Nov. 28, 1999

Box Score

HILO, Hawaii (AP) - Luther Clay scored a career-high 27 points and Rhode Island beat Mercer 65-59 Sunday in the fifth-place game of the Big Island Invitational.

Clay, a 6-foot-9 senior center, averaged 21.3 points and 9.6 rebounds as the Rams (2-2) rallied from an overtime loss to Santa Clara in the opening round of the eight-team tournament with wins over Cleveland State and Mercer.

Rhode Island closed the first half with a 15-0 run - Clay had 10 of the points - to take the lead for good and was up 42-33 at halftime. Mercer (2-3) hung around throughout the second half and was within 61-57 on a hook shot by Scott Emerson with 5:27 left, but Clay's dunk on a nice pass by Zach Marbury with 4:34 left had the Rams back up by six points.

Neither team scored again until Torris Woolfolk's two free throws with 1:54 left brought Mercer within 63-59, but the Rams twice ran down the shot clock and Mercer missed two 3-point attempts before Clay, who had five rebounds, closed the game with a dunk at the buzzer.

Marbury, who was 3-for-3 from 3-point range, had 11 points and seven assists for Rhode Island, while Tiger Womack, who also was 3-for-3 on 3s, had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Emerson and Koren McCray each had 11 points for the Bears, while Woolfolk had 10.