Mercer Hosts Samford On Saturday Afternoon

MACON – The Mercer women's basketball team will open up a three-game Southern Conference home stand on Saturday afternoon when the Bears suit up to take on league nemesis Samford in Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Fans unable to make the trip to Macon 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 Billy Andrews and Bill Connelly calling the action.

ABOUT THE GAME
Date: Saturday, January 17 Time: 2 p.m. ET Location: Macon, Ga. I Hawkins Arena TV: ESPN+ Live Statistics: MercerBears.com/Live Twitter Updates: @Mercer_WBB

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

LAST TIME OUT
UNC Greensboro shot 52.4 percent from the perimeter, including an 8-for-11 mark in the first half alone, and scored 24 points off of 21 Mercer turnovers to fuel a 76-59 win over the visiting Bears on Saturday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. Senior Nahawa Diarra scored 10 of her team-high 17 points in the second half, while also registering six rebounds and a steal. The setback snapped a six-game win streak for the Bears – the longest win skein for the program since the 2021-22 squad rattled off 12-straight wins before falling to UConn in the NCAA Tournament.

ABOUT THE BEARS
Mercer (11-6, 1-1 SoCon) will ride a 5-game home win streak into Saturday's contest with the Bulldogs, and has not tasted defeat in Middle Georgia since a 72-51 loss to Atlantic Coast Conference foe Clemson in early November. The Bears have connected on better than 40 percent (.404) of their field goal attempts in Hawkins Arena this season, and have averaged +14.6 points per game in the scoring column. MU Has also forced 20.2 turnovers per game on its home floor in 2025-26 as well. Seniors Nahawa Diarra (12.4 ppg) and Ariana Bennett (12.3) top the scoring column for the Orange & Black, while junior Abigal Holtman chips in 10.5 points per game thanks, in large part, to a deadly 39.7 percent accuracy from the perimeter.

SCOUTING SAMFORD
The Bulldogs (8-11, 1-1 SoCon) have now captured two of their last three outings following a 73-62 triumph at Western Carolina on Saturday, but Samford is just 3-9 away from Birmingham this season and has dropped seven of its last nine road games heading into Macon. The Bulldogs lead the SoCon in both 3-pointers made (9.0) and attempted (29.1) per game so far this season, and have committed just 15.1 turnovers per game (2^nd SoCon) through 19 outings in 2025-26. Freshman Kaylee Yarbrough averages a team-best 13.6 points per game on 41.1 percent field goal shooting, while sophomore Briana Rivera leads the nation in both 3-pointers made (63) and attempted (180). Rivera has averaged 3.32 made 3-pointers so far this season, including eight in a late-November loss at Georgia State.

MERCER/SAMFORD SERIES
Mercer leads the all-time series, 28-11, but had its 8-game series win streak snapped with a 65-49 loss in Birmingham, Ala., last season. The Bears are 13-5 against Samford in Hawkins Arena, however, and have won four-straight home matchups in the series dating back to a 73-66 triumph on Jan. 29, 2022. Nahawa Diarra scored a team-high 15 points in last season's 56-53 win over the Bulldogs in Macon.

ON DECK
The Bears will continue their three-game Southern Conference home stand on Thursday when they take on Furman (9-8, 1-1 SoCon) in Hawkins Arena. Tipoff is slated 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.

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Mercer Hosts Samford On Saturday Afternoon

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