Senior forward Herb Pope scored 24 points and collected 17 rebounds to lead Seton Hall to an 80-77 overtime victory over upset-minded Mercer on Sunday.
Pope opened overtime with a power move to give the Pirates (9-1) a 70-68 lead they never relinquished. It started a 7-0 run, with Fuquan Edwin adding two free throws and freshman Aaron Cosby capping the run with a long 3-pointer.
Jordan Theodore, who had 16 points, hit three clutch free throws in the final minute to ice the win.
It was the sixth straight win for the Pirates, whose start is their best since the 1992-93 season, when they went 14-1 under coach P.J. Carlesimo.
Justin Cecil scored 18 points and Langston Hall 17 for the Bears (7-4) of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Edwin added 15 points and had eight steals for Seton Hall.