Mercer basketball teams return to action

Bob Hoffman's Mercer Bears open Southern Conference play Saturday at an unusual tipoff time for the program: 2 p.m. against Samford.

But the Bears have another 2 p.m. game they have to focus on first: Wednesday at Kennesaw State in their final non-conference game of the season.

Mercer leads the all-time series between the former A-Sun rivals 10-3 and beat the Owls 74-66 last season.

The Bears are 9-3 this year, including a win over Arkansas, while the Owls are 3-11 against a schedule that includes games against Alabama, LSU, Arizona State, Belmont, West Virginia, Louisville and Indiana.

Mercer's game Saturday against Samford was moved to 2 p.m. to accommodate television (FS Southeast). The Bears are ranked No. 17 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll. They have been in the top 25 for five consecutive weeks.

The Mercer women also play Wednesday and Saturday. Susie Gardner's Bears are 7-5 entering their game at home against College of Charleston on Wednesday. They host North Florida on Saturday after the men's team's game.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Mercer basketball teams return to action ."