JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Interstat) — A pivotal Southern Conference women’s basketball matchup awaits Tuesday night as the Mercer Bears visit the East Tennessee State Lady Buccaneers at ETSU Athletic Center. Both teams enter on winning streaks, setting the stage for a clash with implications for the conference standings. Mercer (14-9 overall) has won two straight, most recently a 61-51 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday. East Tennessee State (12-11) has won five consecutive games, its latest a 58-55 road win at Furman, also on Saturday. The Bears are led by guard Nahawa Diarra, who is coming off a 12-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist performance against Western Carolina. Over her last six games, Diarra has averaged 9.3 points and 2.8 assists. She will need to counter the momentum of ETSU’s Carmen Richardson. The Lady Buccaneers’ guard has been instrumental during the team’s streak, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals over the last five contests. She scored 14 points with 4 assists in the win over Furman. Mercer’s recent success has featured balanced scoring. Alongside Diarra, Ariana Bennett (14 points) and Talia Harris (10 points, 5 rebounds) were key contributors in the last outing. ETSU has relied on a stout defense during its run, holding opponents to an average of 49.8 points over the five wins. Jaidyn Harper (13 points vs. Furman) and post player Meghan Downing (7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) provide additional firepower. The teams will meet again in Macon, Georgia, on Feb. 26, adding a layer of intrigue to this first of a regular-season series. Tuesday’s contest tips off at 7 p.m. EST.