Bears Win Double Overtime Thriller, 89-82

Monday, February 8

Macon, Ga.

7:00 PM

Mercer University

11-7,4-6SoCon

Samford

6-9,2-6SoCon

OT 1

OT 2

Samford

Mercer

Photo by: Will Stone

2/8/2021 11:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Ross Cummings led Mercer with 25 points.

By: Kraig Doremus

MACON, Ga. – The Mercer Bears played a double overtime game on Monday night for the first time since December 2017 and took the lead for good with 58.5 seconds left to top Samford, 89-82, in a Southern Conference thriller.

Five Mercer players scored in double figures led by Ross Cummings' 25 points. The Dickson, Tenn. native's season-high came on 9-of-13 shooting including six three-pointers. Cummings also grabbed five boards and passed out three assists in the double overtime triumph. Neftali Alvarez added 18 points, including three free throws to force a second overtime, while Leon Ayers III contributed 15. Jeff Gary scored 11 points and gave Mercer the lead for good in the second overtime with his free throw with less than one minute remaining. James Glisson III reached double figures with 12 points, making tonight the first time since January 20 (at The Citadel) that five Bears scored at least 10 points. Mercer shot 29-of-68 (42.6 percent) from the floor and 13-of-31 (41.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

Samford was led by Jaron Rillie's 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Preston Parks added 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting while Jalen Dupree was 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 at the charity stripe for 16 points along with a game-best 12 boards. The Bulldogs' Logan Dye was the final visitor to reach double figures with 12 in the loss. The 'Dogs made 30-of-69 shots (43.5 percent) but shot an abysmal 3-of-20 (15.0 percent) from downtown. Despite its three-point shooting woes, Samford was nearly automatic at the charity stripe, hitting 19-of-23 tries (82.6 percent). The Bulldogs outrebounded Mercer, 49-34.

Mercer (11-7, 4-6 SoCon) opened the game on a 7-0 run over the first three minutes of the game, but it was a low scoring first half for both squads.

Samford (6-9, 2-6 SoCon) fought back to take a 13-12 lead, but a 16-7 run over the remaining 9:27 of the half pushed the Bears back into the lead. Nine of the Orange & Black's points in that span came from beyond the arc with Cummings, Kamar Robertson and Alvarez all connecting from deep. Five players found the scoring column during the run with Gary and Jacksen Greco also contributing points.

The Bears put just 28 points on the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes, its second-lowest total of the 2020-21 season. Despite a low scoring first 20 minutes, stifling defense by Greg Gary's Bears helped the home team take a 28-20 lead to the locker room. The Bears held Samford to just 7-of-22 (31.1 percent) from the floor in the opening half and allowed the 'Dogs to make only one of their seven three-point attempts. While the home team shot slightly better, hitting 40 percent (12-of-30) of its tries, it was the defensive intensity that made the biggest difference as Mercer forced Samford into 13 first half miscues.

The Orange & Black's largest lead of the night came only 1:58 into the second half when Cummings hit one of his six treys. Over the next six minutes, the Bulldogs worked to tie the contest with Jaron Rillie's three-pointer with 12:38 to go making things even at 38. Mercer re-took the lead and was in front by six with 2:36 to play, but the visitors from Birmingham did not go away. The 'Dogs' resiliency made it a 59-57 game with time for one final possession. With his team down two and the ball under his squad's own basket, Samford's Jacob Tryon nailed a turnaround jumper as time expired, knotting the game at 59 and forcing an additional five minutes.

In the first overtime, Mercer's lead was quickly erased as Samford battled to take a 66-65 lead with 2:48 left. The Bears' last lead of the initial overtime came when Cummings hit a layup with 1:42 to play, putting the Orange & Black ahead, 68-66. Samford pulled back in front, and eventually extended its lead to three off Parks' free throws with four ticks of the clock remaining. Although the outcome might have looked bleak that moment in time, Alvarez decided an additional five minutes was needed to decide a winner. The speedy point guard received the inbounds pass and raced up the floor. As he was grabbed by Samford's Dupree, he released a shot from well beyond the arc. Alvarez calmly stepped to the charity stripe with 1.6 seconds remaining and knocked down all three free throws, tying the Monday night thriller at 72 and forcing a second OT.

The second overtime went back-and-forth with Cummings once again displaying the ice in his veins in crunch time. With 1:34 on the clock, he drained his sixth and final three-pointer of the night, making it 80-all inside Hawkins Arena and turning the tide in favor of the Bears. Gary's free throw with 58.5 seconds remaining gave Mercer the lead for good, and following a Samford miss, Glisson III's breakaway jam allowed Mercer a three-point cushion, 83-80. An errant Samford three-pointer from the right wing followed by four straight Bear free throws pushed the home team's advantage to 87-80 before each team added two points in the final seconds of play. Mercer's 89-82 win snapped a three-game skid.

Greg Gary Quotables

ON THE GAME
"Samford played hard. They have guys who can beat you off the dribble and guys who can beat you inside. Both teams competed insanely hard. We have to clean up some stuff, but I am proud of us for finding a way [to win]. The effort was great tonight. Yeah, we are going to miss some assignments, that happens, but the effort was there. The hustle plays we made were huge. We hit some big shots, and I thought we had some guys give us good minutes. Shannon Grant came in and gave us some time. It helps us when we can add some depth in the post. Felipe Haase was down [ tonight, but we picked him up. James [Glisson III] just continued fighting for us. We came up with some big rebounds and hustle plays. Jeffrey [Gary] lets his competitive come out late in game and had some steals that were huge for us tonight."

ON NEFTALI ALAVAREZ'S FREE THROWS AT THE END OF THE FIRST OVERTIME
"He knew he had to shoot at the end. The three free throws were huge. Doing something like that is what you dream about in the backyard or in the gym when you are by yourself. You always have it in your mind, but it is always easier said than done. He is a tough kid, and I believed he would hit all three."

NOTABLES

Mercer has won 15 consecutive contests against the Bulldogs. Its last loss came on February 23, 2002.
The game was Mercer's first double overtime contest since December 2, 2017 at Memphis.
The win marked the Bears' first triumph in overtime since a 75-71 win over Chattanooga on January 15, 2018.
Cummings scored a season-best 25 points and tied his season-high with six three-pointers.
Cummings moved into 23^rd on the Orange & Black's all-time scoring list. He now has 1,144 career points and is 10 away from passing Jakob Gollon for 22^nd.
Cummings has been in double figures in five of Mercer's last six games.
Alvarez extended his streak of games in double figures to four, and Ayers III reached double figures for the second straight game.
Glisson III scored 10+ points for the first time since January 2. Gary hit double figures for the first time since January 13.
The Bears opened the game on a 7-0 run, tying its best run to start a contest for the 2020-21 season.
Mercer's 28 first half points were one above its low for the season.
The Bears forced a Samford to turn the ball over 27 times, the most of any opponent this season. Mercer's 18 steals are its most this season.
11 players played for the Bears, the most since a January win over The Citadel.
Five Bears reached double figures with Cummings pacing all scorers.
Gary (6) and Alvarez (5) had a combined 11 thefts, and both set career-highs.
A trio of Mercer players – Alvarez (45:10), Cummings (43:48) and Glisson III (34:53) set new career-highs in minutes.

UP NEXT
The Bears will once again battle the 'Dogs – this time in Birmingham on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ or listen to Rick Cameron on the Mercer Sports Network – 100.9 The Creek and SportsMic.

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.