Saturday, February 10
Chattanooga, Tenn.
5 p.m.
Mercer University
12-13, 5-7SoCon
84
at
75
Chattanooga
9-18, 3-11SoCon
1
2
F
Mercer
39
45
84
Chattanooga
29
46
75
Team Stats
MER
UTC
FG%
.651
.479
3FG%
.647
.304
FT%
.895
.880
RB
25
17
TO
14
8
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
Mercer Shows Great Fortitude In 84-75 Win at Chattanooga
2/10/2018 8:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Chattanooga, Tenn. – Desmond Ringer's 17 points and seven rebounds led Mercer to an 84-75 Southern Conference victory over Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon at McKenzie Arena. All five Mercer starters scored in double figures as the Bears shot a season-best 65.1 percent from the field and connected on 11-of-17 three point baskets to pick up the road win.
Ross Cummings continued his incredible offensive play for the Bears, as the sophomore guard tallied 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-6 behind the three-point arc. Demetre Rivers and Jordan Strawberry each scored 13 points, while Stephon Jelks tallied 12.
Mercer started out fast with its offense clicking on all cylinders in the opening half. The Bears held the lead more than 17 minutes of the first stanza, with their biggest lead being 31-15 at the 8:20 mark. Knocking down 66.7 percent of its shots, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, in the first 20 minutes, Mercer took control of the game's tempo and had a 39-29 lead going into intermission.
The Bears maintained their lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but thanks to a flurry of Mercer personal fouls, the Mocs were able to get back in the game. Rodney Chatman's three point basket with 9:27 cut the margin to 59-57. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next several minutes before Makinde London's three-pointer tied the score at 69-69 with remaining. Chatman scored with 3:48 left to give UTC a 71-69 lead, its first since the opening moments of the contest. Ringer's put back and ensuing free throw gave Mercer the lead again, 72-71, with 3:23 left, in what might have been the biggest play of the game. Cummings nailed a three-pointer with 1:36 remaining to lift Mercer to a 77-73 advantage.
Rivers drained a big three-point basket with 44 seconds remaining to make it 80-73 Mercer and the Bears never looked back as they posted their second straight win with an 84-75 victory over Chattanooga.
Mercer outrebounded Chattanooga 25-17 and the Bears knocked down 17-of-19 free throws.
UTC was led in scoring by Chatman with 24 on six of 12 field goals and nine for nine at the free throw line. The Mocs were 22-25 from the charity stripe.
Mercer won its second straight and improved to 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the SoCon. UTC dropped to 9-18 and 3-11 in the league.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior post man Desmond Ringer scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Bears to the victory. Ringer's follow up basket and ensuing free throw with 3:23 remaining lifted Mercer to a 72-71 lead and might have been the most pivotal play of the game.
NOTABLES
Coach Bob Hoffman – "Des (Ringer) was a man today. He's really getting on a roll. That tip-in he had late was huge. We're very excited with this win on the road. They (UTC) came back and took the lead, but we overcame that and were able to get the win. Demetre (Rivers) hit a big three down the stretch. Ross (Cummings) keeps hitting big shots. All five starters hit for double figures and that's huge. Everyone played a role in this win tonight. We persevered. I love how our guys want to win for each other. I think our mindset of being attack-minded was really good against a really stingy defensive team. We're going to keep fighting this thing through and hopefully good things will happen for us."
Â
RECORDS UPDATE
The Bears continue their two-game road swing by traveling to Birmingham, Ala., to take on the Samford Bulldogs Monday, Feb. 12. Tipoff time is set for 8 p.m. (ET).
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.
Â
Ross Cummings continued his incredible offensive play for the Bears, as the sophomore guard tallied 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-6 behind the three-point arc. Demetre Rivers and Jordan Strawberry each scored 13 points, while Stephon Jelks tallied 12.
Mercer started out fast with its offense clicking on all cylinders in the opening half. The Bears held the lead more than 17 minutes of the first stanza, with their biggest lead being 31-15 at the 8:20 mark. Knocking down 66.7 percent of its shots, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, in the first 20 minutes, Mercer took control of the game's tempo and had a 39-29 lead going into intermission.
The Bears maintained their lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but thanks to a flurry of Mercer personal fouls, the Mocs were able to get back in the game. Rodney Chatman's three point basket with 9:27 cut the margin to 59-57. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next several minutes before Makinde London's three-pointer tied the score at 69-69 with remaining. Chatman scored with 3:48 left to give UTC a 71-69 lead, its first since the opening moments of the contest. Ringer's put back and ensuing free throw gave Mercer the lead again, 72-71, with 3:23 left, in what might have been the biggest play of the game. Cummings nailed a three-pointer with 1:36 remaining to lift Mercer to a 77-73 advantage.
Rivers drained a big three-point basket with 44 seconds remaining to make it 80-73 Mercer and the Bears never looked back as they posted their second straight win with an 84-75 victory over Chattanooga.
Mercer outrebounded Chattanooga 25-17 and the Bears knocked down 17-of-19 free throws.
UTC was led in scoring by Chatman with 24 on six of 12 field goals and nine for nine at the free throw line. The Mocs were 22-25 from the charity stripe.
Mercer won its second straight and improved to 12-13 overall and 5-7 in the SoCon. UTC dropped to 9-18 and 3-11 in the league.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Senior post man Desmond Ringer scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Bears to the victory. Ringer's follow up basket and ensuing free throw with 3:23 remaining lifted Mercer to a 72-71 lead and might have been the most pivotal play of the game.
NOTABLES
- All five Mercer starters scored in double figures, led by Ringer's 17 points. Ringer was 8-9 from the floor and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
- Ross Cummings continued his stellar play with a 16-point effort. Cummings nailed four of six three point baskets as the Bears were 11-17 from behind the arc. Cummings is averaging 17.25 points over the past four games.
- Mercer shot a season-best 65.1% from the field, hitting 28 of 43 field goal attempts.
- Mercer outrebounded UTC 25-17.
- Strawberry's eight assists give him 436 for his career, which ties him with James Florence for third-best in Mercer history.
- Both teams were extremely accurate at the free throw stripe. Mercer was 17-19 from the line while UTC was 22-25 from the line.
- Mercer sweeps the regular season matchup with UTC and leads the overall series against the Mocs 37-32.
- Mercer received solid play off the bench, with Cory Kilby scoring five, Ryan Johnson four, and Mac Brydon and Jaylen Stowe contributing two points apiece.
Coach Bob Hoffman – "Des (Ringer) was a man today. He's really getting on a roll. That tip-in he had late was huge. We're very excited with this win on the road. They (UTC) came back and took the lead, but we overcame that and were able to get the win. Demetre (Rivers) hit a big three down the stretch. Ross (Cummings) keeps hitting big shots. All five starters hit for double figures and that's huge. Everyone played a role in this win tonight. We persevered. I love how our guys want to win for each other. I think our mindset of being attack-minded was really good against a really stingy defensive team. We're going to keep fighting this thing through and hopefully good things will happen for us."
Â
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer:Â (12-13, 5-7 SoCon)
- Chattanooga:Â (9-18, 3-11 SoCon)
The Bears continue their two-game road swing by traveling to Birmingham, Ala., to take on the Samford Bulldogs Monday, Feb. 12. Tipoff time is set for 8 p.m. (ET).
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.
Â
Mercer 38, Citadel 0 | Postgame Press Conference (9/20/25)
Saturday, September 20
Mercer v U.T. Martin VB Highlight Reel: 9/20/2025
Saturday, September 20
Mercer v North Dakota VB Highlight Reel: 9/19/2025
Saturday, September 20
Mercer v West Georgia VB Highlight Reel: 9/18/2025
Friday, September 19
