The 2025-26 men’s basketball season tipped off Monday for Tennessee.
The Vols are ranked No. 17 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The 2025-26 basketball season is the 11th for Tennessee under head coach Rick Barnes.
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Tennessee (1-0) hosted Mercer (0-1) on Monday at Food City Center. The game tipped off at 7 p.m. EST and was streamed on SEC Network+ with Myan Patel (play-by-play), Steve Hamer (analyst) and Sarah Detwiler (reporter) on the call.
Tennessee was victorious, 76-61. Pat Adams, Jason Barker and RB Clyburn were the officials.
The Vols lead the all-time series, 5-4, versus Mercer. Barnes is 1-0 versus Mercer as the Vols’ head coach. The last meeting was on Nov. 29, 2017 with Tennessee winning, 84-60, at Food City Center.
Vols Wire provided live game updates for the Tennessee-Mercer contest and are listed below.
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More: Tennessee-Mercer basketball score prediction
More: 2025-26 Tennessee men’s basketball schedule, TV, tipoff times
Tennessee versus Mercer basketball game live updates
Tennessee versus Mercer
Tennessee basketball final stats versus Mercer
Ja’Kobi Gillespie
Final: Tennessee basketball defeats Mercer 76-61
Tennessee leads Mercer 68-51 with 3:46 remaining in the second half
Jaylen Carey
Jaylen Carey leads Tennessee in rebounds with 10.
Tennessee leads Mercer 62-49 with 5:40 remaining in the second half
J.P. Estrella
J.P. Estrella has 12 points and Nate Ament has 11 points for the Vols.
Tennessee leads Mercer 59-39 with 7:23 remaining in the second half
Nate Ament
The Vols are up 20 points during a media timeout.
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Tennessee goes on a 13-3 run and leads Mercer 52-32 with 11:47 remaining in the second half
J.P. Estrella leads the Vols in scoring with 10 points.
Tennessee leads Mercer 44-27 at the first media timeout in the second half
15:25 remaining in the second half.
Tennessee basketball leads Mercer 33-21 at halftime
J.P. Estrella leads the Vols in scoring with eight points.
Cade Phillips dunks to give Tennessee a 27-17 lead over Mercer with 3:55 remaining in the first half
Tennessee leads Mercer 19-12 with 7:55 remaining in the first half
Nate Ament
Media timeout. Nate Ament has four points and three rebounds.
Nate Ament scores first two points at Tennessee
Freshman Nate Ament scored his first field goal with 10:44 remaining in the first half.
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Tennessee leads Mercer 12-10 with 11:46 remaining in the first half
Second media timeout.
Fouls
Tennessee: 3
Mercer: 4
Mercer leads Tennessee 4-2 at the first media timeout
15:47 remaining in the first half.
Fouls
Tennessee: 1
Mercer: 1
Tennessee basketball starting lineup versus Mercer
Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Bishop Boswell, Nate Ament, Jaylen Carey and Felix Okpara are starting for the Vols versus Mercer.
What channel is Tennessee vs. Mercer on today?
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Announcers: Myan Patel (play-by-play), Steve Hamer (analyst) and Sarah Detwiler (reporter)
Watch Vols vs. Mercer live on SECN+
Tennessee vs. Mercer time today
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Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tennessee)
2025-26 Tennessee men’s basketball schedule
*All times Eastern
Oct. 26 – DUKE (exhibition) (L, 83-76)
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Nov. 3 – MERCER (W, 76-61)
Nov. 8 – NORTHERN KENTUCKY (3 p.m. on SECN+)
Nov. 12 – NORTH FLORIDA (7 p.m. on SECN+)
Nov. 17 – RICE (8:30 p.m. on SECN)
Nov. 20 – TENNESSEE STATE (7 p.m. on SECN+)
Nov. 24 – vs. Rutgers (1 p.m. on TNT, HBO Max)
Nov. 25 – vs. Houston (6 p.m. on TNT, HBO Max)
Nov. 26/27 – vs. TBD (TBD on TNT/truTV, HBO Max)
Dec. 2 – at Syracuse (7 p.m. on ESPN2)
Dec. 6 – vs. Illinois (8 p.m. on ESPN)
Dec. 16 – LOUISVILLE (7 p.m. on ESPN)
Dec. 21 – GARDNER-WEBB (3 p.m. on SECN+)
Dec. 30 – SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (8 p.m. on SECN)
Jan. 3 – at Arkansas (3 p.m. on ESPN2)
Jan. 6 – TEXAS (9 p.m. on ESPN/2)
Jan. 10 – at Florida (Noon on ESPN/2)
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Jan. 13 – TEXAS A&M (7 p.m. on SECN)
Jan. 17 – KENTUCKY (12 p.m. on ESPN)
Jan. 24 – at Alabama (8:30 p.m. on ESPN/2)
Jan. 27 – at Georgia (7 p.m. on SECN)
Jan. 31 – AUBURN (8:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Feb. 3 – OLE MISS (9 p.m. on ESPN2)
Feb. 7 – at Kentucky (8:30 p.m. on ESPN)
Feb. 11 – at Mississippi State (9 p.m. on ESPN2/U)
Feb. 14 – LSU (6 p.m. on SECN)
Feb. 18 – OKLAHOMA (7 p.m. on ESPN/2/U)
Feb. 21 – at Vanderbilt (2/2:30 p.m. on ESPN/2)
Feb. 24 – at Missouri (9 p.m. on SECN)
Feb. 28 – ALABAMA (6/6:30 p.m. on ESPN/2)
March 3 – at South Carolina (6 p.m. on SECN)
March 7 – VANDERBILT (2 p.m. on ESPN/2/U)
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Tennessee versus Mercer basketball game rapid recap
