Mercer Snaps ETSU Women's Win Streak

ETSU struggles with cold shooting in 50-45 loss to Mercer

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The East Tennessee State University (ETSU) women's basketball team saw its five-game win streak come to an end with a 50-45 loss to Mercer on Tuesday night. ETSU struggled offensively in the first half, making just 6 field goals and scoring only 15 points. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Lady Bucs were unable to overcome the early deficit and fell to 12-12 overall and 5-4 in the Southern Conference.

Why it matters

This loss ends a positive stretch for the ETSU women's basketball team, who had won 5 straight games prior to this defeat. The team's offensive struggles in the first half proved too much to overcome, despite their trademark tenacious defense. This result raises questions about ETSU's ability to consistently score and win close games against conference opponents.

The details

ETSU made just 16-of-58 shots from the field (27.6%) in the game, including a 1-of-8 performance from 3-point range in the first half. Mercer, meanwhile, matched ETSU's defensive intensity and was able to build a 28-15 halftime lead. The Lady Bucs were able to cut the deficit to 7 points in the fourth quarter, but could not complete the comeback.

  • The game was originally scheduled for February 1 but was rescheduled to February 11.
  • ETSU opened the game with a 6-2 lead, but Mercer then scored the next 11 points.
  • Mercer held a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 28-15 at halftime.
  • ETSU scored 16 points in the third quarter to cut the lead to 38-31 heading to the fourth.
  • ETSU was able to get within 3 points late in the fourth quarter but could not complete the comeback.

The players

Brenda Mock Brown

The head coach of the ETSU women's basketball team.

Carmen Richardson

The leading scorer for ETSU with 12 points in the game.

Jaidyn Harper

Scored 10 points for ETSU, including a late 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 3 points.

Ariana Bennett

Mercer's leading scorer with 12 points.

Rania Curry

Scored 9 points for Mercer, including a pair of late free throws.

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What they’re saying

“We didn't execute as well as we should have. We put our players in great positions, but the shots weren't falling.”

— Brenda Mock Brown, ETSU Head Coach

“That's the way our team is built. We have some scoring issues. When you hold a team to 50 points, you should be able to score 51. We've done that the past five games. This loss isn't going to define us. We've got to bounce back and look forward to Chatt.”

— Brenda Mock Brown, ETSU Head Coach

What’s next

The ETSU women's team will look to bounce back on Saturday when they travel to face Chattanooga.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the offensive struggles ETSU has faced at times this season, despite their strong defensive play. The team will need to find more consistent scoring if they hope to make a deep run in the Southern Conference tournament.