Belmont Abbey freshman forward Melisa Foures led all scorers with 16 points as the Crusaders women's basketball team claimed its third-straight win with a 63-55 win at Lees-McRae this evening. The Crusaders move to 8-8 overall and 7-3 in Conference Carolinas, while Lees-McRae dips to 3-10 overall and 3-5 in Conference Carolinas.

Foures scored 16 points, one shy of her career-high, on five of nine shooting from the field with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in 35 minutes. Senior Shayla Jackson and freshman Kelsey Long both chipped in with 12 points apiece. Long sank four of 11 field goal attempts with four rebounds and a game-high six assists. Jackson fashioned a near-perfect shooting night, draining five of six field goal attempts and two of her four free throw attempts with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Belmont Abbey shot 42.9 percent (21-49) from the floor.

Lees-McRae, which shot 36.9 percent (24-65) from the field, was led by Janina Thurau's 13 points, while Chloe Parker and Icey Patterson both added 11. Parker's eight rebounds were a game-high as the Lady Bobcats held a 42-34 advantage on the boards.

Lees-McRae scored the first seven points of the contest in the first 4:15 before a 13-1 Abbey run over the next four minutes gave the Crusaders a lead they would never lose. Jumpers from Jackson, Foures and Paula Regalado sliced the lead to a pair, and Jackson knotted the game at eight with a short jumper. Long scored the next five points on consecutive trips down the floor, registering a traditional three-point play, followed by a jumper, moved the Abbey ahead 13-8 with 10:34 to go.

Two minutes later, a Bobcats jumper closed the lead to three, but the Crusaders pulled away by scoring the next seven unanswered points to build its lead to ten at 20-10 with 6:05 to go. Foures bookended jumpers around a Regalado fast break layup to give the Crusaders their biggest lead of the half.

After both teams traded baskets, the Lady Bobcats closed the half on a 7-0 run over the final 1:05 to chop the Abbey lead to 22-19 at the break.

The final 20 minutes began with the Abbey going on a 14-6 run using four three-pointers, coming from Long, Foures, Candace Fox and Brittaney Rice, along with a jumper from Jackson, to extend its lead to 11 at 36-25 with 15:26 to go.

Both teams traded baskets after that initial run, and another Jackson layup put the Crusaders up 13, Lees-McRae scored the next five points to move the Abbey lead down to six at 40-34 with 12:39 to go. The Abbey once again responded, exploding on a 14-4 run to open its lead up to 16 points at 54-38 with 4:15 left.

The Lady Bobcats battled back, whittling the lead down to as few as eight points at 59-51 with 39 ticks left. The Lady Bobcats were forced to foul, and the Crusaders hit four of their six free throws in the final 35 seconds to maintain their lead and win by eight, 63-55.