SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Romeao Ferguson topped 20 points for the 11th time this season, but 13 three-pointers helped Southern Wesleyan to a 78-68 victory over Belmont Abbey in the 2020 Conference Carolina Men's Basketball Tournament Championship. Ferguson and DeQuan Abrom was named to the all-tournament team following the contest.

The second-seeded Crusaders stand at 21-10 and must await the NCAA selection committee's decision Sunday night to see their postseason fate. It was the third straight year that The Abbey played for a title.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ferguson also grabbed nine rebounds, falling just one carom shy of his eighth double-double.
• Sean Halloran tallied 14 points, while Quest Aldridge and DeQuan Abrom added 12 each. The dozen points by Abrom marked just the fourth time this season that he has been held under 20.
• Both teams shot 50 percent in the opening period, but an 18-9 advantage on the boards helped the Warriors make five more baskets and four more three-pointers, resulting in a 45-28 lead at the break.
• Belmont Abbey clawed back midway through the second half. Trailing 57-34, they scored 14 straight points to cut the deficit to single digits, 57-48 with 10:30 remaining in the contest.
• But Southern Wesleyan regroups with another round of threes and held off any future rallies.
• The Abbey closed the rebounding gap to 32-31 in the final box score, but had six more turnovers compared to SWU.