Friday, February 23
Charleston, S.C.
6 p.m.
Mercer University
17-13, 10-7SoCon
83
at
70
The Citadel
10-19, 5-12SoCon
1
2
F
Mercer
34
49
83
The Citadel
33
37
70
Team Stats
MER
CIT
FG%
.492
.367
3FG%
.333
.350
FT%
.739
.750
RB
39
33
TO
9
12
STL
5
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballMercer Outlasts The Citadel to Garner Seventh Straight Victory
2/23/2018 8:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Demetre Rivers scored a game-high 22 points while Jordan Strawberry tallied 17 and dished out a season-high nine assists to lead Mercer to an 83-70 victory over The Citadel Friday night at McAlister Field House. It was the Bears' seventh straight win as they continue to be the hottest team in the Southern Conference.
Rivers, who grew up in nearby Ladson, S.C., treated a large contingent of family and friends with a sterling offensive performance, connecting on eight of 15 field goal attempts in 38 minutes of play. It was Rivers' second straight game scoring 20 or more points, as he went for 24 points Tuesday evening in the Senior Night win over Western Carolina.
Strawberry played a solid overall game in 34 minutes of play, directing the Mercer offense in flawless fashion. Ross Cummings, who might be the most unsung hero of the SoCon the second half of this season, continued his double digit scoring, going for 14 points and hitting some clutch free throws down the stretch.
In a game that featured five lead changes and six ties, the first half was a see-saw affair in which both clubs took turns at attempting to take control of the game. Mercer jumped out to a 12-6 lead only to see The Citadel come roaring back and go up 19-18 on a three pointer by Quayson Williams with 9:50 remaining in the opening half. Mercer took a slim one-point lead, 34-33, into the locker room at the halftime break. Mercer came out strong in the second half to go up by 10, 56-46, on a three-pointer by Rivers at the 12:39 mark. The Bears were able to maintain the lead despite a three-point barrage from The Citadel. Key offensive execution, taking care of the basketball, and accurate free throw shooting in the closing minutes allowed Mercer to close the deal and come away with the big road victory.
Mercer connected on 49.2% of its field goal attempts, while holding The Citadel to just 36.7% shooting. The Bears outscored The Citadel 36-16 in the paint and dominated the game with their inside game. The Bulldogs fired up 40 three point shots, hitting just 14. Matt Frierson led the Bulldogs' scoring attack with 18 points, while Zane Najdawi tallied 17. Â
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers tallied a game-high 22 points, hitting eight of 15 field goal attempts and all four of his free throws. It marked the second straight game in which the senior forward has scored 20 or more points, as he tallied 24 points Tuesday night in the victory over Western Carolina.
NOTABLES
Coach Bob Hoffman – "It was a gritty win. We had multiple guys make big plays tonight. Demetre (Rivers) came up big tonight and Jordan (Strawberry) was such a key. We only had nine turnovers against a team that presses most of the game. Ryan Johnson and Cory Kilby made so many big shots off the bench. Jordan was the mainstay for us for most of the game. You can't get into a three point shooting contest with this team because that's what they do the whole time. It was a big win against a well-coached team that can cause you a lot of problems and they are so good at their style of play. We kept competing every possession and that's what you have continue to do when you are on a run like we are on now."
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RECORDS UPDATE
Mercer closes out the regular season portion of its schedule by traveling to Spartanburg, S.C., to take on the Wofford Terriers Sunday, Feb. 25. Tipoff time at Richardson Indoor Stadium is 2 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.
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Rivers, who grew up in nearby Ladson, S.C., treated a large contingent of family and friends with a sterling offensive performance, connecting on eight of 15 field goal attempts in 38 minutes of play. It was Rivers' second straight game scoring 20 or more points, as he went for 24 points Tuesday evening in the Senior Night win over Western Carolina.
Strawberry played a solid overall game in 34 minutes of play, directing the Mercer offense in flawless fashion. Ross Cummings, who might be the most unsung hero of the SoCon the second half of this season, continued his double digit scoring, going for 14 points and hitting some clutch free throws down the stretch.
In a game that featured five lead changes and six ties, the first half was a see-saw affair in which both clubs took turns at attempting to take control of the game. Mercer jumped out to a 12-6 lead only to see The Citadel come roaring back and go up 19-18 on a three pointer by Quayson Williams with 9:50 remaining in the opening half. Mercer took a slim one-point lead, 34-33, into the locker room at the halftime break. Mercer came out strong in the second half to go up by 10, 56-46, on a three-pointer by Rivers at the 12:39 mark. The Bears were able to maintain the lead despite a three-point barrage from The Citadel. Key offensive execution, taking care of the basketball, and accurate free throw shooting in the closing minutes allowed Mercer to close the deal and come away with the big road victory.
Mercer connected on 49.2% of its field goal attempts, while holding The Citadel to just 36.7% shooting. The Bears outscored The Citadel 36-16 in the paint and dominated the game with their inside game. The Bulldogs fired up 40 three point shots, hitting just 14. Matt Frierson led the Bulldogs' scoring attack with 18 points, while Zane Najdawi tallied 17. Â
Â
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Demetre Rivers tallied a game-high 22 points, hitting eight of 15 field goal attempts and all four of his free throws. It marked the second straight game in which the senior forward has scored 20 or more points, as he tallied 24 points Tuesday night in the victory over Western Carolina.
NOTABLES
- Mercer wins its seventh straight game to raise its SoCon mark to 10-7. The Bears conclude regular season play Sunday on the road at Wofford.
- Strawberry was exceptional in all phases of the game against The Citadel. The senior guard scored 17 points and dealt out a season-high nine assists. Strawberry also pulled down four rebounds.
- Cummings continued his sterling offensive play with a 14-point effort. Cummings has scored in double figures in nine straight contests.
- Cory Kilby came off the bench to give the Bears a big lift. Kilby went for nine points, hitting four of six field goals in 20 minutes of play.
- Jaylen Stowe was also a key contributor off the bench. Stowe scored six points and grabbed seven crucial rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
- Ryan Johnson came off the bench to score six points in 14 minutes of play.
Coach Bob Hoffman – "It was a gritty win. We had multiple guys make big plays tonight. Demetre (Rivers) came up big tonight and Jordan (Strawberry) was such a key. We only had nine turnovers against a team that presses most of the game. Ryan Johnson and Cory Kilby made so many big shots off the bench. Jordan was the mainstay for us for most of the game. You can't get into a three point shooting contest with this team because that's what they do the whole time. It was a big win against a well-coached team that can cause you a lot of problems and they are so good at their style of play. We kept competing every possession and that's what you have continue to do when you are on a run like we are on now."
Â
RECORDS UPDATE
- Mercer:Â (17-13, 10-7 SoCon)
- The Citadel:Â (10-19, 5-12 SoCon)
Mercer closes out the regular season portion of its schedule by traveling to Spartanburg, S.C., to take on the Wofford Terriers Sunday, Feb. 25. Tipoff time at Richardson Indoor Stadium is 2 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.
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