Postgame radio interview with Calvin Wishart and Elijah McCadden

Postgame radio interview with Mark Byington

STATESBORO – Elijah McCadden made seven 3-pointers and scored a career-high 28 points, and Georgia Southern shot 68 percent in the second half in a 98-88 non-conference men's basketball win over Mercer Tuesday night in Hanner Fieldhouse.

Eagles of the Game
McCadden made 8 of 14 from the field and 7 of 12 from long distance. Ike Smith scored a season-high 20 points and added seven rebounds and four assists, while Simeon Carter scored 19 points with 15 coming in the second half. Calvin Wishart (7) and David-Lee Jones Jr. (6) each posted career highs in assists.

Key moments
With the score tied 57-57 midway through the second half, Georgia Southern (3-2) took control of the game with a monstrous 21-6 run. McCadden and Carter each scored six points during the stretch, and the Eagles forced five Bear turnovers. An alley-oop dunk by Isaiah Crawley on a lob from Jones Jr. made the margin 78-63 with 9:01 to play. GS would push the lead to as many as 17 points on a Carter jumper off of a Wishart assist with 3:29 remaining.

Djordje Dimitrijevic scored eight points, and James Glisson III added six as Mercer (3-2) jumped out to a 21-6 lead in the first 5:31 of the contest. McCadden nailed consecutive triples, and Smith and Trey Dawkins capped a 20-8 Eagle run with 3-pointers as Georgia Southern opened a 44-41 cushion late in the period.

Key stats
The Eagles made 20 of 30 from the floor in the second half and made 12 of 29 from 3-point range in the contest. GS scored 23 points off of 16 Bear turnovers.

Next up
Georgia Southern has nine days off until playing three contests in the Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Classic after Thanksgiving. The stretch starts with a meeting against Campbell Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. in Alico Arena.