In a contest that saw 16 ties and 11 lead changes, the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team was edged by the visiting Shaw University Bears 79-76 this afternoon at the Wheeler Center. Shaw improves to 3-2, while the Abbey falls to 3-2.

Both teams shot very well from the field, with Shaw shooting 49 percent and the Abbey 48 percent, but the Bears converted half of their three-point field goal attempts with the Abbey shooting 41 percent.

The Crusaders were led by Shayla Jackson and Kelsey Daniel, who both finished with 18 points. Ashley Giddens and Courtney Naquin both tallied 14. Asha Hardaway led all players with ten rebounds as the Abbey gained the rebounding edge by a 32-29 margin. Daniel added six steals and three assists

Shaw's Janelle Harrison led all scorers with 22 points on eight of 13 shooting, including four of six from three-point range. Tanisha McGaughey added 21 on seven of ten shooting, and Niesha Searles added 16.

With the score tied at 73 with 51 seconds left, Harrison gave the Bears the lead for good with her final three-pointer of the game. The margin grew by two after a pair of McGaughey free throws with 32 ticks remaining.

Nine seconds later, Giddens pulled the Abbey to within two points with a trifecta with 23 seconds left, but a McGaughey free throw with 22 seconds left stretched the lead back to 79-76.

After both teams made turnovers on consecutive trips down the floor, Naquin missed a three-pointer with seven seconds left that was grabbed by Shaw's Victoria Tanner. She missed both free throws, and after Paula Regalado rebounded the second free throw attempt, she passed off to Naquin, whose desperation heave from half court hit the rim at the buzzer.