Mercer Bears at UCF Knights
· NCAA Men's Basketball
Jordan Burks scores 17 points and UCF defeats Mercer 81-63 for eighth straight win
UCF (9-1) has won eight in a row for the first time since the 2004-05 team also won eight straight. The Knights extended the best start under head coach Johnny Dawkins, who took over in 2016.
The Knights led 28-22 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half before a 3-pointer by Chris Johnson started a 7-2 run that gave them an 11-point lead, 35-24. Connor Serven’s 3-pointer got the Bears within 35-27 at halftime.
Central Florida scored the first five points of the second half for a 40-27 lead. The Knights led by double digits the rest of the way. The lead reached 20 points with a little over a minute remaining.
Riley Kugel scored 16 points and Themus Fulks 14 for UCF. Stillwell had 12 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Brady Shoulders scored 14 points, Armani Mighty 13 and Baraka Okojie 10 for the Bears (7-4). Mighty had nine rebounds and four blocks.
Mercer has lost two in a row, including a 70-63 loss to Clemson last Saturday that snapped the Bears' five-game winning streak. Three of Mercer's four losses have been to teams from a power conference.
Mercer: The Bears travel across the country to play at Washington State on Saturday.
How can I watch Mercer vs. UCF?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 63 - 81 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 63 - 81 |
| 2nd 0:01 | Jamichael Stillwell Defensive Rebound. | 63 - 81 |
| 2nd 0:03 | Baraka Okojie misses 16-foot jumper | 63 - 81 |
| 2nd 0:11 | Brady Shoulders Offensive Rebound. | 63 - 81 |
Statistics
 MER |
 UCF |
|
|---|---|---|
| 20-53 | FG | 30-68 |
| 38 | Field Goal % | 44 |
| 5-18 | 3PT | 8-24 |
| 28 | Three Point % | 33 |
| 18-24 | FT | 13-17 |
| 75 | Free Throw % | 76 |
| 34 | Rebounds | 44 |
| 9 | Offensive Rebounds | 17 |
| 25 | Defensive Rebounds | 27 |
| 7 | Assists | 13 |
| 7 | Steals | 10 |
| 4 | Blocks | 4 |
| 17 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 17 | Total Turnovers | 12 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 15 | Points Off Turnovers | 18 |
| 7 | Fast Break Points | 14 |
| 26 | Points in Paint | 34 |
| 14 | Fouls | 19 |
| 0 | Largest Lead | 20 |
| 0 | Lead Changes | 0 |
| 0 | Percent Led | 94 |
Game Information
Location: Orlando, FL
Attendance: 5,195 | Capacity:
2025-26 Southern Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State | 9-2 | - | 17-7 |
| Wofford | 8-3 | 1 | 16-8 |
| Mercer | 7-3 | 1.5 | 15-8 |
| Furman | 7-4 | 2 | 16-8 |
| The Citadel | 5-5 | 3.5 | 8-15 |
| UNC Greensboro | 5-6 | 4 | 9-15 |
| Samford | 4-6 | 4.5 | 11-12 |
| Western Carolina | 4-7 | 5 | 8-14 |
| Chattanooga | 3-7 | 5.5 | 9-14 |
| VMI | 1-10 | 8 | 6-18 |
2025-26 Big 12 Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 9-0 | - | 22-0 |
| Houston | 8-1 | 1 | 20-2 |
| Iowa State | 7-2 | 2 | 20-2 |
| Kansas | 7-2 | 2 | 17-5 |
| Texas Tech | 6-3 | 3 | 16-6 |
| UCF | 6-4 | 3.5 | 17-5 |
| BYU | 5-4 | 4 | 17-5 |
| West Virginia | 5-4 | 4 | 14-8 |
| Oklahoma State | 4-5 | 5 | 16-6 |
| TCU | 3-6 | 6 | 13-9 |
| Cincinnati | 3-6 | 6 | 11-11 |
| Baylor | 3-7 | 6.5 | 13-9 |
| Colorado | 3-7 | 6.5 | 13-10 |
| Arizona State | 3-7 | 6.5 | 12-11 |
| Kansas State | 1-8 | 8 | 10-12 |
| Utah | 1-8 | 8 | 9-13 |