MACON, Ga. -- The Citadel (3–13, 0–3 SoCon) fell to Mercer (9–7, 1–2 SoCon), 101–63, on Wednesday night inside Hawkins Arena.

Logan Applegate made his first start of the season and led The Citadel basketball team with 16 points. Christian Moore followed with 12 points, while Dante Kearse added 10 off the bench.

The Bulldogs traded baskets with Mercer early before the Bears created separation midway through the first half. After The Citadel cut the deficit to four points at 17–13, Mercer responded with an 11–0 run to build a double-digit lead. Mercer carried a 54–31 advantage into halftime after shooting 17-of-29 from the field and making nine three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes.

The Citadel opened the second half with increased offensive efficiency, scoring on four of its first five possessions to trim the margin to 18 points. Mercer answered with a run of its own and extended the lead behind continued perimeter shooting, finishing the game 15-of-28 from three-point range and shooting 58.6 percent from the field.

Head coach Ed Conroy said the Bulldogs showed early readiness but were unable to maintain consistency as the game progressed.

"I thought our guys were ready coming out, and offensively we were able to do some things early," Conroy said. "But when we got rattled, we have to find a way to be more poised and get settled. We didn't defend well in the half court, and especially in the second half we put our defense in some tough situations with what we were doing offensively. I thought Logan Applegate did a really good job in his first start and got into a rhythm. Offensively, we were able to do some good things early, but as the game went on we have to do a better job of staying poised and defending as a group. We had some foul trouble early and put ourselves in tough situations defensively."

KEY NOTES

• Applegate matched a season high with four three-pointers, marking the second time this season he has reached that total (Dec. 17 vs. College of Charleston).
• The Citadel received 20 points from the bench, led by Kearse.
• Six steals and four blocks highlighted the Bulldogs' defensive activity.
• The Citadel shot 44.0 percent (22-of-50) from the field and 38.5 percent (10-of-26) from beyond the arc.
• Ball movement resulted in 10 assists on 22 made field goals.
• Interior scoring accounted for 22 points in the paint.
• The Bulldogs forced 11 turnovers.