Central Florida knocks out Mercer in A-Sun tourney

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - Joshua Peppers scored 16 points as Central Florida rolled past Mercer 81-68 Thursday in quarterfinal action of the Atlantic Sun Conference basketball tournament.<br> <br> The second-seeded Golden Knights (22-8) advance to Friday&#39;s semifinal, where they will face the winner of Thursday night&#39;s Belmont-Georgia State game.<br> <br> Seventh-seeded Mercer finishes its season 16-12.<br> <br> Central Florida jumped out to an early 9-2 lead and never trailed in the game, dominating the first half and leading by as many as 24 points. The Golden Knights built their lead with superior first-half shooting, making 16-of-30 shots (53.3 percent) from the floor, including 8-of-14 from 3-point range.<br> <br> In contrast, Mercer was cold, making just 10-of-36 first half shots (27.8 percent).<br> <br> The Golden Knights never allowed their lead to dip below double figures in the second half.<br> <br> In addition to Peppers, Gary Johnson scored 14 points for Central Florida, while Anthony Williams added 12 and Justin Rose 10.<br> <br> James Odoms led Mercer with 14 points, while Wesley Duke added 13 and Will Emerson 11.