Mercer University
11-4, 1-1SoCon
Chattanooga
13-2, 2-0SoCon
Strawberry's Career Night Not Enough in Loss at Chattanooga
1/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Sophomore guard Jordan Strawberry's career-high 24 points helped Mercer stay in the game at Chattanooga but the Bears fell by a final score of 74-62 on Tuesday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mocs came out on fire to start the game while it took a while for the Bears' offense to find a rhythm. Chattanooga built a 29-7 lead over the opening 11 minutes. Mercer then settled in and started to chip away at the lead. The Orange and Black outscored UTC 21-9 over the last nine minutes of the half to cut the deficit to just 10 at the half with the score 38-28.
Strawberry was the catalyst to the comeback, scoring 11 points in the opening frame on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Senior guard Jestin Lewis added nine points to keep the Bears within striking distance.
The Bears remained persistent in getting back in the game in the second stanza, methodically cutting into the Mocs' advantage. Strawberry hit a jumper to bring the Bears within five with 4:37 left in the game and then followed by knocking down a three to make it a one-possession game at 58-56 with less than four minutes remaining. After a UTC layup, Strawberry hit two free throws with 2:59 left on the clock to cut it back down to two at 60-58. However, that was as close as Mercer was able to get, as Chattanooga scored the next 10 points to secure the victory and went on to win 74-62.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jordan Strawberry was sensational against the Mocs. After starting point guard Phillip Leonard got in early foul trouble the Bears were forced to rely on Strawberry the rest of the first half and the sophomore delivered. The Santa Ana, Calif., native finished with a career-high 24 points on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. The guard also went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. To cap off his impressive evening, Strawberry matched his career high in rebounds with four, dished out three assists and added a steal.
MERCER STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Bears shot 82.4 percent from the free throw line on Tuesday, including a 9-of-10 effort in the second half to help Mercer make a formidable comeback attempt. Strawberry finished 6-for-6 from the line and Leonard added a 4-for-4 effort to bolster the Orange and Black.
COACH HOFFMAN'S TAKE
"It was amazing how our guys fought in the second half and that's the kind of resiliency they've shown all year. I'm fortunate to get to coach them every day. I know they're going to keep getting better and we'll use this as a great experience for our guys to find a way to get it done the next time."
NOTABLES
- The Bears are now 35-37 against Chattanooga in the all-time series.
- Mercer outrebounded the Bulldogs 36-34 and have now grabbed more boards than their opponents in 13 of 15 games.
- The Orange and Black's bench outscored the Bulldogs 31-22 in the victory and have now scored 20+ points in nine games this year.
- Mercer outscored Chattanooga 26-22 in the paint.
- Strawberry's 24-point performance was Mercer's sixth of the season and the sophomore's second of his career.
- Jestin Lewis scored 15 points, marking his ninth game in double figures during the 2015-16 season.
- Lewis recorded four steals, matching his career high.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer falls to 11-4 on the season and is 1-1 in SoCon play, while Chattanooga improves to 13-2 on the year and 2-0 in conference action.
UP NEXT: The Bears stay on the road with a trip to The Citadel on Saturday, Jan. 9. The game is set to start at 1 p.m. in Charleston, S.C.
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.
