The Citadel men’s basketball team lost to Mercer 70-54 on Saturday at McAlister Field House in Charleston, South Carolina. The defeat brings The Citadel’s record to 9-18 overall and 6-8 in the Southern Conference, while Mercer improves to 17-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play.
The Bulldogs led at halftime, holding a 25-18 advantage. This first-half defensive effort limited Mercer to its lowest scoring output in a half since 2011 and matched the ninth lowest in the school’s history. However, Mercer responded after the break, outscoring The Citadel 52-29 in the second half.
Braxton Williams led The Citadel with 17 points. Christian Moore contributed 15 points, and Carter Kingsbury had a team-high 11 rebounds.
For Mercer, Baraka Okojie finished with a game-high 22 points along with six assists and three steals. Quinton Perkins II added 13 points, Connor Serven scored 10, and Armani Mighty recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
After the game, Citadel head coach Ed Conroy said: “I loved our energy and the way we responded coming off last game. Our guys played hard and competed, but we cannot let physicality take us out of what we are trying to do. We have to stay disciplined, share the basketball and make better decisions. We only had eight assists and forced too many shots inside, and that is not who we are. The fundamentals, our cutting, screening, pace and execution, are all within our control. We will get back to work this week and prepare for Samford.”
The Citadel will continue its three-game road stretch against Samford on Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Coverage of The Citadel basketball program is available through their social media accounts @CitadelHoops on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram as well as online at their official athletics website CitadelSports.com.
