MACON, Ga. – Tre Jackson led four Western Carolina players in double figures with 18 points as the Catamounts held off a later Mercer rally for a 71-68 win over the Bears inside Hawkins Arena on Saturday afternoon.
 
WCU improves to 16-13 overall and 9-7 in Southern Conference play with the win. Mercer falls to 12-17 and 5-11. The Catamounts complete the season sweep of Mercer for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
 
Jackson's 18-point day came as he finished 5-for-15 from the field, 2-for-6 on 3-point attempts, and 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Vonterius Woolbright tallied 16 points along with seven rebounds, and seven assists. Tyzhaun Claude returned to the lineup on Saturday, posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Russell Jones Jr. also finished in double figures with 12 points.
 
Of WCU's 71 points, 20 came as a result of Mercer turnovers as the Catamounts forced 15 Bear miscues.
 
Jah Quinones led Mercer with 19 points and was joined in double figures by Jalyn McCreary with 18 and Kamar Robertson with 11.
 
McCreary opened the scoring with a dunk 16 seconds into the game, but Woolbright gave the visitors an early 8-4 advantage thanks to a bucket with 17:14 remaining. With the score tied at 16 with 11:33 remaining before the break, the Bears went on an 8-0 run capped by a Robertson jumper for a 24-16 lead at the 6:34 mark. WCU responded with a 9-0 run of its own, going ahead thanks to a Jones Jr. basket with just over four minutes to play until halftime for a 25-24 lead. Jones Jr drained a 3-pointer with 1:17 left for a 31-30 Catamount lead but Robertson matched with a triple at the other end with six seconds remaining to give Mercer a 33-31 halftime lead.
 
Shawn Walker Jr.'s jumper at the 17:46 mark gave the Bears a 37-33 lead in the second half. The Catamounts went back on top with a 7-0 run only to have the Bears respond to reclaim a 42-40 edge on a Michael Zanoni basket at the 14:43 mark. WCU answered with an 8-2 spurt but McCreary knotted the contest at 48 with 11:09 to play.
 
A 9-2 run gave the Catamounts a 57-50 lead following a Jackson jumper with 8:20 to play. Mercer trimmed the WCU advantage to one, 61-60, on a Robertson jumper with 3:50 left. The Catamounts used a DJ Campbell block and a steal by Jackson on ensuing Mercer possessions to hold onto the lead before making six straight free throws to push the lead back to seven, 67-60 with 1:38 remaining.
 
The Bears made one final push as Robertson sank a pair of free throws to trim the WCU lead to 70-68 with 16 seconds left. Jackson was fouled and made the first of two free throws, with Robertson missing the would-be tying 3-pointer with nine seconds left and the Catamounts secured the rebound.
 
Mercer held a 33-30 edge in rebounds. For the game, the Bears were 29-for-58 (50 percent) from the field, 4-for-11 (36 percent) behind the arc, and 6-for-9 (67 percent) at the free throw line. WCU was 23-for-54 (43 percent) from the field, and 4-for-11 (36 percent) on 3-point attempts but made 21 of its 24 (88 percent) free throw attempts. The four made 3-pointers are the fewest made in a win for WCU this season.
 
WCU ventures to UNCG on Wednesday for its final regular season road contest with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
 
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