MACON, Ga. – Ria'n Holland scored 18 points, and Mercer finished the game with 25-4 run to overtake Georgia Southern and post an 80-67 men's basketball victory over the Eagles Sunday in Hawkins Arena. 

The contest was the opening game of the Savannah Invitational, a new in-season tournament that features opening-round games on campus sites and then eight total games in the Savannah Civic Center Nov. 25-26. 

Ike Smith scored 19 points to lead the Eagles (1-2), and B.J. Gladden collected 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Tookie Brown scored 15 points with 12 coming in the first half. 

Mercer (2-1) had five players in double figures in the scoring column. Stephon Jelks tallied 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Desmond Ringer finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Strawberry netted 13 points with 10 coming in the second half, and Demetre Rivers chipped in 13 points.

The story
Georgia Southern led the contest for over 30 minutes and held a 63-55 cushion after a 3-pointer from the corner by Devonte Boykins with 7:20 to go, but the Eagles managed to score just one field goal and a pair of free throws the rest of the way.

GS had a chance to add to the eight point lead when Brown got a steal and tried to go coast to coast but had his finger-roll layup rim out. It was all Mercer from there. The Bears hit five of their last eight shots from the floor and canned a whopping 16 of 16 from the free-throw line in the final 6:38 of the contest.

Quotables from head coach Mark Byington
"The game got out of control for us because we failed to get stops. In the last six minute stretch, we failed to play defense. I thought we played exactly how we need to play for the first 34 minutes of the game, and I'm just really disappointed. I thought we lacked toughness the last six minutes, and I didn't think we had the courage you need to go on the road and be able to win a game and be able to make big plays."

"We're in game number three out of 31 regular-season ones, and I hope the guys and myself learn from it and fix it and move in. I thought at moments we did a lot of good things, but it's the way we finished that we just can't have happen again."

Next up
Georgia Southern continues play in the Savannah Invitational by traveling to Akron for a 7 p.m. contest Tuesday. The tournament concludes in the Savannah Civic Center Nov. 25 and 26, and the Eagles play at 2:30 p.m. each of those days.

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