January 10, 2011

Bears Fall in Overtime, 80-74, After Big Second-Half Rally

 

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Mercer University fought back from a big second half deficit to force overtime, only to be disappointed in the extra period, falling at Campbell University, 80-74. The setback dropped the Bears to 4-12 overall and 1-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

 

The Camels improved to 9-6 on the year and 3-3 in the A-Sun.

 

With 10:05 left in regulation, Mercer looked as though it would not even be in position to try for the win. The Bears trailed by 15 points, 48-33, and were in the midst of a nearly five minute drought without a field goal. The Camels still led by 15 with 5:18 remaining.

 

That's when MU mounted a furious comeback in the most improbable of manners.

 

The rally began when Jeff Smith – who had a scoreless first half – canned a three. Smith poured in 17 points in the final 11:19 minutes of the second half, finishing the evening with 19 points. With just 12 tics on the game clock, a pair of clutch free throws by Smith drew the Bears to within one, 62-61.

 

Campbell's Lorne Merthie hit one of two free throws after being fouled on the in-bound pass, 63-61.  But Smith Knotted the game, 63-63, when he hit a short jumper with six seconds left to play.

 

The Camels inbounded the ball and drove the right sideline. MU freshman Langston Hall apparently lost track of the score and fouled Merthie near the midcourt line. Merthie made both charity tosses with 3.7 seconds left and matters seemed to be settled, 65-63.

 

Mercer inbounded and head coach Bob Hoffman called a timeout with 1.1 seconds left to give MU the inbounds attempt at midcourt. After breaking the timeout huddle, Langston Hall threw the ball down low to Brian Mills who went up on the catch-and-shoot try and was fouled with one-tenth of a second on the clock.

 

Mills, who in the last few weeks, had the ball in his hands with game-winning opportunities in the waning seconds in losses to both Georgia and Charlotte and could not convert, went to the line and centered both free throws to send the game into overtime, 65-65.

 

In the overtime segment, Campbell tallied the first four points and the Bears trailed by as many as six. A  Brandon Moore trey with 22 seconds left brought Mercer to within a point once more, 75-74. But the MU magic had run out as CU made five of six free throws to ice the game, 80-74.

 

Moore finished with a team-leading 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Along with Smith's 19, Mills tallied 14 points for his ninth-straight game in double digits.

 

"Either team could have won this game," said Hoffman. "The one thing I did tell (the team) was that they showed amazing determination.

 

"We kept battling. It was more 'Helter Skelter' at the end, which benefited us."