Mercer University
16-16,8-10SoCon
The Citadel
11-21,3-15SoCon
Big Offensive Day Leads Bears Past The Citadel
3/8/2024 7:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - The Mercer men's basketball team shot 53.3 percent from beyond the arc on the way to an 84-76 win against The Citadel Bulldogs in the opening round of the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament on Friday evening.
The Bears (16-16) had five players score in double figures, led by David Thomas, who had a career-high 27 points. Jalyn McCreary added 14 points and Alex Holt chipped in as well with 11 points and six rebounds.
Mercer out-rebounded The Citadel 35-31 in Friday's game, led by six boards from Holt.
Mercer did a great job disrupting Citadel shots in the contest, coming away with seven blocks. Jah Quinones' four rejections led the way individually for the Bears.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 22-20 advantage, Mercer went on a 7-0 run with 8:17 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from McCreary, to increase its lead to 29-20. The Bears then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 37-27 advantage. Mercer did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 22 of its 37 points close to the basket.
Mercer kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 61-49 with 8:10 to go in the contest. The Bulldogs narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Bears still cruised the rest of the way for the 84-76 win. Mercer got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 13 of its 47 total points.
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Game Notes
» The Bears made over half of their attempts from three point range, knocking down eight of 15 shots.» Mercer never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Five Mercer players scored 10 or more points.
» Robby Carmody and Jalen Cobb came off the bench to score 10 points apiece.
» Mercer had a 35-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Bears were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording seven blocks as a team.
» David Thomas led the Bears with a game-high 27 points.
» Mercer got six rebounds from both Alex Holt and Jalen Cobb.
