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3/5/2009 - MEN'S BASKETBALL
In the Mick of Time, Belmont Advances to Semis
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Belmont's dreams of a fourth straight General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championships will live on to Friday as Mick Hedgepeth’s lay-up with two-tenths of a second remaining pushed Belmont past Mercer, 65-64, in first-round action from Lipscomb’s Allen Arena.
The third-seeded Bruins (19-11) held onto the lead for most of the game until a jumper by Mercer’s James Florence tied the game at 60-60 with 5:26 to go in the second half. A dunk by Daniel Emerson minutes later put Mercer (17-15) in the lead for the first time of the game. Bruin Alex Renfroe hit a free throw to close the gap to one and then hit a layup to give the Bruins a 63-62 advantage. Mercer’s James Florence responded by hitting a quick jumper to take back the lead again, Hedgepeth’s lay-up off a miss by Andy Wicke sealed the game for the Bruins.
Belmont controlled the game early, building a 14-point first-half lead at 39-25. Mercer scored eight of the final 10 points of the half, culminating with a Florence 3-pointer, to close the margin to 41-33.
The Bears continued their charge early in the second half, closing the deficit to 49-46, five minutes into the half. However, in the span of 66 seconds, Keaton Belcher and Wicke hit 3-point tries, part of an 8-0 Belmont spurt that pushed them to lead by 11.
A Matthew Dotson lay-up at the 10:47 mark made the Bruin lead 59-48, but for the next 10 minutes and 15 seconds, Belmont missed 12 straight shots as Mercer charged back with a 14-1 run, highlighted by Emerson’s dunk. Mark Hall canned a pair of the 3-point tries and Florence scored four during the run that led up the final frantic minute, one that included three lead changes.
Renfroe, the 2008-09 A-Sun Player of the Year recorded his eighth double-double with 15 points (5-of-12 from the field) and 13 rebounds, and Wicke added 15 points as well. Florence paced the Bears, scoring 24 points, the sixth straight game in which the First-Team All-Atlantic Sun performer eclipsed the 20-point mark.
Belmont will now face second-seeded ETSU for the third consecutive A-Sun Championship. Tip off on Friday is set for 6:00 p.m. CT on CSS.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
