Belmont Abbey freshman guard Morgan Midkiff came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points, and the Crusaders hit four free throws in the final two minutes, the last two coming from Caitlyn Ranson with 25 seconds left, to earn a key 58-55 road win at North Greenville this evening. The win moves the Abbey's record to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference Carolinas, while North Greenville dips to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in Conference Carolinas.

The Crusaders shot 37 percent from the floor as Midkiff came off the bench to sink six of nine field goals, including a pair of three pointers in four tries, and all four of her free throw attempts. She also had two assists and two steals in just 25 minutes. She was the only Abbey player to reach double figures. Ranson and Alyx Ingram both added nine points and Candace Fox chipped in with eight. Melisa Foures added just five points but pulled down ten rebounds and handed out five assists to go along with two steals.

Belmont Abbey led 31-25 at the half as it led by as many as eight points, 31-23 with 36 seconds left. After North Greenville dropped the Abbey's lead to two at 25-23 with 2:43 left, the Crusaders scored six of the final eight points in the stanza to retire to the lockerroom with a 31-25 edge.

The second half began with the Abbey embarking on a 10-2 run over the first 7:55 to open the lead to 13 at 40-27 with 12:05 to go. That proved to be the biggest lead of the game for both teams as North Greenville countered with a 16-2 run over the next five minutes to drop the lead down to knot the game at 42 with 6:04 to go.

Ten seconds later, Adrienne Simmons sank a free throw, the first Abbey point in almost two minutes, to put the Crusaders back in front. 36 seconds after that, Midkiff swished a three-pointer to push the lead to four, and after a North Greenville foul on a missed shot, Midkiff added two more free throws to widen the gap to six at 48-42 with 5:05 left.

North Greenville mustered one final push, scoring seven of the next nine points to cut the Abbey lead down to just one at 50-49 with 3:46 left. On the next Abbey possession, Fox missed a jumper and North Greenville raced back down the floor and Timisty Nelson was fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound. Her two free throws with 3:11 to play moved North Greenville ahead 51-50.

Foures answered with a layup on the Abbey's next offensive trip, but a Landrie Fox jumper moved North Greenville back in front at 53-52 with 2:40 left.

34 seconds later, Midkiff was fouled and her two ensuing free throws, with 2:16 left, moved the Abbey ahead to stay. North Greenville turned the ball over on its next possession, and Kelsey Long made it pay with a jumper to move the lead to three with 1:32 to go.

North Greenville did not go away, as Nelson netted a jumper with 34 ticks left to close the lead to one, but Ranson's two free throws nine seconds later sealed the 58-55 win.