CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Chattanooga Mocs used a dominant second half to erase a halftime deficit and defeat the Mercer Bears 79-75 in a Southern Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at McKenzie Arena before a crowd of 3,183.

Mercer led 37-34 at halftime, but Chattanooga surged with 45 second-half points to secure the victory. Baraka Okojie led Mercer with 19 points and six assists, while Armani Mighty added 18 points. Chattanooga’s Tate Darner matched Mighty with 18 points, and Brennan Watkins scored 15.

The win improved Chattanooga to 10-14 overall, while Mercer fell to 15-9. The teams will meet again in Macon on Feb. 19.