CHARLESTON, S.C. – Redshirt junior Hayden Brown scored 21 points as The Citadel fell, 83-63, against Mercer in SoCon action inside McAlister Field House on Wednesday evening, dealing the Bulldogs their fourth straight defeat.
 
Game Information
Final Score: Mercer 83, The Citadel 63
Record: The Citadel (8-4, 1-4 SoCon), Mercer (9-4, 2-3 SoCon)
Location: Charleston, S.C. (McAlister Field House)
Series: Mercer leads 19-7
 
How It Happened

• Mercer scored on its first two possessions of the night and grew its lead to as many as nine points over the first two minutes of the game. Ross Cummings, the Bears' leading scorer, knocked down two early baskets to key the early stretch.
• The Citadel roared back by scoring 11 of the next 13 points to knot the game at 13-13 with 15:15 on the clock. A pair of three-pointers from Tyler Moffe and Hayden Brown kickstarted the run, and Kaiden Rice converted all three free throw attempts after being fouled outside the arc to bring the Bulldogs level.
• Another long run, this time an 11-2 run from Mercer, rebuilt the nine-point edge for the Bears. Leon Ayers III scored six of the points during the run for Mercer, part of a perfect 10-of-10 first half from the field for the guard.
• Nine straight points by Mercer built up the first double-digit lead of the night for either side, as Ayers converted a layup off a Bulldog turnover with 8:23 to play in the half that gave Mercer a 33-19 lead.
• Mercer maintained its double-digit lead through the halftime break, carrying a 52-38 edge into the locker room.
• Out of the break, the Bears scored 11 of the first 14 points of the second half, primarily working the insider game. Maciej Bender scored six points in a two-minute span during the run that put Mercer ahead, 65-41, at the 15:32 mark.
• Back-to-back triples from Brown and Rudy Fitzgibbons III brought The Citadel back within 17, 72-55, with 5:37 on the clock, but the Bulldogs were unable to close the gap any further over the final five minutes of the contest.

 
Inside the Numbers

• Hayden Brown fell just shy of another double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds, connecting on seven of his 15 shots from the field.
• Brady Spence tallied a season-best 10 points in 15 minutes of action off the bench.
• Tyler Moffe dished out six assists, his most in a game since having seven against Chattanooga on Jan. 9, and committed just one turnover, his fewest in a game this season.
• Derek Webster, Jr., saw 25 minutes of playing time and contributed with four points and a season-high seven rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end.
• Dylan Engler, seeing his first playing time since Dec. 9 against Carver, notched his first career block.
• As a team, The Citadel pulled down 13 offensive rebounds on Wednesday evening, its second time in three games recording double-digit offensive boards. The Bulldogs outscored Mercer 14-2 in second-chance points off those opportunities.

 
Up Next
Following Wednesday's bout with Mercer, The Citadel will hit the road for its longest road trip of the season as the Bulldogs head west to take on Samford in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. (ET). The 'Dogs will be looking to even the all-time series against Samford at 13-13 with a victory inside the Pete Hanna Center.