Belmont eliminates Mercer from Atlantic Sun Tournament

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Brian Collins scored 16 points to lead Belmont into the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Tournament on Thursday night with a 71-63 victory over Mercer.<br> <br> Third-seeded Belmont (21-7, 15-5) will face Central Florida in the next round.<br> <br> Adam Mark scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Belmont, which committed just four turnovers. Josh Goodwin added 12 points and Steve Drabyn 11.<br> <br> Sixth-seeded Mercer (12-18, 9-11) was led by Andrew Brown and Delmar Wilson, who scored 15 points each.<br> <br> Belmont&#39;s win was its first postseason victory as a member of Division I.<br> <br> Belmont seized the lead for good early in the second half with an 11-4 run that gave the Bruins a 39-32 lead with just 2.5 minutes gone. The Bruins hit all four shots during the run, including three 3-pointers.<br> <br> The closest Mercer got in the final 10 minutes of the game was 56-50.<br> <br> A fast-paced first half resulted in a 28-28 tie at halftime as the teams struggled from the floor. Belmont shot just 29 percent, while Mercer connected on 35 percent.<br> <br> Neither team led by more than four points in the half.<br> <br> Belmont is hosting the tournament in the new Curb Events Center.<br> <br> (Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved