Mercer Bested In Final Minute At Western Carolina, 78-74

Wednesday, February 25

Cullowhee, N.C.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

18-12,10-7SoCon

Western Carolina

13-15,9-8SoCon

Mercer

Western Caro.

Mercer Bested In Final Minute At Western Carolina, 78-74

2/25/2026 9:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Okojie led Mercer with 22 points

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Baraka Okojie poured in a game high 22 points, but Western Carolina was able to make one more play than the Bears down the stretch to escape with a 78-74 win over Mercer Wednesday night from the Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Mercer led 74-71 with 1:16 to play, but the Catamounts scored the last seven points of the game to come away with the win.

Mercer made more than half of its field goal attempts, going 28-for-55 (50.9%) from the field, but the Bears struggled from behind the arc going 2-for-12 (16.7%). Western Carolina finished shooting 24-for-53 (45.3%) and went 5-18 (27.8%) from three-point range.

Western Carolina was near perfect from the free throw line going 25-for-27 (92.6%) while the Bears made 16-of-22 (72.7%) free throws. The Catamounts won the rebounding battle slightly as they had 31 rebounds to 28 for the Bears.

Okojie scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Armani Mighty scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half to finish with his 15th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Zaire Williams and Quinton Perkins II each finished with 13 points for the Bears.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Western Carolina 78, Mercer 74
RECORDS: Western Carolina (13-15, 9-8 SoCon), Mercer (18-12, 10-7 SoCon)
LOCATION: Cullowhee, N.C. (Ramsey Center)

HOW IT HAPPENED
1ST HALF
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively as each team made just one field goal in the opening seven minutes of the game as Mercer led 3-2. Mighty pulled down a defensive rebound and quickly found Okojie who pulled up for a fastbreak three which brought the Bears within two at 16-14.

Western Carolina stretched its lead to seven at 25-18 with just under six minutes to go. The Bears would then go on a 10-3 run to tie the game at 28 after a layup from Connor Serven. Western Carolina would ultimately take a 32-31 lead into halftime.

2ND HALF
A pair of free throws from Williams gave Mercer a 39-37 lead less than three minutes into the second half. Mighty and Williams each scored on back-to-back possessions for the Bears and Mercer led 50-46 with under 13 minutes to play.

A layup from Okojie gave Mercer its largest lead of the second half at 58-52. A few minutes later, the Catamounts tied the game at 64 with just under five minutes to play. Mercer scored the next five points after two free throws from Perkins to put the Bears ahead 70-65 with three minutes to play.

With 1:16 to play, Okojie drove and was fouled. He stepped up to the line and made two free throws to give Mercer a 74-71 lead. On Western Carolina's next possession, Tidjiane Dioumassi made a game-tying catch-and-shoot three from the wing to tie the game at 74 with 58 seconds remaining. After the Bears turned it over on its next possession, Dioumassi took a pull-up jump shot that hit the back of the rim, bounced a few feet up in the air, and came back down through the net to give Western Carolina a 76-74 lead with 37 seconds to play.

Mercer turned the ball over again on its next possession. However, the Connor Serven got a steal on the following inbounds play from the Catamounts and Mighty was found on a drive to the basket. With 14 seconds to play, and a chance to tie the game, Mighty missed both free throws and Western Carolina grabbed the defensive rebound and made both free throws on the other end to put the game away.

NOTABLES
+ Mercer shot 50.9 percent from the field. It's fourth straight game shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
+ Points in the paint were 42-34, Mercer
+ Armani Mighty recorded his 15th double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
+ Okojie finished with 22 points for his sixth straight game with at least 20 points.
+ Zaire Williams led Mercer with three steals to go with 13 points and five rebounds.
+ Mercer and Western Carolina split their two regular season meetings with each team winning on its home court.

UP NEXT
Mercer returns home to play ETSU on Senior Day Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. inside Hawkins Arena.

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