East Tennessee State wins 77-71 against Mercer

By Canadian Press on January 3, 2026.

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Brian Taylor II scored 21 points as East Tennessee State beat Mercer 77-71 on Saturday.

Taylor added eight rebounds for the Buccaneers (10-5, 2-0 Southern Conference). Blake Barkley shot 7 for 12 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to add 19 points. Jaylen Smith had 13 points.

The Bears (8-7, 0-2) were led by Brady Shoulders, who finished with 21 points and eight rebounds. Baraka Okojie added 15 points, four assists and two steals for Mercer. Zaire Williams finished with 13 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press