Belmont Abbey senior guard Richard Barbee led all scorers with 25 points as the Crusaders men's basketball team evened its record to 9-9 with an dominating 98-49 win over Johnson & Wales this evening at the Wheeler Center. Johnson & Wales, just in its second year of existence, falls to 0-22.

Barbee, who scored 21 of his points in the second half, notched a double double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. He sank eight of his 12 field goal attempts, while collecting three steals. Kyle Phillips added 17 points on seven on nine shooting, while Jay Council chipped in with 12, 11 in the first half. The Crusaders shot 57.6 percent (34-59) from the field and dominated the glass by a 47-25 count. The Abbey registered 15 offensive rebounds on the evening.

Johnson & Wales shot just 28.8 percent (15-52) as Willie Perlotte led the way with 20 points. Rodrick Latimer added ten.

The Crusaders never trailed and were never threatened as it built a double digit lead with less than five minutes gone by. The first half edge grew to as high as 32 points at 41-9 on two Tyshawn Good free throws with 2:11 to go in the first half. The Abbey carried a 43-17 halftime lead.

In the second half the Crusaders converted 18 of their 27 field goal attempts (66.7 percent) as every available player scored at least one basket. Two free throws from Tremayne Gates with 22 seconds left lifted the Abbey lead to the highest of the game, 51 points to make the score 98-47, before Perlotte closed the game with a layup with two seconds left.

Barbee's 25 points moves him to within ten points of fourth place on the Abbey's all-time scoring list. He is the first Crusader in 22 years to score at least 1,800 points.