Mercer To Battle Clemson In Home Opener Thursday

Monday, November 10

Macon, Ga.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

Gardner-Webb

Mercer To Battle Clemson In Home Opener Thursday

11/5/2025 8:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – The Mercer women's basketball program will open the curtain on the home portion of its 2025-26 regular season schedule on Thursday when the Bears suit up to battle Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson in a 7 p.m. contest inside Hawkins Arena.

Fans unable to make the trip to Middle Georgia can still follow the action for free via a live statistics link provided by the MU athletics department. The game is also scheduled to be broadcasted live on ESPN+ with Phil Cox and Bill Connelly handling the call. Billy Andrews and the rest of the Mercer Sports Network will call all of the action as well, and fans can listen to that broadcast on The Creek 100.9 FM, or by visiting Sportsmic.

ABOUT THE GAME
Date: Thursday, November 6 Time: 7 p.m. ET Location: Macon, Ga. I Hawkins Arena TV: ESPN+ Listen Live: 100.9 The Creek I Sportsmic Network Live Statistics: MercerStats.com Twitter Updates: @Mercer_WBB

TICKETS
Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.

LAST TIME OUT
The visiting Bears forced 28 turnovers and held UNC Asheville to a nearly nine-minute scoring drought across the second and third quarters on the way to a 48-39 victory over the Bulldogs on Monday evening inside Kimmel Arena. Senior Ariana Bennett went 6-for-8 from the free throw line on the way to a team-leading 10 points for Mercer.

ABOUT THE BEARS
Senior forward Ariana Bennett tops the scoring column after posting a team-high 10 points in Monday's victory at UNC Asheville. Newcomer Micah O'Dell played a team-best 31 minutes in western North Carolina. The Bears registered an impressive 20-for-30 clip from the free throw line to key the win, while also posting a 42-37 advantage in the rebounding column, including 16 offensive boards.

SCOUTING CLEMSON
The Tigers (1-0), who returned a pair of starters and two other letterwinners from last season's 14-win squad, successfully opened their 2025-26 season by doubling up visiting USC Upstate, 76-38, on Monday afternoon. Georgia Tech transfer Rusne Augustinaite knocked down four 3-pointers and tallied a game-best 19 points for the Tigers who shot nearly 51 percent from the field.

MERCER/CLEMSON SERIES
Clemson leads the all-time series, 8-2, and will ride a four-game series win streak into Thursday's matchup in Hawkins Arena. The Tigers shot nearly 52 percent from the field on the way to a 90-66 victory in the last matchup between the sides on Nov. 12, 2023, in Clemson. Thursday's contest will mark the first series meeting in Macon since a 65-61 Clemson triumph on Dec. 15, 2019. The Orange & Black swept the season series with Clemson amid the 1980-81 campaign, including a 79-78 win in Hawkins Arena.

ON DECK
The Bears will close out a short two-game home stand on Monday when they take on Gardner-Webb in Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Basketball, follow the Bears on social media at @Mercer_WBB (X/Twitter), /MercerWBB (Facebook) and @Mercer_wbb (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.