MACON, Ga. – The UNCG men's basketball team suffered an 81-67 loss to Southern Conference foe Mercer Saturday afternoon at Hawkins Arena in Macon. The loss drops the Spartans to 4-5 in league play while the Bears improve to 6-3 in SoCon action and 10-0 at home this season.

Senior forward Kayel Locke (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) led four in double figures in the loss with a team-high 20 points and five rebounds. Locke connected on 6-of-10 from the field, including three 3-pointers, while hitting 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Freshman guard Francis Alonso (Malaga, Spain/Cushing Academy) added 14 points and six assists as he was 4-of-6 from 3-point land.

The Spartans (8-14, 4-5 SoCon) were held to 41.2 percent (21-of-51) shooting from the field and 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from 3-point land. UNCG was forced into 14 turnovers, including 10 in the second half when Mercer out-scored the Spartans 46-36. The Bears also won the rebounding battle against the Spartans by a 35-27 margin, including nine on the offensive end.

Mercer (16-6, 6-3 SoCon) finished the game shooting 50 percent (28-of-56) from the field and hit 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from 3-point land. Jestin Lewis led three Bears in double figures with a game-high 23 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Desmond Ringer chipped in 16 points and Ethan Stair added 12 points off the bench.

Mercer came out and took the game's first lead at 9-5 as it used the energy in the crowd for the fast start. Jordan Strawberry came off the bench and scored five points early, including an off-balanced 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring.

UNCG settled in and took a 16-15 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining in the half. Sophomore forward Marvin Smith (Richmond, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) and Alonso hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Spartans the one-point lead.

Junior center R.J. White (Frisco, Texas/Frisco) hit a 3-pointer and scored in the paint to give the Spartans a 24-21 lead with 4:07 remaining. The Bears scored the game's next seven points to take a 28-24 lead as Phillip Leonard scored on consecutive possessions while Ethan Stair added a 3-pointer to cap the run.

The Spartans pulled within 32-31 with 28.4 seconds remaining as senior guard Asad Lamot (Mebane, N.C./Eastern Alamance) hit a 3-pointer but Stephon Jelks answered with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Mercer a 35-31 lead at the halftime break. The Spartans connected on 41.7 percent (10-of-24) from the field and 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from 3-point land in the first half. White and Alonso led the way with eight points apiece in the first half while junior guard Diante Baldwin (Greensboro, N.C./High Point Christian) dished out five assists in the half.

Mercer connected on 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the field and 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point land in the first half. The Bears held a decided advantage on the glass in the first half, out-rebounding the Spartans 20-11, including six on the offensive glass. Desmond Ringer and Strawberry led the way with eight points apiece while Leonard added six first half points.

The Spartans came out of the halftime break and took a 37-35 lead quickly as Locke and Smith hit 3-pointers early in the second half. The Bears responded and took a 52-43 lead with a 9-1 spurt, including a 3-pointer from Lewis. The Spartans were able to trim the deficit to six after an Alonso 3-pointer but Mercer continued to hit from the outside as Lewis hit two more to take a 61-48 lead.

The Spartans were able to trim the deficit down to 65-56 after a pair of Locke free throws but Mercer ended any doubt with a 10-2 run to take a 75-58 lead and seal the victory. White finished the game with 12 points and six rebounds as he was 5-of-7 from the field in 30 minutes of action. Smith added 10 points while Baldwin finished the game with eight rebounds.

UNCG returns to action for three games in a span of five days, beginning Thursday night when it welcomes in Western Carolina to the Greensboro Coliseum. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN App.

-UNCG-