DURHAM, N.C. – The Mercer University men's lacrosse team fell at No. 4 Duke on Monday evening by a final score of 19-9 in Durham, N.C. The loss drops the Bears' record to 2-2 on the season.

The Blue Devils lived up to their No. 4 ranking from the beginning, jumping out to an 8-1 lead through the opening 15 minutes. Duke increased its lead to 12-2 by the half. Mercer's first half goals were scored by senior Chris Baxa and Ben LeSane.

The Bears were outscored in the third quarter 6-3, trailing Duke 18-5 after 45 minutes of play. Mercer ended the evening strong, scoring four goals to Duke's one in the final frame to make the final score 19-9.

Freshman midfielder Lucas Wittenberg had one of the best games in Mercer history from an assist standpoint. The Kennesaw, Ga., native notched five assists on the evening, ranking fourth on the all-time single game list for assists in a game. The record of six has been achieved on three occasions.

Wittenberg also scored a goal to finish with six points on the night, which is tied for sixth for most points in a game in Mercer history.

Chris Baxa scored a hat-trick for the second consecutive game with three goals, marking the second time he has achieved the feat in his Mercer career. The first time came when Baxa score 3+ goals in four consecutive games during his freshman season in 2013.

Mercer falls to 2-2 on the season, while Duke improves to 4-1.