Wednesday, February 23
Macon, Ga.
7:00 PM
Mercer University
vs
The Citadel
Photo by: James Thomas
Bears Host The Citadel for Senior Night
2/22/2022 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tip-off is slated for 7 P.M.
MACON, Ga. - The Mercer Bears will host The Citadel Bulldogs in Hawkins Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 23 with tip-off slated for 7 P.M. available to stream on ESPN+. Wednesday's game will be Senior Night where we will recognize our graduating Student Athletes and Staff.
BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 | 7 p.m.
Matchup: Mercer (15-14, 8-8 SoCon ) vs The Citadel (11-16, 5-11 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Listen Here
TV: Stream on ESPN+ / Watch Here
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Tickets: Click Here
LAST TIME OUT:
The Mercer men's basketball team came up short against Western Carolina, 69-65, in its loss at the Ramsey Center on Saturday after. Mercer held the lead for 34 minutes in Cullowhee before WCU won in a game of back-and-forth free throws in the final minutes.
The Bears move to 15-14 overall and 8-8 in the Southern Conference, while the Catamounts move to 10-19 overall and 4-12 in conference play.
Mercer saw two Bears score in double figures. Felipe Haase and Jalen Johnson both finished the afternoon with 16 points. Off the bench, Shannon Grant provided Mercer with 4 points while pulling down six rebounds. Jovan Tucker also contributed off the bench with 5 points and going 50% from the field.
It was a fast start for the Bears. At the first media timeout, Mercer held the early lead at 7-0 with baskets from James Glisson III and two from Haase.
Johnson would keep up the game's momentum by scoring Mercer's next seven points. After a Mercer hot start, WCU slowly climbed back into the game with plays like Marlow Gilmore scoring off an Alley Oop to put the Catamounts closer 23-12. On the following two Mercer possessions Walker Jr. would convert a free throw and Haase would connect on his jumper to pull away in Cullowhee 26-12 with 9:17 remaining in the first half.
Coming out of the media timeout, WCU would go on a run and cut the Orange and Black lead to 5 with a three from Marcus Banks. The Bears answered right away with a lay in by Johnson to bring it back up to seven, 31-24. WCU's Gilmore and Woolbright wouldn't make it easy for the Bears' defense as Western Caroline chipped away and brought the game to just a two-point deferential over the next four minutes, 31-29 with 2:54 remaining.
Mercer would continue to battle for the rest of the first half, but the only points left for the Bears would come from two free throws by Glisson III. Nevertheless, that was enough for Mercer to go into halftime with a four-point lead, 33-29.
The back-and-forth battle didn't stop there. Entering in the second half, Jordan Jones scored the bears first five points and Jalen Johnson went 5-5 from the line to separate themselves from the Catamounts. After that, Jovan Tucker and Glisson III were able to tally points down low. Western Carolina answered with Marvin Price and Tyler Harris drives to the hoop.
The Catamounts speed and play in transition allowed them to claw back and tie the game at 56-56 with 6:38 remaining, but the Bears' free throws kept them alive at 64-60. From there, Woolbright took over the show and closed out the game. After trading free throws for the last two minutes of the game, Western Carolina was able to pull away in the final minutes giving them their fourth conference win on the season after a 69-65 victory in Cullowhee.
SERIES HISTORY:
Mercer has won the last five games over the Bulldogs and lead the recent series, 14-3 as of Dec. 9, 1970. The Bears most recently defeated The Citadel earlier in the season 71-64 on Jan. 27 in the McAlister Field House where Mercer finished the game 25-for-54 (46.3 percent) from the field, 8-for-22 (36.5 percent) behind the arc, and 13-for-20 (65.0 percent) at the free throw line.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
The Citadel (11-16, 5-11 SoCon) most recently fell to Samford (19-9, 9-7). Hayden Brown reached his 26th career double-double for second-most all-time. His final tally of 19 rebounds ranks as the second highest of his career and third-most in school history.
After Samford's opening jumper, The Citadel issued 11 straight points and 14 of the next 17 to take the largest lead of the game up by nine at 14-5. Samford quickly caught up, setting into motion the back-and-forth competition.
For the second straight game, The Citadel's hopes of leading at halftime were spoiled at the first half horn when Quinn Richey drilled a 3-point buzzer beater to tie things up at 37-37.
Neither side held more than a one-possession lead through the first 13-and-a-half minutes of the second half before Samford inched ahead on a Ques Glover jumper to lead by five at 69-64 with 6:24 remaining. The Citadel answered with an 8-3 run, with a Jason Roche three and a pair of Hayden Brown free throws nailing down a 72-72 tie with three minutes left.
Glover responded with a step back jumper, then Logan Dye delivered a second-change layup to give Samford a two-possession lead back at 76-72. A loud, but unsatisfactory possessions by both teams kept it at 76-72 before Clark powered through the lane to bring it within one possession with 45 seconds remaining.
Samford's ensuing possession resulted in jump ball, as Glover's desperation shot to beat the shot gave final possession to The Citadel.
Head coach Duggar Baucom signaled a timeout with 10.3 second left. Brown received the inbounds then passed it to Tyler Moffe at the top of the key. He was able to break away for a good look at a three, but it rimmed out. Finalizing the game 76-74 in Birmingham, Alabama.
UP NEXT GRAPHIC:
The Bears are currently in a three-way tie for fifth in the conference with an 8-8 record in conference play.
Team SoCon Overall
Chattanooga 12-4 22-7
Furman 11-5 19-10
Samford 9-7 19-9
VMI 9-7 16-12
UNCG 8-8 16-12
Wofford 8-8 16-12
Mercer 8-8 15-14
ETSU 6-10 14-15
The Citadel 5-11 11-16
Western Carolina 4-12 10-19
SHARING IS CARING:
Mercer is fourth as a team in the Southern Conference in assists while averaging 14.7 assists per game. Felipe Haase leads Mercer with a 2.0 assist to turnover ratio.
FREEBIES AT THE CHARITY STRIPE:
Mercer is ranked second in the league in Free Throw Percentage. Haase is ranked first in the Southern Conference making 86.9% percent of his free throws attempted. Haase has attempted 99 FTs so far on the season.
Rk. Name (School). FTM FTA Avg.
1. Felipe Haase - MER 86 99 .869
2. Mike Bothwell – FUR 94 112 .839
3. Malachi Smith – UTC 124. 148 .838
SHARPSHOOTING:
The sharpshooting Felipe Haase and Jalen Johnson are both within the top 10 in the league for three-point field goal proficiency. Furman and Mercer are the only two teams that have two people representing themselves within the top 10, proving just how effective they are from behind the arc.
Rk. Name (School). 3PTA 3PTM Avg
HOME SWEET HOME:
Hawkins Arena has been kind to the Bears in recent years. Each of the past two seasons, Mercer has earned nine wins on their home floor. Below is Mercer's record at home since the 2019-20 campaign. Since the beginning of the Greg Gary era, Mercer is 28-13 at home during his current campaign.
Season Record
2019-20 9-6
2020-21 9-4
2021-22 10-3
Total 28-13
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW | SENIOR NIGHT:
The Bears' next home game is on Wednesday, Feb. 23 against The Citadel at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the Feb. 23 game can be purchased HERE.
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.
BEAR NECESSITIES
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 | 7 p.m.
Matchup: Mercer (15-14, 8-8 SoCon ) vs The Citadel (11-16, 5-11 SoCon)
Location: Macon, Ga. | Hawkins Arena
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Radio: Listen Here
TV: Stream on ESPN+ / Watch Here
Twitter Updates: @MercerMBB
Tickets: Click Here
LAST TIME OUT:
The Mercer men's basketball team came up short against Western Carolina, 69-65, in its loss at the Ramsey Center on Saturday after. Mercer held the lead for 34 minutes in Cullowhee before WCU won in a game of back-and-forth free throws in the final minutes.
The Bears move to 15-14 overall and 8-8 in the Southern Conference, while the Catamounts move to 10-19 overall and 4-12 in conference play.
Mercer saw two Bears score in double figures. Felipe Haase and Jalen Johnson both finished the afternoon with 16 points. Off the bench, Shannon Grant provided Mercer with 4 points while pulling down six rebounds. Jovan Tucker also contributed off the bench with 5 points and going 50% from the field.
It was a fast start for the Bears. At the first media timeout, Mercer held the early lead at 7-0 with baskets from James Glisson III and two from Haase.
Johnson would keep up the game's momentum by scoring Mercer's next seven points. After a Mercer hot start, WCU slowly climbed back into the game with plays like Marlow Gilmore scoring off an Alley Oop to put the Catamounts closer 23-12. On the following two Mercer possessions Walker Jr. would convert a free throw and Haase would connect on his jumper to pull away in Cullowhee 26-12 with 9:17 remaining in the first half.
Coming out of the media timeout, WCU would go on a run and cut the Orange and Black lead to 5 with a three from Marcus Banks. The Bears answered right away with a lay in by Johnson to bring it back up to seven, 31-24. WCU's Gilmore and Woolbright wouldn't make it easy for the Bears' defense as Western Caroline chipped away and brought the game to just a two-point deferential over the next four minutes, 31-29 with 2:54 remaining.
Mercer would continue to battle for the rest of the first half, but the only points left for the Bears would come from two free throws by Glisson III. Nevertheless, that was enough for Mercer to go into halftime with a four-point lead, 33-29.
The back-and-forth battle didn't stop there. Entering in the second half, Jordan Jones scored the bears first five points and Jalen Johnson went 5-5 from the line to separate themselves from the Catamounts. After that, Jovan Tucker and Glisson III were able to tally points down low. Western Carolina answered with Marvin Price and Tyler Harris drives to the hoop.
The Catamounts speed and play in transition allowed them to claw back and tie the game at 56-56 with 6:38 remaining, but the Bears' free throws kept them alive at 64-60. From there, Woolbright took over the show and closed out the game. After trading free throws for the last two minutes of the game, Western Carolina was able to pull away in the final minutes giving them their fourth conference win on the season after a 69-65 victory in Cullowhee.
SERIES HISTORY:
Mercer has won the last five games over the Bulldogs and lead the recent series, 14-3 as of Dec. 9, 1970. The Bears most recently defeated The Citadel earlier in the season 71-64 on Jan. 27 in the McAlister Field House where Mercer finished the game 25-for-54 (46.3 percent) from the field, 8-for-22 (36.5 percent) behind the arc, and 13-for-20 (65.0 percent) at the free throw line.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
The Citadel (11-16, 5-11 SoCon) most recently fell to Samford (19-9, 9-7). Hayden Brown reached his 26th career double-double for second-most all-time. His final tally of 19 rebounds ranks as the second highest of his career and third-most in school history.
After Samford's opening jumper, The Citadel issued 11 straight points and 14 of the next 17 to take the largest lead of the game up by nine at 14-5. Samford quickly caught up, setting into motion the back-and-forth competition.
For the second straight game, The Citadel's hopes of leading at halftime were spoiled at the first half horn when Quinn Richey drilled a 3-point buzzer beater to tie things up at 37-37.
Neither side held more than a one-possession lead through the first 13-and-a-half minutes of the second half before Samford inched ahead on a Ques Glover jumper to lead by five at 69-64 with 6:24 remaining. The Citadel answered with an 8-3 run, with a Jason Roche three and a pair of Hayden Brown free throws nailing down a 72-72 tie with three minutes left.
Glover responded with a step back jumper, then Logan Dye delivered a second-change layup to give Samford a two-possession lead back at 76-72. A loud, but unsatisfactory possessions by both teams kept it at 76-72 before Clark powered through the lane to bring it within one possession with 45 seconds remaining.
Samford's ensuing possession resulted in jump ball, as Glover's desperation shot to beat the shot gave final possession to The Citadel.
Head coach Duggar Baucom signaled a timeout with 10.3 second left. Brown received the inbounds then passed it to Tyler Moffe at the top of the key. He was able to break away for a good look at a three, but it rimmed out. Finalizing the game 76-74 in Birmingham, Alabama.
UP NEXT GRAPHIC:
THE SOCON RACE:𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐔𝐩 - 2/23/22 l @CitadelHoops
— Mercer Men's Basketball (@MercerMBB) February 20, 2022
🏀: Hawkins Arena | 7 P.M.
🖥: Stream on @ESPNPlus
📊: StatBroadcast
📻: Mercer Sports Radio / https://t.co/5CEtLcWVS7
🎟: https://t.co/E3CO8MqFa5#LetsRoar x #BearNation pic.twitter.com/sKh0JKU2LF
The Bears are currently in a three-way tie for fifth in the conference with an 8-8 record in conference play.
Team SoCon Overall
Chattanooga 12-4 22-7
Furman 11-5 19-10
Samford 9-7 19-9
VMI 9-7 16-12
UNCG 8-8 16-12
Wofford 8-8 16-12
Mercer 8-8 15-14
ETSU 6-10 14-15
The Citadel 5-11 11-16
Western Carolina 4-12 10-19
SHARING IS CARING:
Mercer is fourth as a team in the Southern Conference in assists while averaging 14.7 assists per game. Felipe Haase leads Mercer with a 2.0 assist to turnover ratio.
| Rk. Name (School) Avg. 1. Alex Hunter - FUR 3.1 2. Ryan Larson - WOF 2.2 3. David Sloan - ETSU 2.2 4. Trey Bonham - VMI 2.0 5. Felipe Haase - MER 1.9 |
FREEBIES AT THE CHARITY STRIPE:
Mercer is ranked second in the league in Free Throw Percentage. Haase is ranked first in the Southern Conference making 86.9% percent of his free throws attempted. Haase has attempted 99 FTs so far on the season.
Rk. Name (School). FTM FTA Avg.
1. Felipe Haase - MER 86 99 .869
2. Mike Bothwell – FUR 94 112 .839
3. Malachi Smith – UTC 124. 148 .838
SHARPSHOOTING:
The sharpshooting Felipe Haase and Jalen Johnson are both within the top 10 in the league for three-point field goal proficiency. Furman and Mercer are the only two teams that have two people representing themselves within the top 10, proving just how effective they are from behind the arc.
Rk. Name (School). 3PTA 3PTM Avg
| 1. | Jake Stephens-VMI | 62 | 130 | .477 | ||
| 2. | Conley Garrison-FUR | 65 | 145 | .448 | ||
| 3. | De'Monte Buckingham-UNCG | 58 | 135 | .430 | ||
| 4. | Jordan King-ETSU | 87 | 205 | .424 | ||
| 5. | Felipe Haase-MER | 66 | 160 | .413 | ||
| 6. | Alex Hunter-FUR | 94 | 230 | .409 | ||
| 7. | Jason Roche-CIT | 102 | 251 | .406 | ||
| 8. | Ryan Larson-WOF | 58 | 143 | .406 | ||
| 9. | Malachi Smith-UTC | 50 | 124 | .403 | ||
| 10. | Jalen Johnson-MER | 71 | 179 | .397 |
HOME SWEET HOME:
Hawkins Arena has been kind to the Bears in recent years. Each of the past two seasons, Mercer has earned nine wins on their home floor. Below is Mercer's record at home since the 2019-20 campaign. Since the beginning of the Greg Gary era, Mercer is 28-13 at home during his current campaign.
Season Record
2019-20 9-6
2020-21 9-4
2021-22 10-3
Total 28-13
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW | SENIOR NIGHT:
The Bears' next home game is on Wednesday, Feb. 23 against The Citadel at 7 p.m.
Tickets for the Feb. 23 game can be purchased HERE.
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.
Players Mentioned
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