Saturday, February 11
Johnson City, Tenn.
4:00 PM ET
Mercer University
12-15, 6-8SoCon
71
at
88
ETSU
20-6, 10-3SoCon
1
2
F
Mercer
27
44
71
ETSU
44
44
88
Team Stats
MER
ETSU
FG%
.511
.534
3FG%
.375
.480
FT%
.704
.700
RB
25
36
TO
10
11
STL
4
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
10
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Bears Fall to Bucs, 88-71
2/11/2017 6:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Jordan Strawberry, who went 10 for 12 from the free throw line, led Mercer with 16 points and Ria'n Holland scored 15 points but the Bears could not slow down a hot-shooting ETSU team in an 88-71 loss in Johnson City Saturday afternoon.
T.J. Cromer sank five 3-pointers and scored 28 points to propel East Tennessee State to its fifth consecutive win over Mercer (12-15, 6-8 Southern Conference).
Cromer and A.J. Merriweather, who finished with 10 points, each reached 1,000 career points in the game. Cromer entered just five points shy of the milestone and Merriweather needed six.
Devontavius Payne added 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Desonta Bradford had 11 for ETSU (20-6, 10-3), which shot 53 percent from the field and never trailed. Cromer also got a game-high eight rebounds and dished out six assists.
A 3-pointer from Merriweather four minutes into the game made it 17-7 and the Buccaneers led by double figures the rest of the way.
Mercer (12-15, 6-8) got 16 points from Jordan Strawberry, who went 10 for 12 from the free throw line, and Ria'n Holland had 15 points.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jordan Strawberry gets the nod after scoring a team-high 16 points, 10 of which came off free throws. Strawberry, who scored his 700th career in the game, was 10 of 12 from the line while adding four rebounds and two assists.
STAT OF THE GAME
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in an impressive display of shooting ability. Mercer was 23 of 45 (51.1 percent) from the field while ETSU shot 53.4 percent (31 of 58).
RECORDS UPDATE
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer 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.
T.J. Cromer sank five 3-pointers and scored 28 points to propel East Tennessee State to its fifth consecutive win over Mercer (12-15, 6-8 Southern Conference).
Cromer and A.J. Merriweather, who finished with 10 points, each reached 1,000 career points in the game. Cromer entered just five points shy of the milestone and Merriweather needed six.
Devontavius Payne added 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Desonta Bradford had 11 for ETSU (20-6, 10-3), which shot 53 percent from the field and never trailed. Cromer also got a game-high eight rebounds and dished out six assists.
A 3-pointer from Merriweather four minutes into the game made it 17-7 and the Buccaneers led by double figures the rest of the way.
Mercer (12-15, 6-8) got 16 points from Jordan Strawberry, who went 10 for 12 from the free throw line, and Ria'n Holland had 15 points.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jordan Strawberry gets the nod after scoring a team-high 16 points, 10 of which came off free throws. Strawberry, who scored his 700th career in the game, was 10 of 12 from the line while adding four rebounds and two assists.
STAT OF THE GAME
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in an impressive display of shooting ability. Mercer was 23 of 45 (51.1 percent) from the field while ETSU shot 53.4 percent (31 of 58).
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer: 12-15 (6-8 SoCon)
- ETSU: 20-6 (10-3 SoCon)
- Mercer: at The Citadel on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m.
- ETSU: hosts Samford on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. (ESPN3)
- ETSU now leads the all-time series 18-8 against Mercer with a 10-3 advantage in Johnson City. The Bucs have won five straight in the series.
- Saturday's game marked the first time this season Mercer has shot 50 percent or better in a loss. The Bears are now 6-1 this year when shooting above 50 percent.
- Jordan Strawberry scored his 700th career point in the game.
- Andrew Fishler recorded his 40th career block in the game.
- The three offensive rebounds for Mercer marked a season low.
- The 36 rebounds given up to ETSU marked the most Mercer has allowed since Wofford registered 37 rebounds on Dec. 31, 2016 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
How to Follow the Bears:
For complete coverage of Mercer 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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