East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs. Mercer Bears

FINAL

Feb 28, 2026

Box Score

	1	2	T
ETSU	35	41	76
MER	49	33	82

Game Recap

Williams' 23 help Mercer down East Tennessee State 82-76. Zaire Williams' 23 points helped Mercer defeat East Tennessee State 82-76 on Saturday.

Player Stats

EAST TENNESSEE STATE	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
13Blake Barkley	31	6-13	0-1	4-5	9	3	1	1	3	4	16
15Cam Morris III	27	3-8	0-1	1-1	11	1	2	0	1	2	7
35Jordan McCullum	21	3-3	0-0	2-3	1	1	1	1	0	2	8
11Brian Taylor II	33	6-15	3-7	0-0	2	1	0	0	1	3	15
5Allen Strothers	17	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	5	1	0	1	1	2
24Isaiah Sutherland	9	3-5	3-5	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	3	9
4Jaylen Smith	24	3-8	2-5	2-2	1	1	0	0	1	2	10
2Maki Johnson	25	2-4	1-3	2-3	4	1	3	0	0	5	7
55Milton Matthews III	13	1-3	0-2	0-0	2	0	0	0	0	1	2
TOTAL	-	28-6245.2%	9-2437.5%	11-1478.6%	30	13	8	2	7	23	76

MERCER	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
26Armani Mighty	35	5-10	0-0	0-4	13	1	0	1	3	1	10
3Quinton Perkins II	33	4-5	4-5	0-0	3	1	1	0	2	2	12
6Baraka Okojie	37	1-7	0-2	12-17	3	8	4	0	1	3	14
14TJ Grant	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
1Zaire Williams	34	7-9	4-6	5-6	1	2	0	0	1	1	23
8Bendji Pierre	13	3-7	2-4	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	1	8
2Connor Serven	29	1-4	0-1	3-4	7	2	1	2	2	3	5
5Kyle Cuffe Jr.	16	3-5	1-3	3-5	3	0	0	1	0	2	10

TOTAL	-	24-4751.1%	11-2152.4%	23-3663.9%	30	15	6	4	9	14	82

Play-by-Play

Scores OnlyExpand All

1st halfETSUMER

(20:00) Start game.
(19:59) Jump Ball won by Mercer.
(19:59) Jump Ball lost by East Tennessee State.
(19:41) Armani Mighty misses layup.
(19:41) Blake Barkley Block.
(19:37) Blake Barkley Defensive Rebound.
(19:21) Foul on TJ Grant.
(19:18) Brian Taylor II misses 5-foot jumper.
(19:15) Cam Morris III Offensive Rebound.
(19:08) Allen Strothers bad pass turnover.
(19:08) Quinton Perkins II Steal.
+3 (19:00) Quinton Perkins II makes 25-foot three point jumper.
03
(19:00) Foul on Brian Taylor II.
(18:40) Baraka Okojie misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(18:37) Armani Mighty Offensive Rebound.
(18:35) Armani Mighty misses layup.
(18:33) Blake Barkley Defensive Rebound.
(18:07) Foul on Baraka Okojie.
+1 (18:07) Blake Barkley makes free throw 1 of 2.
13
+1 (18:07) Blake Barkley makes free throw 2 of 2.
23
(17:53) Foul on Jordan McCullum.
+1 (17:53) Zaire Williams makes free throw 1 of 3.
24
(17:53) Zaire Williams misses free throw 2 of 3.
(17:53) Mercer Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (17:53) Zaire Williams makes free throw 3 of 3.
25
(17:18) team shot clock turnover .
(17:00) Quinton Perkins II misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(16:59) East Tennessee State Defensive Rebound.
(16:47) Blake Barkley bad pass turnover.
(16:47) Connor Serven Steal.
+2 (16:42) Zaire Williams makes layup (Connor Serven assists).
27
(16:26) Brian Taylor II bad pass turnover.
(16:26) Baraka Okojie Steal.
+2 (16:20) Armani Mighty makes layup (Baraka Okojie assists).
29
(16:00) Foul on Quinton Perkins II.
+1 (16:00) Jaylen Smith makes free throw 1 of 2.
39
+1 (16:00) Jaylen Smith makes free throw 2 of 2.
49
+2 (15:47) Connor Serven makes 1-foot dunk (Baraka Okojie assists).
411
(15:31) Foul on Connor Serven.
+2 (15:11) Milton Matthews III makes 7-foot jumper.
611
(14:45) Baraka Okojie misses 4-foot jumper.
(14:42) Armani Mighty Offensive Rebound.
+3 (14:39) Quinton Perkins II makes 27-foot three point jumper (Zaire Williams assists).
614
(14:12) Blake Barkley bad pass turnover.
(14:12) Baraka Okojie Steal.
+2 (14:05) Armani Mighty makes 1-foot dunk (Baraka Okojie assists).
616
(13:52) Cam Morris III misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(13:48) Connor Serven Defensive Rebound.
(13:40) Baraka Okojie bad pass turnover.
(13:40) Cam Morris III Steal.
(13:29) Jaylen Smith misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(13:26) Cam Morris III Offensive Rebound.
(13:18) Cam Morris III misses 6-foot jumper.
(13:18) Connor Serven Block.
(13:08) Zaire Williams Defensive Rebound.
(13:02) Foul on Maki Johnson.
(13:02) Baraka Okojie misses free throw 1 of 2.
(13:02) Mercer Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (13:02) Baraka Okojie makes free throw 2 of 2.
617
+2 (12:51) Brian Taylor II makes layup.
817
(12:37) Connor Serven misses layup.
(12:34) Jordan McCullum Defensive Rebound.
(12:26) Brian Taylor II misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(12:23) Maki Johnson Offensive Rebound.
(12:21) Milton Matthews III misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(12:18) Baraka Okojie Defensive Rebound.
+3 (12:12) Bendji Pierre makes 23-foot three point jumper (Connor Serven assists).
820
+3 (11:45) Brian Taylor II makes 24-foot three point jumper.
1120
(11:29) Bendji Pierre misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(11:26) Kyle Cuffe Jr. Offensive Rebound.
+2 (11:24) Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes layup.
1122
+3 (11:05) Maki Johnson makes 30-foot three point jumper (Jordan McCullum assists).
1422
+3 (10:52) Zaire Williams makes 25-foot three point jumper (Bendji Pierre assists).
1425
+2 (10:28) Jordan McCullum makes layup (Allen Strothers assists).
1625
(10:24) Quinton Perkins II bad pass turnover.
(10:24) Maki Johnson Steal.
+3 (10:14) Brian Taylor II makes 22-foot three point jumper (Allen Strothers assists).
1925
+2 (9:49) Bendji Pierre makes layup.
1927
(9:32) Brian Taylor II misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(9:29) Kyle Cuffe Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(9:20) Bendji Pierre misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(9:17) Maki Johnson Defensive Rebound.
+2 (9:03) Allen Strothers makes 6-foot jumper.
2127
+2 (8:36) Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes layup.
2129
(8:36) Foul on Isaiah Sutherland.
+1 (8:36) Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes free throw 1 of 1.
2130
(8:12) Blake Barkley misses layup.
(8:06) Armani Mighty Defensive Rebound.
(8:03) Armani Mighty misses layup.
(8:01) Cam Morris III Defensive Rebound.
(7:57) Allen Strothers misses layup.
(7:57) Kyle Cuffe Jr. Block.
(7:57) East Tennessee State Offensive Rebound.
+2 (7:38) Blake Barkley makes layup.
2330
+3 (7:22) Kyle Cuffe Jr. makes 24-foot three point jumper (Quinton Perkins II assists).
2333
(6:58) Maki Johnson misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(6:55) Baraka Okojie Defensive Rebound.
+3 (6:49) Quinton Perkins II makes 25-foot three point jumper (Baraka Okojie assists).
2336
+2 (6:32) Cam Morris III makes layup (Jaylen Smith assists).
2536
(6:32) Foul on Kyle Cuffe Jr..
+1 (6:32) Cam Morris III makes free throw 1 of 1.
2636
+2 (6:16) Armani Mighty makes layup (Baraka Okojie assists).
2638
+3 (5:57) Jaylen Smith makes 24-foot three point jumper (Blake Barkley assists).
2938
(5:42) Foul on Blake Barkley.
(5:42) Armani Mighty misses free throw 1 of 2.
(5:42) Mercer Deadball Team Rebound.
(5:42) Armani Mighty misses free throw 2 of 2.
(5:41) Blake Barkley Defensive Rebound.
(5:20) Jaylen Smith bad pass turnover.
(5:20) Baraka Okojie Steal.
(5:15) Baraka Okojie misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(5:11) Cam Morris III Defensive Rebound.
(4:57) Jaylen Smith misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(4:54) Connor Serven Defensive Rebound.
(4:44) Connor Serven misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(4:42) Milton Matthews III Defensive Rebound.
(4:24) Jaylen Smith misses layup.
(4:21) Cam Morris III Offensive Rebound.
(4:20) Cam Morris III misses layup.
(4:19) Armani Mighty Defensive Rebound.
(4:19) Foul on Milton Matthews III.
+1 (4:19) Baraka Okojie makes free throw 1 of 2.
2939
+1 (4:19) Baraka Okojie makes free throw 2 of 2.
2940
(4:05) Milton Matthews III misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(4:02) Connor Serven Defensive Rebound.
(3:50) Connor Serven bad pass turnover.
(3:50) Blake Barkley Steal.
(3:46) Foul on Bendji Pierre.
(3:36) Cam Morris III misses 7-foot jumper.
(3:36) Connor Serven Block.
(3:30) Cam Morris III Offensive Rebound.
(3:29) Blake Barkley misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(3:25) Quinton Perkins II Defensive Rebound.
(3:14) Foul on Brian Taylor II.
+1 (3:14) Zaire Williams makes free throw 1 of 3.
2941
+1 (3:14) Zaire Williams makes free throw 2 of 3.
2942
+1 (3:14) Zaire Williams makes free throw 3 of 3.
2943
+2 (2:44) Jordan McCullum makes 21-foot jumper (Blake Barkley assists).
3143
(2:28) Baraka Okojie misses layup.
(2:28) Jordan McCullum Block.
(2:28) Mercer Offensive Rebound.
(2:24) Zaire Williams misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(2:20) Blake Barkley Defensive Rebound.
(2:14) Brian Taylor II misses layup.
(2:11) Quinton Perkins II Defensive Rebound.
+3 (2:04) Bendji Pierre makes 23-foot three point jumper (Zaire Williams assists).
3146
(1:41) Blake Barkley misses layup.
(1:35) Brian Taylor II Offensive Rebound.
+2 (1:35) Brian Taylor II makes 0-foot tip in layup.
3346
+3 (1:23) Zaire Williams makes 24-foot three point jumper (Baraka Okojie assists).
3349
(0:52) Blake Barkley misses 9-foot jumper.
(0:48) Maki Johnson Offensive Rebound.
+2 (0:46) Maki Johnson makes layup.
3549
(0:24) Bendji Pierre misses 6-foot jumper.
(0:21) Armani Mighty Offensive Rebound.
(0:20) Armani Mighty bad pass turnover.
(0:20) Maki Johnson Steal.
(0:01) Brian Taylor II misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(0:00) Maki Johnson Offensive Rebound.

2nd half

Team Stats

ETSU

MER

76Points82

28-62(45.2%)Field Goal(%)24-47(51.1%)

9-24(37.5%)3-Point(%)11-21(52.4%)

11-14(78.6%)Free Throw(%)23-36(63.9%)

33(13)Rebounds(Offensive)32(9)

13Assists15

8Steals6

2Blocks4

8Turnovers9

23(0)Fouls(Technical)14(0)

0Largest Lead17

Game Details

Saturday, February 28, 2026 · 4:30 PM

Hawkins Arena · Macon, GA

attendance: 2,317 (66.2%)

tv: ESPN+

spread: MER -1.5

over/under: 149.5