashed a 3-pointer and Nwamu got a fast-break layup to cap a 9-3 charge out of intermission. Another Lewis three-ball put the Bears up 25 with 13:50 to play, and from there the buffer would stretch to as many as 30 before the final whistle.
Jelks scored his 11 points in 20 minutes of work while adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Mercer continues SoCon road play at Furman on Saturday, meeting the Paladins for a 4 p.m. tip at Timmons Arena.
