Late Game Comeback Falls Short at ETSU

Wednesday, January 3

Johnson City, Tenn.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

7-7,0-1SoCon

East Tennessee State

9-5,1-0SoCon

Mercer

ETSU

1/3/2024 10:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

By: Makenzie Jones, jones_m@mercer.edu

JOHNSON CITY – Mercer cut a 21-point ETSU lead down to six in the final minutes of the game, but too many missed free throws along the way and missed field goals down the stretch let the Bucs take the first matchup of the season between the two squads. ETSU (9-5) will travel to Mercer (7-7) on Jan. 31.

Four Bears--Jake Davis (15), Alex Holt (12), David Thomas (11), and Jalen Cobb (10)--scored in double digits, but they could not fill the void of the team's leading scorer and rebounder Jalyn McCreary.

THE BASICS

SCORE: ETSU 80, Mercer 69
RECORDS: ETSU (9-5, 1-0 SoCon); Mercer (7-7, 0-1 SoCon)
LOCATION: Johnson City, Tenn. (Freedom Hall)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST HALF

The first conference matchup of the season did not lack emotion from either side from the get-go. The game was tied 7-7 with 14:34 left in the half, but ETSU went on a 9-0 run over nearly three minutes to put the Bears in a hole. Amanze Ngumezi played only six minutes in the first half, in foul trouble early after a double-technical with ETSU's Jaden Seymour. The Bears shot 36.7 percent from the field and were only 2-of-10 from the free throw line, while the Bucs were 44.1 percent from the field and 11-of-11 from the stripe for the half.

2ND HALF

Mercer started the second half down 12, but it quickly reached 18 after back-to-back 3-pointers by ETSU. After reaching a game-high deficit of 21, Mercer went on a 7-0 run in 1:50 to come within single digits for the first time since the first half. A 3-pointer by Jalen Cobb cut the lead to six, but that was the closest they came and did so twice more, the last with 44 seconds remaining.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Graduate student Jalen Cobb has scored in double digits in three of the last five games, shooting 47 percent from the field and 52 percent from three.
+ Junior Alex Holt logged season highs in points (12) and rebounds (8).
+ Freshman Jake Davis led the team in scoring with 15 points, shooting 50 percent from three (3-6) and added one steal.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer scored nearly half (30) of their total points in the paint.
+ Even without Jalyn McCreary coming off the bench, the Bears still had 33 bench points for the game, above the 31.4 bench points per game average that is currently 20th in the NCAA.

UP NEXT

The Bears will travel further north to play VMI on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 1 p.m.

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BACK THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, visit S upportMAF.com or email maf@mercer.edu.