Men's basketball
Mercer men’s basketball has had an average start to the season, beginning in non-conference play 6-5, including two overtime wins against Jacksonville University and Stetson University, both games of which were away from home.
Tyler Johnson ‘25, a guard, leads the team in points and minutes, averaging 15.5 points a game with shooting splits of 46.5 percent from the field, 39.0 percent from deep and 84.0 percent from the free throw line. Johnson was a critical part of the Bears' win against Stetson, playing 44 minutes and scoring a team-leading 26 points while shooting 6-for-10 from deep. Ahmad Robinson ‘25, another guard, is a key part of the Mercer offense as well, averaging 14.5 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals a game, good for leading the team in steals and assists.
Alex Holt ‘25 leads the Bears’ defense, leading the team in blocks and rebounds, while also contributing efficiently on offense. He is converting 66 percent of his field goal attempts, putting him tenth among all qualified NCAA Division I players.
Mercer’s offense has been statistically above average in comparison with their conference counterparts, currently ranked second in the Southern Conference in points and third in field goal percentage, while ranking second in steals.
The Bears kicked off their winter break schedule with a win at home against Chicago State and lost at Queens University. They head to Winthrop University on Sunday and Georgia State on Dec. 28. The team will kick off the new year with a conference matchup against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Women's basketball
The Michelle Clark-Heard era at Mercer has gotten off to a rocky start. Mercer women’s basketball has started the season 4-7 in non conference play after starting the season 3-3. The team has had to go up against a few teams that might be in conversation for postseason play, though, such as Conference USA-leading Western Kentucky University and No. 17 Georgia Tech.
Mercer is led by star forward Ariana Bennett ‘26, who leads the team in scoring with 9.4 points a game. Ashlee Locke '25 is averaging 8.7 points and 2.3 assists per contest. Locke is also effective on the defensive side of the ball, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, both of which are good for top five in the SoCon.
As a whole, the team is well-disciplined, as it has accrued the fewest personal fouls of any team in the SoCon and when the teams has gone to the line this season, they have the second-best rate of free throws in the conference.
While they are currently on a three-game skid, they will face Jackson State University (1-8) today in Hawkins Arena, against whom they have not played in more than a decade.
On Saturday, the Bears will face Appalachian State University, and on Dec. 30 they will travel to Kennesaw State University. SoCon play begins for the program on Jan. 11 in Macon against Samford University.
Jacob Hossler '28 is majoring in Biology with a potential English minor. In his free time he enjoys photography, writing, and playing tennis and soccer.
