Mercer Makes Plays Late To Pull Away In 95-81 Win Over VMI

Saturday, January 31

Macon, Ga.

2 p.m.

Mercer University

15-8,7-3SoCon

VMI

6-17,1-9SoCon

VMI

Mercer

Mercer Makes Plays Late To Pull Away In 95-81 Win Over VMI

1/31/2026 7:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Mercer improves to 11-0 at home this season

MACON, Ga. – Mercer used a 21-7 run over the final five minutes of the game to pull away in a 95-81 win over VMI Saturday afternoon from Hawkins Arena.

With the win, Mercer (15-8, 7-3 SoCon) has swept the regular season series against VMI and improves to 11-0 at home on the season. With the game tied at 74 with five minutes to play, Mercer made plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor to earn the win.

Zaire Williams finished with 10 points and scored his 1,000th career point early in the second half.

Mercer made half of its shots, shooting 32-for-64 (50.0%) from the field and 9-for-31 (29.0%) from three-point range. VMI shot it better than the Bears from three-point range but didn't shoot it as well inside the arc. For the game, VMI shot 26-for-62 (41.9%) from the field and 16-for-42 (38.1%) from three-point range.

For the second straight game, all five Mercer starters scored in double figures. Mercer dominated the paint as paint points were, 40-18, Mercer and the Bears outrebounded the Keydets, 46-28.

Baraka Okojie led Mercer offensively with 24 points and seven assists. Kyle Cuffe Jr. added 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Brady Shoulders had 11 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Mercer 95, VMI 81
RECORDS: Mercer (15-8, 7-3 SoCon), VMI (6-17, 1-9 SoCon)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga. (Hawkins Arena)

HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
Both teams went back-and-forth in the opening minutes of the game as Cuffe Jr. made a jumper to give the Bears a 10-9 lead. Bendji Pierre came off the bench and Okojie found him on the wing for a three-pointer to put Mercer in front, 21-13.

Then, VMI went on a 14-5 run to take a 27-26 lead. A few minutes later, Okojie was first to an offensive rebound and pulled up and drained the jump shot to give the Bears a 34-28 lead. Tristan Gross hit back-to-back three-pointers and Mercer led 43-32. The Keydets scored the final five points of the half and Mercer led 43-37 at halftime.

2ND HALF
Mercer extended its lead to 11 points in the early stages of the first half after a layup from Cuffe Jr. VMI responded going on a 17-5 run to take a 59-57 lead. From there, the game remained a one-possession game for the next eight minutes.

During that 8-minute stretch, Connor Serven got an offensive rebound an putback to give Mercer a 68-67 lead. Off a VMI missed shot, Shoulders pulled down the rebound and found Mighty sprinting down the floor for a thunderous fastbreak dunk that ignited the crows and gave Mercer a 74-71 lead with just under six minutes to play.

With the game tied at 74, Mercer executed better and made more plays on both ends of the floor than the Keydets. Okojie made one of the biggest plays during the final five minute stretch, where he jumped a passing lane, stole the ball and went the other way for the dunk to give Mercer an 82-74 lead with 3:15 to play. Mercer went on a 19-4 run after the game was tied at 74, over a five-minute sequence to take a 93-78 lead with 22 seconds to play.

NOTABLES
+ Mercer has now swept two regular season meetings this season against SoCon teams (VMI & Wofford).
+ Mercer improves to 11-0 at home. The only remaining SoCon team yet to lose at home this season.
+ Zaire Williams scored his 1,000th career point in the game.
+ The Bears outrebounded the Keydets, 46-28.
+ All five Mercer starters scored scored in double figures for the second consecutive game.
+ Mercer had 21 assists on 32 made field goals.
+ Brady Shoulders finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
+ Kyle Cuffe Jr.'s 17 points were tied for his second most points in a game this season.
+ Four different Mercer players had two or more steals.

UP NEXT
Mercer will visit Chattanooga on Thursday, Feb. 5. Tip off is at 7 p.m. from McKenzie Arena.

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