Mercer Drops Game On Road 77-71 To ETSU

Saturday, January 3

Johnson City, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Mercer University

8-7,0-2SoCon

East Tennessee State

10-5,2-0SoCon

Mercer

ETSU

1/3/2026 7:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Brady Shoulders scored a career high 21 points

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Brady Shoulders scored a career high 21 points, but Mercer fell on the road to ETSU, 77-71 Saturday evening from Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Each team had similar shooting numbers as Mercer shot 25-for-58 (43.1%) from the field compared to ETSU who went 24-of-57 (42.1%). Both teams shot 32 percent from three with the Bears making nine three-pointers to six for the Bucs.

ETSU shot 10 more free throws than the Bears as the Bucs went 23-for-27 (85.2%) from the line while Mercer went 12-for-17 (70.6%).

Shoulders scored his career high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting including 4-for-6 from deep. He also had eight rebounds. Baraka Okojie and Zaire Williams were the other Bears to finish in double figures in scoring as Okojie had 15 points and Williams had 13 points.

THE BASICS
SCORE: ETSU 77, Mercer 71
RECORDS: ETSU (10-5, 2-0 SoCon), Mercer (8-7, 0-2 SoCon)
LOCATION: Johnson City, Tenn. (Freedom Hall)

HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
Mercer trailed 8-2 just a few minutes into the game, however the Bears quickly responded with an 11-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. Four different players scored during the run for the Bears. Bendji Pierre scored off an inbounds pass from Quinton Perkins II to give the Bears an 18-12 lead with just under 11 mintues to play in the first half.

After ETSU briefly took the lead back, Okojie got the rim and scored to tie the game at 24. The Bears trailed 30-27 late in the first half before closing the half on an 8-2 run to take a 35-32 lead into halftime.

2ND HALF
A steal from Shoulders led to a three-pointer from Williams to give Mercer a 46-43 lead. A few minutes later, Shoulders sank a three-pointer to give Mercer a 53-49 lead.

Both teams continued to battle back-and-forth for the lead throughout the second half as after ETSU retook the lead, Connor Serven made a hook shot to quickly tie the game back up at 58 with under nine minutes to play.

After an Okojie made jumpe gave the Bears a 60-58 lead, the Mercer offense cooled off and ETSU went on a 14-0 run to take a 72-60 lead with two minutes to play. Mercer battled back and after an Okojie steal and lay in made it a one-possession game 74-71 with 25 seconds to play. ETSU would go on to make a pair of free throws and get a defensive stop to hold on to win 77-71.

NOTABLES
+ Brady Shoulders scored a career high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
+ Fastbreak points were 16-7, Mercer.
+ Mercer held ETSU to just 24 made field goals, the fewest the Bears have allowed to a D! opponent all season.
+ Quinton Perkins II had four assists, tied for his second most assists in a game this season.

UP NEXT
After playing five of its last six games on the road, Mercer will return home to play The Citadel on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Hawkins Arena.

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