ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Citadel's men's basketball team was eliminated from the Southern Conference tournament with a 71-69 loss to Mercer in Friday's opening round. Senior Derrick Henry led the Bulldogs with 16 points and finished his career one point shy of the 1000-career point club. Freshman Quayson Williams added 14 points and made 4-of-5 from three-point range.
 
The efforts from Williams and Henry allowed The Citadel to shoot 41.1 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from beyond the arc. Freshman Zane Najdawi added nine points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
 
Head coach Duggar Baucom's squad led 38-33 halftime and had a chance to force overtime late, but ultimately fell in a tight battle. The Bulldogs played stout zone defense throughout the game and held Mercer to just 38 percent shooting in the opening half (2-of-13 from deep).
 
Both teams traded baskets early and were knotted at 22-22 with less than eight minutes remaining in the first frame. The Citadel finally found separation and pushed in front, using a 16-8 run powered by an inside-outside attack.
 
Following back-to-back buckets by Quinton Marshall and Brian White in the paint, Williams drained a corner three-pointer. On the following possession, Henry beat the shot clock with a three-pointer from well beyond the arc to give The Citadel a 38-30 advantage.
 
Mercer came out strong in the second half and stayed within two possessions until a pair of 9-0 runs surged them in front 60-55. Henry kept the Bulldogs in it by getting to the line, where he made 7-of-8 on Friday night. His two free throws tied the score at 67-67 with 2:36 remaining.
 
The two teams scored a basket each down the stretch, setting up a frantic final sequence. Mercer scored a layup with five seconds left, but junior Warren Sledge drew a foul and earned a trip to the free throw line for a 1-and-1 to tie the game. The first attempt fell off the mark and the Bears escaped with a slim victory to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals.
 
With Coach Baucom's first season at the helm in the books, The Citadel looks to welcome back a strong and experienced group of returnees for the 2016-17 campaign. For all the latest on The Citadel basketball, follow @CitadelHoops and stay tuned to CitadelSports.com.