The North Greenville women's basketball team took control of the game in the final four minutes to pull away and defeat the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team by a 57-48 score this evening at the Wheeler Center in the Conference Carolinas opener for both teams. North Greenville moves to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in Conference Carolinas, while the Crusaders drop to 2-4 overall and 0-1 in Conference Carolinas.

Belmont Abbey led 28-25 at the half and built it to seven as Kelsey Long scored the first four points of the stanza to push the Crusader edge to 32-25. Belmont Abbey maintained its lead, which never grew any higher than six points thereafter, until North Greenville deadlocked the contest at 40 with 6:29 to play. It was just the second tie of the game. Another Long jumper moved the Abbey back in front, but a free throw and a layup by Krisceda Cotton with 4:16 left put North Greenville ahead to stay.

Cotton's three point scoring surge ignited a 12-2 North Greenville run that moved its lead to eight at 52-44 with 1:25 left. Two free throws from Caitlyn Ranson with 1:13 left chopped the lead back down to six, but North Greenville scored five of the game's last seven points to seal the win.

Long led all scorers with 19 points on eight of 16 shooting with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Ranson added 12 points, ten in the first half, with four rebounds and a steal. McKenzie Owen nearly missed registering her first career double double, recording ten points and nine rebounds. The Abbey dominated the boards by a 43-29 count, and shot 31 percent (19-61) from the field.

Cotton led North Greenville with 14 points on six of 12 shooting as the Crusaders recorded a 43 percent (20-46) percentage from the field. Christina Carlis added 11 pionts and 11 rebounds for a double double.