MACON, Ga. (Interstat) — The Mercer Bears look to return to the win column and climb above .500 when they host the struggling Mississippi Valley State Devilettes in a nonconference women’s basketball game Sunday at Hawkins Arena. Mercer (5-5) enters the contest after back-to-back road losses at Campbell and Jacksonville State. The Bears have shown flashes of strong play, particularly in a 71-45 rout of Charleston Southern on Nov. 28 and a 78-68 win at Jackson State on Nov. 19. Their success often hinges on the performance of forward Ariana Bennett, who is coming off a 10-point, eight-rebound, three-block effort in the loss to Jacksonville State. Bennett has proven she can carry the offense, having scored 24 points against Charleston Southern and 20 against Georgia Southern earlier this season. Mississippi Valley State (1-7) seeks to halt a six-game losing streak marked by lopsided defeats. The Devilettes are coming off a 133-46 road loss at Oklahoma State on Dec. 6 and have lost their games this season by an average margin of 36.5 points. Their lone victory was a 72-68 home win over Lipscomb on Nov. 16. Guard Kylah McCullers has been a consistent bright spot, scoring in double figures in five straight games, including 14 points in the loss to Oklahoma State. The matchup presents a clear opportunity for Mercer to stabilize its season before a three-game homestand. The Bears have defended their home court well, posting a 3-1 record at Hawkins Arena this season. For Mississippi Valley State, the game is another tough road test in a challenging early schedule that has featured power-conference opponents like Auburn, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State. The Bears will need to contain McCullers and capitalize on their size advantage inside with Bennett to avoid a potential letdown against an overmatched but battle-tested Devilettes squad. Following this game, Mercer hosts Erskine on Wednesday, while Mississippi Valley State travels to face Mississippi on Dec. 17.