Greenville, S.C. – Freshman Alex Wilkins rattled in a jumper from the right baseline with 19.1 seconds remaining to lift Furman to a 74-72 victory over Mercer in the Southern Conference men's basketball opener for both schools Wednesday afternoon at Timmons Arena.
 
With its sixth straight win and ninth in its last 10 games, Furman improved to 10-4 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Paladins finished the month of December at 6-0 to go undefeated in the final month of the year for the first time since the 1978-79 season. The Bears slipped to 8-6 overall and 0-1 in the SoCon.
 
Trailing throughout the second half, Mercer made four consecutive shots in the final 2:30, including three behind the arc, and pulled even at 72-72 when Brady Shoulders' connected on a three-pointer from the left wing with 40 seconds remaining. Following a 30-second timeout, Wilkins drove down the right side and leaned in to connect on a floater that put the Paladins back in front by two points. 
 
Mercer could not find the shot it wanted and took a timeout with 5.4 seconds to play. Baraka Okojie inbounded the ball and got the ball back on a handoff before attempting a jumper from the left elbow. Armani Mighty rebounded the miss, but his tip-in came up short and Charles Johnston swatted the ball away as time expired.
 
Wilkins posted a team-high 20 points and seven assists while Asa Thomas contributed 19 points. Tom House and Ben Vander Wal also reached double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Johnston added nine points and 12 rebounds.
 
The lead changed hands eight times in the first half, but the Paladins led the entire second half until the final minute. Furman shot 44.1% from the field and made good on 9-of-23 three-point attempts. Mercer shot just 41.4%, but the Bears held a 15-9 edge in points off turnovers, 38-28 advantage in points in the paint and outscored Furman 17-8 on second chance opportunities.
 
Okojie paced Mercer with 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting and Zaire Williams added 13 points. Mighty was held to eight points while pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds.
 
Furman returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Western Carolina for a 4 p.m. tip-off at Timmons Arena. The showdown versus the Catamounts, which will be streamed live on ESPN+, will serve as the second half of a doubleheader that begins with the Furman women's team hosting Bob Jones at 1 p.m.
 
Tickets for Saturday's doubleheader can be purchased on Furman's Ticketmaster page.
 
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