Sunday, November 19
Lynchburg, Va.
8:30 P.M.
Mercer University
4-2
70
vs
79
Colorado
5-0
1
2
F
Mercer
37
33
70
Colorado
39
40
79
Team Stats
MER
COLO
FG%
.464
.480
3FG%
.400
.381
FT%
.800
.767
RB
29
32
TO
14
15
STL
6
4
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Mercer Falls Short In Paradise Jam Championship Game
11/19/2017 11:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va.- Mercer's bid to win the 2017 Paradise Jam came up short Sunday night as the Bears dropped a 79-70 decision to Pac-12 Conference foe Colorado at the Vines Center on the campus of host school Liberty University.
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The Bears, now 4-2 on the season, jumped out to an early first half lead on some offensive firepower from Demetre Rivers and Ria'n Holland. Colorado's Namon Wright nailed a three-point jumper at the 7:05 mark of the first half to give the Buffaloes a 27-26 edge, a lead they never relinquished. Mercer entered the locker room trailing 39-37.
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Colorado came out hot in the second half, opening the final 20 minutes with a 10-4 run to extend its lead to 49-41. The Buffs, now 5-0 on the year, extended their lead to 64-51 with 9:24 remaining in the game. Mercer fought hard down the stretch but couldn't get any closer than a seven point deficit the rest of the way. Colorado shot twice as many free throws as Mercer, connecting on 23 of 30 attempts while the Bears were 12-15 from the charity stripe.
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Mercer was led in scoring by Demetre Rivers with 14, followed by Ria'n Holland who tallied 13. Stephon Jelks grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with his nine points.
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Senior guard George King led Colorado with 25 points on 9-13 shooting from the floor and also led his club in rebounding with eight. The Buffs scored 21 points off of Mercer turnovers and won the battle of the boards 32-29.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers was the player of the game for the Bears, scoring a team-high 14 points. Rivers also recorded a block and an assist.
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QUOTABLES
"They shot the ball extremely well from the three point line which hurt us. They were tough minded. They got a little separation on us and we couldn't get back, although we had multiple chances in the second half. But, I love my guys. I love how they wanted to win and that's who you want to coach; kids who care at this high level. We didn't get the W tonight, but we played a lot of games in a short amount of time. I really think our guys have a special season in front of them; we just didn't get to enjoy it like we wanted to tonight. But, we're blessed; we'll get on the bus and head home tonight and spend some time with our families and give thanks and be grateful for all we have. It should be a great week and then we'll get back after it. (On playing three games in three days) "This should help us out down the road. We played three really good teams. The Paradise Jam people and Liberty did a great job putting on and hosting this tournament. With all of the devastation that took place in the Virgin Islands; while all of us would have enjoyed being down there for this tournament; the way it was taken care of and the way the tournament was run was first class and we're thankful to be a part of something as special as this was … We had 14 turnovers and they're so fast; they were able to convert a lot of transition baskets. But, our guys fought hard and as a coach, you're going to be happy when they compete and are caring like they are now in that locker room." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
The Bears will have a week off before hosting Hiwassee College, next Sunday, Nov. 26, at Hawkins Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
Follow the Bears
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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The Bears, now 4-2 on the season, jumped out to an early first half lead on some offensive firepower from Demetre Rivers and Ria'n Holland. Colorado's Namon Wright nailed a three-point jumper at the 7:05 mark of the first half to give the Buffaloes a 27-26 edge, a lead they never relinquished. Mercer entered the locker room trailing 39-37.
Â
Colorado came out hot in the second half, opening the final 20 minutes with a 10-4 run to extend its lead to 49-41. The Buffs, now 5-0 on the year, extended their lead to 64-51 with 9:24 remaining in the game. Mercer fought hard down the stretch but couldn't get any closer than a seven point deficit the rest of the way. Colorado shot twice as many free throws as Mercer, connecting on 23 of 30 attempts while the Bears were 12-15 from the charity stripe.
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Mercer was led in scoring by Demetre Rivers with 14, followed by Ria'n Holland who tallied 13. Stephon Jelks grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with his nine points.
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Senior guard George King led Colorado with 25 points on 9-13 shooting from the floor and also led his club in rebounding with eight. The Buffs scored 21 points off of Mercer turnovers and won the battle of the boards 32-29.
Â
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers was the player of the game for the Bears, scoring a team-high 14 points. Rivers also recorded a block and an assist.
Â
QUOTABLES
"They shot the ball extremely well from the three point line which hurt us. They were tough minded. They got a little separation on us and we couldn't get back, although we had multiple chances in the second half. But, I love my guys. I love how they wanted to win and that's who you want to coach; kids who care at this high level. We didn't get the W tonight, but we played a lot of games in a short amount of time. I really think our guys have a special season in front of them; we just didn't get to enjoy it like we wanted to tonight. But, we're blessed; we'll get on the bus and head home tonight and spend some time with our families and give thanks and be grateful for all we have. It should be a great week and then we'll get back after it. (On playing three games in three days) "This should help us out down the road. We played three really good teams. The Paradise Jam people and Liberty did a great job putting on and hosting this tournament. With all of the devastation that took place in the Virgin Islands; while all of us would have enjoyed being down there for this tournament; the way it was taken care of and the way the tournament was run was first class and we're thankful to be a part of something as special as this was … We had 14 turnovers and they're so fast; they were able to convert a lot of transition baskets. But, our guys fought hard and as a coach, you're going to be happy when they compete and are caring like they are now in that locker room." – Head Coach Bob Hoffman
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NOTABLES
- Stephon Jelks grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds for the Bears, while also recording nine points and a steal.
- Ria'n Holland was perfect from the free throw line (5/5), tallying 13 points, two steals and two rebounds. Holland was also named to the 2017 Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team.
- Jordan Strawberry and Marcus Cohen each dished a team-high three assists on the night.
- The Bears dominated the battle inside the blocks, outscoring Colorado 38-22 inside the paint.
- Colorado forced Mercer to 14 turnovers, capitalizing for 21 points off the mistakes.
- Mercer: 4-2
- Colorado: 5-0
The Bears will have a week off before hosting Hiwassee College, next Sunday, Nov. 26, at Hawkins Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
Follow the Bears
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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