Mercer’s State Dreams Ended By DCA
Casey Roberts
Herald Contributor
The Mercer County Titans fought to the final buzzer in their first 12th Region Championship appearance since 2018, pushing Danville Christian Academy (DCA) to overtime before falling 39-36 in a hard-fought battle.
After trailing by double digits in the second half, the Titans surged back in the final minutes of regulation to take their first lead, only for DCA to force overtime. The Warriors then capitalized on key moments to claim the 12th Region title.
Under second-year head coach Keith Adkins, the Titans (23-11) reached the 12th Region finals after a double-overtime victory over Wayne County in the quarterfinals and a semifinal win over back-to-back defending region champion Pulaski County.
DCA struck first, taking an early lead, while Kaleb Murray responded with a mid-range jumper to put Mercer on the board. A defensive stop led to a breakaway layup by Andrew Tatum, but turnovers allowed DCA to push the lead to 10-4.
Mercer County Senior Andrew Tatum fired a three in front of the DCA bench.
With a minute remaining in the first quarter, Jackson Doughty provided a much-needed basket to cut the deficit to 10-6, though a buzzer-beating three-pointer extended the Warriors’ lead to 13-6.
DCA opened the second quarter with another score, and Tatum answered with a three-pointer to make it 16-9. Mercer battled inside against DCA’s size, and Ellis’s offensive rebounding led to a putback basket, narrowing the margin to 16-11.
Doughty converted two free throws midway through the quarter, but Mercer’s offense struggled to find opportunities against DCA’s stifling defense. The Titans’ defensive effort limited further scoring, yet they still trailed 20-13 at halftime.
Mercer County shot 5-of-13 in the first half, including 1-of-4 from three-point range, while committing seven turnovers.
The Titans emerged from halftime with renewed urgency, though DCA maintained control and stretched its lead to 24-14. A three-pointer extended the margin to 27-14, before Ellis knocked down two free throws to make it 27-16 at the end of the third quarter.
Seeking momentum, Hagan Preston opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back jumpers—his first points of the game and Mercer’s first field goals of the second half—cutting the deficit to 27-20.
DCA answered with a basket, but Preston stayed hot, sinking a three-pointer to bring Mercer within six at 29-23.
With three minutes remaining, DCA attempted to run out the clock, but Doughty came up with a steal, leading to a layup that made it 29-25.
As the game approached the final minute, Mercer’s defense delivered again. Doughty forced another turnover, setting up Ellis for an old-fashioned three-point play to cut the deficit to 29-28 with under a minute left.
