Mercer University
19-15
Coastal Carolina
19-11
Mercer Concludes Season with Loss at Coastal Carolina in CIT
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
CONWAY, S.C. – The Mercer University men's basketball team suffered a 65-57 defeat in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) at Coastal Carolina on Tuesday evening inside the HTC Center. The Bears finish the 2015-16 campaign with a record of 19-15.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was a defensive struggle in the opening 20 minutes, as both teams had a hard time getting into an offensive rhythm. After the Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead, neither team led by more than four for the remainder of the half. The Orange and Black held a one-point lead into the halftime break 26-25.
Through the first eight minutes of the second stanza the two teams played fairly even with the game tied at 36-36. The game was decided over the next five minutes of action, as Coastal Carolina connected on shots beyond the arc on three consecutive possessions and added a layup to open up a 47-40 lead with 7:03 to play. The Bears fought back and cut the lead to four on multiple occasions but were unable to get any closer, as CCU went on to win by a final of 65-57.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers led the Bears in scoring on Tuesday, scoring 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The sophomore guard was a consistent scorer throughout the game, recording eight points in each half. Rivers also added four rebounds and a steal to cap off his night.
MERCER STAT OF THE NIGHT
Of Mercer's 22 made shots against the Chanticleers, 18 were with assists for an impressive rate of 81.8 percent. Stephon Jelks led the Bears with six dimes, while Jordan Strawberry added five and Ethan Stair pitched in four.
NOTABLES
- The Orange and Black are now 1-2 in the all-time series with Coastal Carolina.
- With the defeat, Mercer is 5-1 in the CIT in program history.
- Rivers scored 10+ points for the 18th time this season.
- Lawrence Brown finished with 13 points, just one shy of matching his career high. He has reached double digits in points four times this season.
- Jelks added 10 points, marking the 22nd time he has finished in double figures.
- Jelks set a career high in assists with six.
RECORD UPDATE
Mercer finishes the season with a mark of 19-15, while Coastal Carolina improves to 19-11 on the year.
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.
