Box Score JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Maria Kuhlman went 6-for-8 from three-point range to lead the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team to a 74-59 win over no. 4 seed Tusculum in NCAA Southeast Regional semifinal action this evening.  The win marks the 19^th straight for the Crusaders, who now own a 23-2 record on the year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Brittany Autry scored the first basket of the contest, in a first quarter that was back and forth
• A layup by Kuhlman with less than a minute to go in the quarter tied the game at 10, though Tusculum had a 13-10 lead when the period expired
• A 5-0 run midway through the second pulled The Abbey to within three, at 22-19
• The tough Crusader defense did not give up a field goal over the last three and a half minutes of the quarter, and The Abbey pulled to within four, 28-24 at halftime
• The Crusader offense exploded in the third.  The team went opened the quarter with a 5-0 run
• Autry scored six straight Abbey points.  Kuhlman scored nine points in the last two minutes, and the Crusaders held a 49-44 lead heading into the final period
• Kuhlman went 4-for-4 in the third, while BAC as a team was 10-for-16 in the period
• Two free throws by Keyanna Spivey to start the third made it an 11-2 Abbey run.  The Abbey defense did not give up a Pioneer field goal in the first five minutes of the quarter
• After a pair of Tusculum free throws, BAC put together a 10-0 run, capped by five straight from Hannah Roney
• The Crusaders made their free throws down the stretch to wrap up the 74-59 victory
• On the night, Kuhlman was the Crusaders' leader, with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting
• Allie Downing finished with 14 points and nine rebounds
• As a unit, Belmont Abbey shot 42.9 from the field, and 44.0 from 3-point range

UP NEXT
Belmont Abbey will face the no. 2 seed Barton on Monday.