Trailing 64-61 with just over four minutes left in the game, the Belmont Abbey men's basketball team closed with a 15-7 run to earn a 77-71 win over the Tusculum Pioneers this afternoon in a game that was played at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. The win moves the Abbey's record to 4-1, while Tusculum drops to 1-3.

The Crusaders led for most of the game, as Tusculum's last lead in the first half came on a three-pointer by Addison Flynn with 15:11 to go put the Pioneers up 11-10. From there, Belmont Abbey exploded ahead on a 20-4 run that moved its lead to 15, the highest of the game, at 30-15 with 5:46 left in the half.

Tusculum fired right back with a flurry that chopped the Abbey lead down to just two with 2:42 left, but the Abbey regained its momentum, and its double-digit lead, closing the stanza on a 12-2 run to carry a 42-30 lead into the break.

Belmont Abbey maintained a comfortable lead in the second half until Tusculum sliced what was a nine-point Abbey lead with 12:33 to play down to just one with 8:23 left on two Daniel O'Conner free throws.

After a Crusader turnover, Keith Jumper put Tusculum ahead for the first time since early in the first half, 57-56 with seven minutes to go. Tusculum could not stretch the lead to any higher than three, however, and Tyshawn Good tied the contest at 64 with three of his game-high 28 points, and his steal and layup 35 seconds later pushed the Abbey ahead for good with 3:11 to go.

Chris Davis moved the lead to four with two free throws, and Good struck again on Tusculum's next possession, gaining a steal and fast break layup to extend the advantage to six at 70-64 with 2:38 left.

Jumper converted two free throws to close the lead back to two on the Pioneers next trip down the floor, and after both teams hit one free throw, the last from Jumper that made it 71-67 Crusaders with 1:05 left, Justin Kuhlman swished two free throws to up the lead back to six.

The Pioneers did not go away, as an O'Connell layup with 14 seconds left cut the lead back to four, but Terrone Sheffey sank four free throws in the final ten seconds to preserve the win.

Good led all scorers with 28 points on eight of 19 shooting from the floor, including four of ten from three-point range. He also had four rebounds and three steals. Davis and Sheffey both finished with 12 points. Jay Council added nine and seven boards as the Crusaders edged the Pioneers on the boards by a 41-40 count. 15 of the 41 rebounds were offensive, including nine in the first half. Kuhlman handed out five assists.

Jumper led the Pioneers with 17 points, and JD Miller added 14. Dairus Carter chipped in with ten.