Holt's Late Basket Sends Mercer Past Western Carolina In SoCon Tournament

Friday, March 7

Asheville, N.C.

5 PM

Mercer University

14-18,6-12SoCon

Western Carolina

8-22,4-14SoCon

Western Caro.

Mercer

Holt's Late Basket Sends Mercer Past Western Carolina In SoCon Tournament

3/7/2025 10:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Alex Holt scored the game-winning basket with 4.1 seconds to go in the game

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ahmad Robinson drove inside the paint and found Alex Holt who laid in the game-winning basket with 4.1 seconds remaining to send Mercer to the SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals following a 67-66 win over Western Carolina Friday evening from Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina

Holt led all scorers with 24 points on 9-of-13 (69.2%) shooting to go with six rebounds. Robinson nearly recorded a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.

It wasn't the best shooting night for Mercer who went 22-for-58 (37.9%) from the field compared to Western Carolina who went 24-for-60 (40.0%) from the field. The Bears struggled to make shots from deep, going just 2-for-20 (10.0%) from three-point range.

Mercer made up for it from the free throw line, going 21-for-25 (84.0%) which was Mercer's best free throw percentage in a game against a conference opponent this season (min. 6 made FT's).

THE BASICS
SCORE: Mercer 67, Western Carolina 66
RECORDS: Mercer 14-18, 6-12 (SoCon); Western Carolina 8-22, 4-14 (SoCon)
LOCATION: Asheville, N.C. (Harrah's Cherokee Center)

HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
Robinson made one of Mercer's two three-pointers early in the game to give Mercer a 10-9 lead. Back-to-back layups from Tyler Johnson extended Mercer's lead to eight at 23-15.

Two free throws from Brady Shoulders put the Bears ahead, 29-22 with 90 seconds to go in the first half. The Catamounts would then close the half on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 29 heading into halftime.

2ND HALF
Both teams were able to make shots at an efficient rate in the opening minutes of the second half. A layup from Holt gave Mercer a 38-33 lead. Robinson during a stretch in the middle part of the second half scored seven straight points for the Bears as Mercer led 50-44 with 10 minutes to play.

Western Carolina then went on an 8-2 run in the next two minutes to tie the game at 52. The Catamounts took momentum with a 62-57 lead with over five minutes to play.

A layup from Holt gave Mercer a 65-63 lead with 1:33 to play. Western Carolina went on to take a 66-65 lead.

After Robinson missed a shot, Catamounts forward Marcus Kell was fouled with 27.9 second left. Kell missed the front end of a one-and-one and the Bears rebounded and eventually called time to set up a play.

As he had most of the night, Robinson drove down the middle and delivered a perfect pass to Holt, who had little trouble scoring the game-winning bucket with 4.1 seconds remaining, sending Mercer to the SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals against Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon.

NOTABLES
+ Mercer made 21-of-25 (84.0%) free throws compared to Western Carolina which made just 10-of-17 (58.8%).
+ Mercer made 2-of-20 three-point tries but outscored the Catamounts 36-26 in the paint.
+ The game had seven ties and eight lead changes.
+ Alex Holt's 24 points were a career high. He did so on an efficient night shooting going 9-for-13 (69.2%) from the field.
+ Ahmad Robinson finished one rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

UP NEXT
Mercer will play the No. 1 seed, Chattanooga on Saturday at noon in the SoCon Tournament Quarterfinals from Harrah's Cherokee Center.

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