Saturday, November 18
Lynchburg, Va.
6 P.M.
Mercer University
4-1
78
vs
59
Drexel
2-2
1
2
F
Mercer
36
42
78
Drexel
25
34
59
Team Stats
MER
DREXEL
FG%
.429
.375
3FG%
.375
.417
FT%
.724
.438
RB
38
38
TO
5
13
STL
5
0
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
29
FGM
9
3FGM
4
FTM
7
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Mercer Runs Past Drexel To Advance To Championship Game Of Paradise Jam
11/18/2017 8:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Ria'n Holland poured in 29 points and Stephon Jelks went for a double-double as Mercer defeated Drexel 78-59 to move into the championship game of the 2017 Paradise Jam held at the Vines Center on the campus of Liberty University.
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Mercer won its fourth straight game, its second in this tournament, and will play the winner of the Colorado-Drake game that is being played later tonight. The Bears are now 4-1 on the season while Drexel fell to 2-2.
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Holland, the Bears' leading scorer on the season, connected on nine of 15 field goal attempts, including four of eight behind the three point line. Jelks tallied 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both season highs for the 6-6 senior. Jordan Strawberry handed out a game-high seven assists, while Jaylen Stowe came off the bench to score eight points and grab six rebounds.
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Mercer took the lead for good at the 19:15 mark of the first half and was ahead 36-25 at intermission. The Bears relied on a 14-2 run late in the second half to put Drexel away and come away with the impressive victory.
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Mercer was able to get to the free throw line 29 times on the night, connecting on 21 attempts. The Bears hit 42.9% of their field goal attempts, while holding the Dragons to just 37.5% shooting. Mercer took care of the basketball tonight, committing only five turnovers and outscored Drexel 18-5 off turnovers.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior forward Stephon Jelks was the player of the game for the Bears. Jelks earned his first double-double of the season, recording 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
STAT OF THE GAME
The biggest factor in the game was the Bears' ability to force Drexel to commit turnovers (13) and capitalizing off of them for 18 points. Mercer protected the ball only turning it over five times.
QUOTABLES
"We played together tonight; it was amazing how well we competed at a high level from the very beginning. They (Drexel) are a very tough, athletic team that have a lot of answers on the floor. Our defense was the story of the night. It might have been the best defensive performance we've turned in so far this season. (On Stephon Jelks' play) "He brought great energy tonight and when he gets it going like that he is extremely effective. Between him and Jaylen (Stowe); they may have had their best games of the season tonight. Ria'n (Holland) was unstoppable tonight; he hit some big shots, some of them late in the shot clock that were big. It was a team win. We talked about it before the game; that we had to play together and we had to be tough about what we were doing. We're going to be playing a good team tomorrow night, regardless of who it is. This is what you play for at the end of the year, to have the chance to win three games in three days. It's a great opportunity for our program." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
RECORDS UPDATE
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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Mercer won its fourth straight game, its second in this tournament, and will play the winner of the Colorado-Drake game that is being played later tonight. The Bears are now 4-1 on the season while Drexel fell to 2-2.
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Holland, the Bears' leading scorer on the season, connected on nine of 15 field goal attempts, including four of eight behind the three point line. Jelks tallied 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, both season highs for the 6-6 senior. Jordan Strawberry handed out a game-high seven assists, while Jaylen Stowe came off the bench to score eight points and grab six rebounds.
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Mercer took the lead for good at the 19:15 mark of the first half and was ahead 36-25 at intermission. The Bears relied on a 14-2 run late in the second half to put Drexel away and come away with the impressive victory.
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Mercer was able to get to the free throw line 29 times on the night, connecting on 21 attempts. The Bears hit 42.9% of their field goal attempts, while holding the Dragons to just 37.5% shooting. Mercer took care of the basketball tonight, committing only five turnovers and outscored Drexel 18-5 off turnovers.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior forward Stephon Jelks was the player of the game for the Bears. Jelks earned his first double-double of the season, recording 17 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
STAT OF THE GAME
The biggest factor in the game was the Bears' ability to force Drexel to commit turnovers (13) and capitalizing off of them for 18 points. Mercer protected the ball only turning it over five times.
QUOTABLES
"We played together tonight; it was amazing how well we competed at a high level from the very beginning. They (Drexel) are a very tough, athletic team that have a lot of answers on the floor. Our defense was the story of the night. It might have been the best defensive performance we've turned in so far this season. (On Stephon Jelks' play) "He brought great energy tonight and when he gets it going like that he is extremely effective. Between him and Jaylen (Stowe); they may have had their best games of the season tonight. Ria'n (Holland) was unstoppable tonight; he hit some big shots, some of them late in the shot clock that were big. It was a team win. We talked about it before the game; that we had to play together and we had to be tough about what we were doing. We're going to be playing a good team tomorrow night, regardless of who it is. This is what you play for at the end of the year, to have the chance to win three games in three days. It's a great opportunity for our program." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
- Stephon Jelks recorded his first double-double of the season, dropping 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
- Ria'n Holland led the squad in total points, tallying 29 on the night, as well as recording four rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Jordan Strawberry dished a team-high seven assists on the night, while also scoring five points and grabbing five rebounds.
- Mercer shot 42.9% for the game, while holding Drexel to 37.5%
- Mercer edged Drexel in the battle inside the paint, outscoring the Dragons 22-20 between the blocks.
- All 13 players saw action in the game, with eight of them getting on the scoreboard.
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer: 4-1
- Drexel: 2-2
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Basketball, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerMBB (Twitter), /MercerBasketball (Facebook) and @Mercer_MBB (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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