Greenville, S.C. – Jalyn McCreary scored a game high 21 points to lift the Mercer Bears to an 82-75 victory over the Furman Paladins on Saturday in the regular season finale from Timmons Arena.

Furman concludes the regular season with a 16-15 overall record and 10-8 mark in the Southern Conference. With the win, Mercer improves to 15-16 on the year and 8-10 in league play.

The Paladins have already secured a first-round bye in the 2024 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship, which is set for March 8-11 at the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, N.C. Furman will be the No. 5 seed and face Western Carolina in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, March 9, at 8:30 p.m.

McCreary's 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting paced four Bears in double figures, who finished the game shooting 55.2 percent from the field. David Thomas provided 18 points, Caleb Hunter 14, and Jalen Cobb 11.

Mercer held its largest lead of the game with five minutes remaining in the contest when Hunter connected on a three to give it a 70-57 advantage. Following a Marcus Foster layup, McCreary answered with a dunk to put Mercer back in front, 72-59. The Paladins staged a late rally over the final 4:29 going on a 16-6 run to cut their deficit to 78-75 with 33 seconds left on PJ Smith Jr.'s triple. The Bears closed out the contest at the free throw line to claim the seven-point victory.

A total of three players scored 10 or more points for Furman led by JP Pegues' 19 and eight assists on 7-of-14 shooting. Smith made five three-pointers to finish with 17 points and pulled down six rounds. Foster totaled a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Ben VanderWal contributed seven rebounds.

McCreary also finished with five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Thomas was 7-of-13 from the field and led the team with six assists. Hunter made five field goals and Cobb knocked down three triples.

The Paladins shot 41.2 percent as a team, including 9-of-35 behind the three-point line. Furman outrebounded Mercer 40-29, including 19 offensive boards, leading to a 18-4 margin in second chance points.

Fans will be able to purchase tickets to the 2024 Ingles SoCon Men's Basketball Championship by logging on to www.furmanpaladins.com.