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 | 13-5 | - | 23-11 |
| Mercer | 11-7 | 2 | 19-13 |
| Wofford | 11-7 | 2 | 19-13 |
| Samford | 11-7 | 2 | 18-14 |
| Furman | 10-8 | 3 | 22-13 |
| Western Carolina | 10-8 | 3 | 15-16 |
| UNC Greensboro | 9-9 | 4 | 15-19 |
| Chattanooga | 7-11 | 6 | 13-19 |
| The Citadel | 7-11 | 6 | 11-22 |
| VMI | 1-17 | 12 | 6-26 |
2025-26 Big 12 Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 16-2 | - | 34-2 |
| Houston | 14-4 | 2 | 30-6 |
| Iowa State | 12-6 | 4 | 29-7 |
| Kansas | 12-6 | 4 | 24-11 |
| Texas Tech | 12-6 | 4 | 23-11 |
| TCU | 11-7 | 5 | 23-12 |
| BYU | 9-9 | 7 | 23-12 |
| UCF | 9-9 | 7 | 21-12 |
| West Virginia | 9-9 | 7 | 18-14 |
| Cincinnati | 9-9 | 7 | 18-15 |
| Colorado | 7-11 | 9 | 17-15 |
| Arizona State | 7-11 | 9 | 17-16 |
| Oklahoma State | 6-12 | 10 | 20-15 |
| Baylor | 6-12 | 10 | 16-16 |
| Kansas State | 3-15 | 13 | 12-20 |
| Utah | 2-16 | 14 | 10-22 |