Belmont Abbey sophomore guard Richard Barbee led six Crusaders in double figures with a game-high 31 points as the men's basketball team opened the 2008-09 season with a 105-95 win over visiting Mars Hill this evening. The Abbey is 1-0, while the Lions drop to 1-1. It is the Abbey's first season-opening win in four years and the first time eclipsing the 100 point plateau in two years.

The Abbey shot 48.6 percent as Barbee clicked for 31 points on 10-16 shooting from the floor and an 8-10 effort from the free throw line. He also had eight rebounds, one assist, two blocked shots and four steals. Senior guard Jonathan Jackson added 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He sank five of 12 field goal attempts and converted all four of his free throws.

Freshman Kyle Phillips registered his first career double double in his first career game, logging 16 points and ten rebounds. He also had a blocked shot. Sophomore Alex Pledger finished with 15 points on 6-12 shooting, while posting 11 rebounds. The 7'1 New Zealander also blocked four shots. Senior guard Deonte Murphy posted 11 points while collecting nine assists and three steals. Senior Chris McDowell, in his first career start, posted ten points and seven rebounds.

Mars Hill which shot 40.9 percent from the field, was led by Danny Sanders's 22 points. He also pulled down seven rebounds and had two assists and a steal. Jamri Glen added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Tony Blake added 14 and Stoney Polite chipped in with 12. P.J. Gore added 11.

The Abbey never trailed in the game and built its largest first half lead at 37-21 as it took a 40-28 lead into halftime. In the second half, the lead grew to its highest point of the contest at 64-40 with 11:20 left, but a Mars Hill run trimmed the lead to nine at 93-84 with 1:43 left. The Abbey would push the lead back to 11, but a Blake three-pointer cut the lead to eight with 47 seconds left. The Abbey ended the game with seven straight free throws, including two by Barbee with 1.9 seconds left, to seal the win.