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KENNESAW, Ga.  – In a game that was tied seven times and the lead changed eight times, the Mercer Bears topped the Kennesaw State men's basketball team 80-76 at the KSU Convocation Center on December 28.
 
Trailing by three with time winding down, Kendrick Ray took a long three pointer that went off the iron for the Owls, securing the victory for the Bears.
 
KSU had four players score in double figures with Aubrey Williams leading the way with 16. He added 10 rebounds as well for his eighth double-double of the season.
 
Much of the first half was tightly contested as Kennesaw State took its largest lead eight minutes into the game after a Nick Masterson three to go up 13-10. Mercer battled back going up five with 2:12 left in the opening frame, but after six points from Williams to end the half, the Owls trailed 33-31.
 
The Bears went 4-8 in the first half from behind the arc, but caught fire in the second half going 10-13 from three in the final 20 minutes.
 
The hot outside shooting pushed Mercer out to a nine-point lead immediately in the second half forcing the Owls to play catch up.
 
KSU stayed determined though and cut that lead to 46-44 with 13:23 remaining, but the next four field goals from Mercer all came from three-point land pushing the Bears back up by 11.
 
The Owls had one more comeback in them as Ray and Tyler Hooker hit back-to-back threes to make the score 76-74 with 1:31 remaining. After the Bears hit their 10^th three of the half going back up five, Ray hit a layup and then KSU forced a turnover for their final attempt to tie the game and force overtime.
 
Ray couldn't get his final shot to fall however, giving Mercer the victory over Kennesaw State.
 
Kennesaw State shot 50.9 percent from the floor and had 16 assists to only six turnovers, but Mercer's 14 three pointers were too much to overcome in the end.
  
KSU has one more home game in 2016 against North Georgia on Saturday, December 31 at noon.

#NestNotes

• Williams secured his eighth double-double of the season finishing with a team leading 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• Masterson bounced back against the Bears scoring 14 points on 5-9 shooting with four of those being three-pointers.
• Ray finished with 13 points and five assists on the night. The 13 points got him closer to his 1,000^th career point as he currently sits at 989.
• James Scott scored in double-figures for the second time in his career. The freshman had 10 points in 16 minutes off the bench.
• With the four-point loss, it marks the fourth time this season KSU has lost by five points or less.
• The Owls had 16 assists to only six turnovers. The six turnovers were the least amount of turnovers they have had this season.

 
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