MACON, Ga. – Travis Smith scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Mercer to a 63-46 win over Northern Kentucky on Saturday in an Atlantic Sun Conference game.
Mercer held Northern Kentucky to 34 percent shooting from the field and finished with a 35-18 advantage in rebounds to avenge an earlier loss to the Norse. The Bears (20-9 overall, 13-3 Atlantic Sun Conference) shot 51.3 percent from the field in front of a packed Hawkins Arena and clinched their second straight 20-win season.
Northern Kentucky (9-15 overall, 7-9 A-Sun) led by as many as eight points early in the game, but Mercer made 58.8 percent of its shots from the field in the first half and took a 31-20 advantage into the lockerroom. Eshaunte Jones finished with a game-high 19 points for the Norse, while Ernest Watson added 10 points and five rebounds.
Jakob Gollon added 13 points for Mercer, which is atop the A-Sun standings. Langston Hall scored 12 points and dished out seven assists for the Bears.
Northern Kentucky plays host to North Florida at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in The Bank of Kentucky Center.
