Box Score JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. –
Allie Downing led a trio of Crusaders who scored in double figures, as the Belmont Abbey women's basketball team clinch an Elite Eight berth with a 62-52 victory over Barton this evening. The win makes 20 in a row for the Abbey. It is also the second time ever a Conference Carolinas team has made it to the Elite Eight.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- It took Belmont Abbey a couple minutes to get on the board, but a 5-0 run quickly brought The Abbey back within two points. From there, neither team led by more than four points through the rest of the quarter, and Barton led 13-11 when the period expired
- The Belmont Abbey defense only gave up one field goal over the first three and a half minutes of the second, and a 3-point shot by Hannah Roney pulled the Crusaders to within two, 18-16, at the 5:42 mark
- Another 3-pointer by Roney capped a 5-0 Crusader run late in the quarter to tie the game at 23. The Bulldogs held a 26-25 lead at halftime
- The third quarter was all Abbey. A 6-2 run by BAC early in the third pulled the Crusaders within three. Later in the quarter, Belmont Abbey went on an 8-0 run over a span of 1:14 to go up 39-30
- The Abbey continued the offensive surge, and a tip-in layup by Kelli Thomas as the 3:48 mark capped a 14-0 Crusader run. The run gave Belmont Abbey a 50-36 lead heading into the final period. The Abbey outscored Barton 25-10 in the quarter, and led by as many as 19 points
- The teams traded baskets throughout most of the fourth, though the Crusader lead never dipped below eight, and the Abbey wrapped up the 62-52 victory, and the NCAA Elite Eight berth
- On the night, Allie Downing was The Abbey's leading scorer, with 12. Thomas and Maria Kuhlman each added 10
- Eight Crusaders scored in the game. The team shot 45.8 percent from the field, and outrebounded Barton 41-31
- After the contest Brittany Autry, Downing, and Kuhlman were named to the All-Tournament Team
UP NEXT
Belmont Abbey will head to Columbus, Ohio for an Elite Eight contest on Tuesday, March 23. The opponent is TBD.