Danny Emerson's three-point play with 5:26 remaining capped a second-half comeback and Mercer defeated Belmont 87-81 Thursday night in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Sixth-seeded Mercer (15-16) plays Jacksonville on Friday night in the semifinals.
Belmont, the third seed, held a double-digit lead most of the game and was ahead by 10 with 13:28 left when Mercer started its rally.
Jeff Smith's 3-pointer gave Mercer its first lead with 4:15 remaining. Belmont pulled to within one a minute later, but the Bears were able to hold off the Bruins.
Belmont led by 14 points in the first half, thanks to a 5-for-5 start in 3-point shots.
Emerson, who missed the regular-season finale with an eye injury, started and scored 19 points with nine rebounds. James Florence led Mercer with 24.
Ian Clark led Belmont (19-12) with 19.
