Mercer University
14-5, 4-2SoCon
East Tennessee State
12-7, 5-1SoCon
Bears Fall in Final Seconds at ETSU in Overtime
1/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Mercer fell to East Tennessee State in overtime by a final score of 65-63 on Thursday evening in Johnson City, Tenn. The Bears are now 14-5 on the season and 4-2 in the Southern Conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the game tied at 63-63 in overtime, ETSU's Ge'Lawn Guyn hit a shot with less than three seconds left to give the Buccaneers the victory. The Bears had one last possession but was unable to get a shot off, giving the Bucs the win.
Mercer led by as many as eight points in the second half, holding a 54-46 advantage with 4:56 to play in regulation. ETSU rallied to score 11 of the last 14 points to knot the game at 57-57 with 28 seconds left. Mercer's Jestin Lewis launched a three in the just before the buzzer but could not connect, sending the game to overtime.
The Bears and Bucs played a tight first half with neither side able to take control of the opening 20 minutes. Mercer took a 27-23 lead into the break, as the Bears scored eight of the final 11 points to close out the half. The Orange and Black shot 44 percent in the opening frame, making 11-of-25 attempts.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior guard Phillip Leonard carried Mercer for much of the night, notching team highs in points and rebounds with 18 and eight, respectively. The Tulsa, Okla., native shot 5-for-12 from the field but was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. 12 of his 18 points came after halftime. Leonard's eight rebounds match his season high.
MERCER STAT OF THE NIGHT
Mercer did much of its damage down low against the Buccaneers, outscoring the hosts 36-24 in the paint.
NOTABLES
- The Bears are now 8-14 against the Buccaneers in the all-time series.
- The Orange and Black went to overtime for the third time this season and second time in as many games. Mercer is now 2-1 in overtime games this year.
- The Mercer bench finished with 24 points and have now scored 20+ points 12 times this season.
- Mercer and ETSU both finished with 37 rebounds, marking just the fourth time the Bears have not outrebounded the opposition.
- Leonard found double figures in the scoring column for the 11th time this season.
- With 10 points, Ethan Stair has reached double digits in scoring six times this season.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer drops to 14-5 on the season and is now 4-2 in SoCon play, while ETSU moves to 12-7 on the year and 5-1 in conference action.
UP NEXT
The Bears make the trek from Johnson City to Cullowhee, N.C. for a game against Western Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 24. The Bears and Catamounts will tip at 1:00 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but got moved to Sunday due to the threat of inclement weather.
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.
