Men's basketball took on The Citadel for a home conference game on Wednesday, beating the Bulldogs, 80-46. The win put the Bears' season record at an even 11-11 and the Southern Conference record at a 4-5.
The scoring leaders for the game were guard Tyler Johnson '25, who led the team with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists. Forward Marcus Overstreet ‘27, who led the team in scoring during the first half, followed behind Johnson with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Overstreet's 16 points were the most for a bench player in the game and his most in a game since November. Guard Ahmad Robinson ‘25 finished the game with 16 points and a team-high seven assists.
Mercer's defense, which has allowed the second-most points per game in the SoCon this season, held The Citadel to its lowest point total of the season. Within the first two minutes of the game, the Bears recorded two blocks and a steal against the visiting squad, setting the tone for the rest of the game. By the end, Mercer had tallied eight blocks and 10 steals, while its offense gave up just 10 turnovers. The Citadel's 46 points were the second-fewest points that the Bears' defense allowed in a game this season, dating back to the team's matchup with Division II Trinity Baptist College in November.
At halftime, the Bears led 34-18 while shooting 13-for-33 from the field. To start the the second half, though, Mercer went on a 12-0 run, capitalized by a Cam Bryant dunk off of a fast break. From there on, the Bears shot nearly 60 percent from the field and cruised to a victory over the Bulldogs, who have yet to topple a SoCon opponent this season.
The Bears are currently sitting at No.7 in the conference as they travel to Chattanooga, Tenn. on Saturday. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is No. 3 in the conference with a 6-3 record and an overall record of 14-8. The Mocs are tied at the top of the conference in field goal percentage and are averaging 77.2 points a game while Mercer's defense is giving up 74.5 points per contest.
While the Bears have not beaten Chattanooga in Tennessee since February 2020, the Mocs have already fallen to Mercer this season in a 99-94 overtime game on New Year's Day. A win on Saturday would mark the first time the Bears beat Chattanooga in consecutive games since 2018.
