No. 14 Mercer stuns No. 3 Duke in Raleigh

The 14th-seeded Mercer Bears stunned the third-seeded Duke Blue Devils in Midwest Region play on Friday, claiming a 78-71 decision in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The game was tightly contested throughout, but Mercer closed the game on a 20-5 run to seal the victory.

The Bears shot 55.6 percent from the field in the game, helping them to overcome Duke's 35-27 advantage on the boards, including a 16-3 edge in offensive rebounds.

Mercer forward Jakob Gollon paced the Bears with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting, hitting on all nine of his attempts from the free throw stripe, adding five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Much of the Mercer offense was created by getting the ball to Gollon on the block.

Duke shot just 35.5 percent from the field in the game, getting much of their offense from beyond the arc, where they shot 40.5 percent and hit 15 3-pointers. Guard Quinn Cook led the team in scoring off the bench with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Mercer plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference - the same conference which produced last year's Cinderella team, Florida Gulf Coast.

Mercer advances to take on the winner of the later game in Raleigh between Massachusetts and Tennessee.

Prospect Watch

Jabari Parker, F, Duke: Parker was forced to go to the bench after drawing his third personal foul with better than 16 minutes to play in the second half. That might have been the high point of his day, as he struggled from the field to the tune of 4-of-14 shooting, with four turnovers, in what was likely his final game at Duke. He is projected as a top-three pick.

Rodney Hood, F, Duke: Hood fouled out with over a minute to play, finishing 2-of-10 from the field for six points, adding six rebounds and five assists.

Rasheed Sulaimon, G, Duke: It was Duke's hot shooting from beyond the arc that helped the team stay ahead in the first half. Sulaimon's been hit-or-miss all season, but knocked down 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc in the first half to keep Duke in front. He was the team's offensive catalyst for much of the day, finishing with 20 points.

Langston Hall, G, Mercer: Hall was overshadowed by the play of fellow senior Gollon, but finished with a respectable line - 11 points, five assists, and three rebounds.