Staunch Defensive Effort Pushes Campbell Past Bears

Wednesday, December 3

Buies Creek, N.C.

7 p.m.

Mercer University

5-4,0-0SoCon

Campbell

5-5,0-0CAA

Mercer

Campbell

Staunch Defensive Effort Pushes Campbell Past Bears

12/3/2025 9:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Todd Anderson, anderson_t02@mercer.edu

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell held visiting Mercer to just 25.9 percent field goal shooting and used sizeable runs in both the first and fourth periods on the way to a 71-49 win over the Bears on Wednesday evening in Gore Arena.

The decision snapped a two-upswing for Mercer (5-4) who mustered 14 made field goals in the contest, including just six in the opening half. Campbell (5-5) registered eight blocks and scored 24 points off of 18 MU turnovers en route to improving to 3-0 on its home floor this season.

THE BASICS

SCORE: Campbell 71, Mercer 49
RECORDS: Mercer 5-4 (0-0 SoCon); Campbell 5-5 (0-0 CAA)
LOCATION: Buies Creek, N.C. (Gore Arena)

HOW IT HAPPENED

1ST QUARTER

Campbell scored 16 of the game's first 19 points to set the tone early as Mercer canned just one of its first eight shot attempts of the evening. The Camels led 16-3 after Hadleigh Dill's 3-pointer at the 3:03 mark, but the Bears regained their footing and netted five of the stanza's final six points to whittle their deficit down to single digits through 10 minutes of play.

2ND QUARTER

The visitors scored the first eight points of the second quarter and made it a one-possession game, 17-15, following a triple from Nahawa Diarra just less than three minutes in, but Campbell responded with eight-straight points over the next two minutes to push its lead back out to double digits. The Bears pulled to within six points, 28-22, on Stephanie Utomi's running layup with 2:13 left before the break, but Campbell got a 3-pointer from Jasmine Felton a minute late to give the Camels a 31-22 lead heading into the locker rooms.

3RD QUARTER

Mercer registered its best shooting quarter of the night in the third period, but Campbell countered by canning better than 52 percent of its field goal attempts. The Bears pulled to within five points, 35-30, on a Talia Harris jumper at the 5:56 mark, but Ciara Alexander's second-chance layup on the other end of the floor sparked the hosts on a 12-2 run that allowed them to pull away for good.

4TH QUARTER

The Camels kept their foot on the gas for the remainder of the game, scoring the first nine points of the final stanza to eventually pad their lead out to 25 points, 59-34, with five minutes left to play. Mercer tacked up four-straight points to interrupt the surge, but Campbell used its hot hand to push its lead out to as many as 27 points, 69-42, three minutes later.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

+ Nahawa Diarra tallied a 7-for-8 showing from the free throw line on the way to a team-best 13 points. She matched a team-high with five rebounds as well.
+ Newcomer Remi-Hope Drantmann came in off of the bench to tally six points in 16 minutes of action, while also pulling down five boards and adding a pair of blocks.
+ Sophomore Talia Kemp chipped in three points, but also contributed four rebounds and five steals in 23 minutes on the floor.

NOTABLES

+ Mercer forced 20 or more turnovers for the fourth time this season on Wednesday evening, but only managed to convert them into 13 points.
+ The Bears tallied 17 offensive rebounds against the Camels – the fourth time this season that MU has registered 16 or more offensive boards.
+ MU has registered at least one block in 23-straight outings. Newcomer Remi-Hope Drantmann totaled two second-half swats on Wednesday to keep that streak alive.

UP NEXT

The Bears will wrap up their three-game road trip on Saturday when they head to north Alabama to take on Jacksonville State (2-5). Start time is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.

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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.