Haase, Neftali help Mercer beat Georgia Tech 83-73
ATLANTA -- — Felipe Haase and Neftali Alvarez scored 17 points apiece, Ross Cummings added 16 points, and Mercer beat Georgia Tech 83-73 on Friday night at the Georgia Tech Invitational.
Haase hit a career-high five 3-pointers, Alvarez grabbed eight rebounds and had a career-high nine assists, and Cummings was 5-of-7 shooting. James Glisson III added 14 points for Mercer (2-0).
Rodney Howard hit a jumper that gave Georgia Tech (0-2) a 4-2 lead but Cummings made a 3-pointer 30 seconds later to spark a 10-0 run and the Bears never again trailed.
Moses Wright led the Yellow Jackets with 20 points and Michael Devoe scored 14.
Georgia Tech, which went into halftime trailing 38-35, committed five turnovers and made just 2 of 16 from the field over the first 10-plus minutes of the second half as the Bears stretched their lead to double figures when Alvarez converted a three-point play that made it 51-41. The Yellow Jackets twice hit 3-pointers to trim their deficit to seven points, but got no closer.
Mercer shot just 44% (27 of 61) from the field, compared to 46% (28 of 61) shooting by the Jackets, but hit 12 of 25 from behind the arc and 17 of 18 from the free-throw line.
Georgia Tech, coming off a four-overtime loss to Georgia State in its opener, got off to a hot start but appeared to run out of gas. The Yellow Jackets shot 56% in the first half.
The Bears have won two in a row against Georgia Tech, but just 17 in the 45-game series. The teams last met December 22, 2011, a 65-59 win by Mercer.
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2020-2021 Southern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wofford | 6-1 | - | 9-4 |
| East Tennessee State | 5-1 | 0.5 | 9-5 |
| UNC Greensboro | 5-2 | 1 | 10-5 |
| Furman | 4-2 | 1.5 | 10-5 |
| Mercer | 3-3 | 2.5 | 10-4 |
| VMI | 3-4 | 3 | 8-8 |
| Chattanooga | 3-5 | 3.5 | 12-5 |
| Samford | 2-5 | 4 | 6-8 |
| The Citadel | 1-4 | 4 | 8-4 |
| Western Carolina | 0-5 | 5 | 7-7 |
2020-2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 6-0 | - | 10-2 |
| Florida State | 5-1 | 1 | 9-2 |
| Virginia Tech | 5-2 | 1.5 | 11-3 |
| Louisville | 5-2 | 1.5 | 10-3 |
| Pittsburgh | 4-2 | 2 | 8-3 |
| North Carolina | 5-3 | 2 | 10-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 3-2 | 2.5 | 7-4 |
| Syracuse | 3-3 | 3 | 9-4 |
| Duke | 3-3 | 3 | 5-5 |
| Clemson | 3-4 | 3.5 | 9-4 |
| NC State | 2-4 | 4 | 6-5 |
| Notre Dame | 2-5 | 4.5 | 5-8 |
| Miami | 2-7 | 5.5 | 6-8 |
| Wake Forest | 1-6 | 5.5 | 4-6 |
| Boston College | 1-6 | 5.5 | 3-10 |