Clemson Pulls Away Late, Downs Feisty Bears

Thursday, November 6

Macon, Ga.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

1-1,0-0SoCon

Clemson

2-0,0-0ACC

Clemson

Mercer

11/6/2025 10:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

MACON – Hot-handed Clemson shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the opening half, but it was a 13-5 run to close the third quarter that helped the Tigers pull away for good on the way to a 72-51 victory over home-standing Mercer on Thursday evening in Hawkins Arena.

It was the fifth-straight series loss for Mercer (1-1) who squared off against their Atlantic Coast Conference rivals in Macon for the first time since the 2019-20 season. It was the 20+-point win in four days for the Tigers (2-0) who shot 51 percent from the field in a 76-38 home win over USC Upstate on Monday.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Clemson 72, Mercer 51
RECORDS: Mercer 1-1 (0-0 SoCon); Clemson 2-0 (0-0 ACC)
LOCATION: Macon, Ga. (Hawkins Arena)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Clemson went 10-for-18 from the field in the first 10 minutes, and used a 13-6 advantage in the rebounding column to eventually take a 27-16 lead into the second quarter. The Tigers pushed their lead out to double digits, 15-5, on a 3-pointer from Taylor Johnson-Matthews at the 4:50 mark, but Mercer tacked up eight of the next 13 points to whittle its deficit back to single digits.

2ND QUARTER

The Bears went toe-to-toe with Clemson in the second stanza, but were unable to gain any ground heading into the intermission. The Bears scored four-straight points to pull to within seven points, 35-28, after a free throw from Nahawa Diarra, but Clemson got a big perimeter shot less than a minute later to spark a late surge before eventually lugging a 43-32 lead into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

The Tigers took a 14-point lead, 49-35, just less than 2-1/2 minutes into the second half, but the Bears clawed back with six-straight points to make it an eight-point game two minutes later. Clemson would take the last uppercut of the stanza, however, when Mia Moore canned a 3-pointer to jolt the visitors on a quarter-ending 9-1 run that allowed them to take a double-digit lead for good.

4TH QUARTER

Clemson went 4-for-12 from the field and turned the ball over four times in the final quarter, but Mercer saw its own cold shooting with a 1-for-9 field goal clip. Clemson led by as many as 23 points, 72-49, with 1:51 to play, but Nahawa Diarra and Stephanie Utomi both logged free throws down the stretch to provide the final.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Newcomer Micah O'Dell registered a team-best 16 points on 50 percent (6-for-12) field goal shooting, while also adding a defensive rebound. She played all 40 minutes of Thursday's contest as well.
+ Senior Nahawa Diarra and freshman Rania Curry chipped in eight points apiece. Diarra complemented her offensive numbers with a pair of rebounds and one assist, while Curry keyed her point total with a 2-for-2 clip from 3-point territory.
+ Freshman Remi-Hope Drantmann turned in a team-best four rebounds. She also scored four points.

NOTABLES

+ Clemson registered its fifth-straight win in the 49-year-old series with the Bears. Thursday's contest marked the first meeting between the two sides in Macon since the 2019-20 campaign.
+ The Bears tallied 10 or more free throws for the second time in as many games this season with a 10-for-16 clip from the line on Thursday night.

UP NEXT

The Bears will close out a short two-game home stand on Monday when they take on Gardner-Webb (0-1) in Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting MercerBears.com/Tickets.

STAY CONNECTED

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BACK THE BEARS

Fans can help support the Mercer athletics department by making a gift to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. To find out more information about the Mercer Athletic Foundation, email maf@mercer.edu.