Mercer claims 10th win of the season, beating Kennesaw State

Mercer wrapped up its non-conference schedule Wednesday, holding off Kennesaw State for a 76-73 win.

The Bears started strong and built a 10-point lead at the half and had control of the game for most of the second half, leading by as many as 14 points. Mercer (10-3) then had to hold off the Owls, who made a push in the closing minutes only to come up short in the final seconds.

With a one-point lead, senior guard Jestin Lewis scored with seven seconds on a drive to the basket. The Owls had one final shot, but Yonel Brown's 3-pointer came up well short.

THREE WHO MATTERED

Lewis: The senior guard made 5-of-11 shots from the floor, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, to finish with 13 points.

Stephon Jelks: The sophomore continued his strong play this season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He hit 7-of-12 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Demetre Rivers: The sophomore scored 11 points and hit three 3-pointers.

WORTH MENTIONING

Dominating the boards: Jelks' double-double keyed the Bears' strong performance on the boards as they outrebounded the Owls 40-25.

Running the show: Senior point guard Phillip Leonard has had a strong start to his final season, and he had eight points and seven assists with no turnovers.

Plenty of balance: Nine Mercer players scored, including four off the bench.

Dominant duo: Kennesaw State's backcourt of Brown and Kendrick Ray finished with 47 points as each player hit three 3-pointers. Ray had 30 points, hitting 11-of-20 from the floor, while Brown had 17 points.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Mercer opens Southern Conference play at 2 p.m. on Saturday at home against Samford. The game will be televised by FS Southeast.

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "Mercer claims 10th win of the season, beating Kennesaw State ."