Men's basketball protected their home court Wednesday night, defeating Southern Conference rival Furman University, 69-64, in Hawkins Arena to remain unbeaten at home this season.
Mercer (16-10, 8-5 SoCon) entered the matchup tied with Furman at 7-5 in conference play and looking to avenge a narrow 74-72 loss to the Paladins on Dec. 31 in Greenville, S.C. The Bears, who came in averaging nearly eight more points than Furman on offense, had to rely on timely defense and free-throw shooting to secure the close win.
Furman (16-10, 7-6 SoCon) used an 11-0 stretch — the largest by either team in the match — to build a 20-11 lead in the first half. Mercer responded late in the half, tying the game at 29 on a three-point play by Zaire Williams '26 before Furman carried a 31-29 advantage into the break.
The second half unfolded as a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than six points. Brady Shoulders '28 gave Mercer some life with a steal and transition layup, and later buried a fast break three-pointer to cap a 7-0 run that gave the Bears a 55-51 lead.
Fast breaks were a defining feature of the Bears' close win. Mercer dominated in transition with a 19-6 edge in fast break points, often relying on star guard Baraka Okojie's '27 quick drives in the paint to draw fouls and seize hard-earned points.
After Furman answered with a quick 5-0 spurt, Mercer responded again with another 7-0 run to seize a 62-56 advantage with 3:37 remaining.
Okojie led all scorers with 25 points, his seventh 20-point performance in conference play this season. He went 12-for-14 from the free-throw line, including two clutch makes with 22 seconds left to push Mercer ahead, 67-64. Shoulders recorded his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds, including a pair of clutch second-half threes.
Furman cut the deficit to three in the final seconds, but Mercer delivered defensively, forcing a contested three-point attempt that fell short. Shoulders then iced the game with a pair of made free throws. The Bears shot 85.7% from the free-throw line, including four decisive makes in the final 22 seconds.
With the win, Mercer improved to 12-0 at home, their best home streak in school history. The last time the Bears won 12 conference games was the 2014-2015 season, and the team has five games left to play this season.
The Bears hope to keep the momentum in their game against The Citadel (9-17, 6-7 SoCon) on Feb. 14 in Charleston, S.C. With the win, Mercer now sits third in the SoCon, three games back from No. 1 East Tennessee State University.
