CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Citadel (9-18, 6-8 SoCon) basketball program fell to Mercer (17-10, 9-5 SoCon) on Saturday afternoon by a final 70-54 mark at McAlister Field House.
The Bulldogs held a 25-18 lead at halftime, notably holding the Bears to the lowest first-half scoring total since 2011 and matching the ninth lowest mark in school history. Mercer rallied in the second period, outscoring The Citadel 52-29.
Braxton Williams paced the Bulldogs with 17 points.
Christian Moore tallied an addition 15 points. On the glass,
Carter Kingsbury pulled down a team-best 11 boards.
For the Bears, Baraka Okojie totaled a game-high 22 points while also logging six assists and three steals. Quinton Perkins II (13 points) and Connor Serven (10 points) reached the double-digit plateau as well while Armani Mighty posted a double-double off a 12-point, 10-rebound performance.
Following the game, head coach
Ed Conroy addressed the media:
"I loved our energy and the way we responded coming off last game. Our guys played hard and competed, but we cannot let physicality take us out of what we are trying to do. We have to stay disciplined, share the basketball and make better decisions. We only had eight assists and forced too many shots inside, and that is not who we are. The fundamentals, our cutting, screening, pace and execution, are all within our control. We will get back to work this week and prepare for Samford."
Next up, the three-game road stretch for The Citadel continues against Samford on Thursday, Feb. 19, tipoff slated for 7 pm ET.
For complete coverage of The Citadel basketball program, follow the Bulldogs on X and Instagram @CitadelHoops and online at CitadelSports.com.
-- #TogetherWeAttack --
