Mercer University
18-13, 8-10
UNC Greensboro
14-17, 10-8
Mercer Downed by UNCG in Regular Season Finale, 69-65
2/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Mercer University men's basketball team fell at UNCG on Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale by a score of 69-65. With the loss the Bears receive the No. 7 seed for the SoCon Tournament and will face The Citadel in the opening round on Friday at 7:30 in Asheville, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears took a one-point lead into the halftime break at 39-38. After trailing 12-6 in the opening minutes, Mercer went on a 12-0 run to grab the lead at 18-12 midway through the first frame. The Bears increased their advantage to 13 points at 34-21 with just under six minutes left in the half. UNCG responded by scoring 17 of the final 22 points, thanks in part to three-point makes on four consecutive possessions.
Sophomore guard Demetre Rivers led the Orange and Black's offensive charge through the first 20 minutes, scoring 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Stephon Jelks and Jordan Strawberry each added six points to pace the Bears.
The Spartans came out strong out of the break to take a 54-45 lead with 14:24 to play. The Orange and Black fought back and regained the lead at 61-60 with less than five minutes left in the game. UNCG did just enough down the stretch to pull out the win, getting a key steal and hitting free throws when needed to grab the victory.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers scored a game-high 19 points for Mercer. The sophomore connected on 6-of-11 shots, including 3-of-4 from distance and 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Rivers also grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists and recorded a block to complete his all-around impressive performance.
MERCER STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Bears knocked down a season-high 11 shots from beyond the arc during the Sunday matinee. Mercer finished the contest 11-of-23 from distance, as four players combined to connect on the 11 makes. Rivers, Jelks, and Strawberry each hit three, while freshman Cory Kilby added two.
NOTABLES
- The Orange and Black are now 7-1 in the all-time series with UNCG.
- Mercer outrebounded UNCG 40-33, marking the 24th time the Bears have grabbed more boards than the opposition.
- The Mercer bench scored 21 points in the game and has now scored 20+ points in 20 games this season.
- Strawberry's 11 points mark the 10th time he has finished with 10+ points on the year.
- Rivers has now reached double digits in 15 games this season.
- Jelks was the third Mercer player to finish with double figure points, scoring 11. The sophomore has recorded double digits in the scoring column in a team-high 21 games this campaign.
- Junior forward Lawrence Brown recorded a career-high seven rebounds to tie for the team lead for the game.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer moves to 18-13 on the season and finishes 8-10 in SoCon play, while UNCG is now 14-17 on the year and 10-8 in conference action.
UP NEXT
Mercer will play The Citadel on Friday, March 4 in the first round of the Southern Conference Tournament in Asheville, N.C. The estimated start time is 7:30 p.m. The tournament goes from March 4-7. For tickets and information, click here.
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.
