BELMONT, N.C. -- Belmont Abbey outscored St. Augustine's 16-2 over the final six minutes and five Crusaders reached double figures in scoring, leading to a 77-61 victory over the Falcons in non-conference men's basketball action Wednesday night. Wade Jackson led the offensive effort with 18 points, while adding four rebounds and three assists.

Despite leading by as many as 16 points late in the first half, The Abbey (4-5) held a slim 61-59 lead after a Falcon three-pointer with 6:23 to play. Blake Hadley tallied a layup and his first three-pointer of the season to start a 10-0 that pushed the lead to 71-59 at the 2:48 mark.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mason Taylor finished just one rebound shy of a double-double, registering 15 points and nine rebounds. He added three assists and three steals.
• Ryan Maslow added 12 points, Mario Lacy, Jr., 11 and Kyle Frazier 10.
• Belmont Abbey hit 10 of its first 12 attempts overall, and seven of its first nine three-pointers en route to a 47-31 lead at halftime. The first half shooting percentage was 64.0 (16 of 25).
• The Crusaders finished the contest at exactly 50 percent (29 of 58) and hit 11 triples.
• Both teams had 13 turnovers, but The Abbey had more points off them, 17 to 6.
• The Crusaders used just seven players in the contest.

UP NEXT

• Belmont Abbey returns to Conference Carolinas play on Saturday for its final home game before Christmas.
• The Crusaders host Lees-McRae at 4 p.m. in the Wheeler Center.